Suit Challenges New Law Requiring over 50 Million People in Medicaid to Document Citizenship

The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, concerning the lawsuit filed today that challenges the constitutionality of the new Medicaid citizenship documentation law:

“The new Medicaid citizenship documentation law will produce a tragic irony. In their zeal to appear tough on illegal immigrants, the House Republican sponsors of this law will cause millions of low-income American citizens to lose their health coverage.

“The Americans least able to produce the required documents, who will lose Medicaid coverage, are the ones needing health care the most. Seniors will be thrown out of nursing homes; mental health and chronically ill patients won’t receive needed medicines; and victims of natural disasters, like hurricane Katrina, will become uninsured.

“For these very vulnerable populations, it is critically important that this suit succeeds in stopping the implementation of this harmful new law.”

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

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