No Medicaid for Illegals Act

H.R. 4209, the No Medicaid for Illegals Act, would change how federal funding for Medicaid and CHIP is provided to individuals who do not have verified citizenship, nationality, or satisfactory immigration status. The core change is to prohibit federal financial participation (FFP) for medical assistance under Medicaid and CHIP for those lacking verified status, with limited, state-administered options to continue coverage only under specific circumstances. The bill creates a “reasonable opportunity” window for states to require individuals to present documentary evidence of citizenship or immigration status, and it ties continued federal funding during that window to whether verification is completed by the end of the period. States can opt to continue providing coverage during this period, but only if they elect the option under 1902(a)(46)(C). If verification is not completed, FFP would not apply to those expenditures. The bill also expands and clarifies how states may handle verification and coverage during these periods (including for CHIP) and applies these changes from the date of enactment onward. In addition, the legislation makes corresponding adjustments to the Social Security Act to (a) eliminate a mandatory requirement that states provide medical assistance during the reasonable-opportunity period unless they elect the new option, (b) modify data-matching rules to reflect the verification approach, and (c) extend the option to continue coverage during the verification window to the CHIP program as well. The sponsor listed is Rep. Van Drew, and the bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.