The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (HR 3963), passed in the Senate and the House, significantly changes the law with respect to both legal and illegal immigrants. It affects not only the children’s health program (SCHIP) but also the far larger general Medicaid program.

Specifically, the SCHIP reauthorization bill:

» Weakens evidentiary and document standards governing entry into Medicaid, making it easier for illegal immigrants to fraudulently obtain benefits.

» Overturns limitations on immigrant use of Medicaid enacted in the 1996 welfare reform law by gutting procedures used to determine immigrant eligibility — and thus readily permitting immigrants to receive benefits for which they remain legally ineligible.

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HR 3963 fails to adequately prevent abuse of taxpayer funds. It increases opportunities for illegal immigrants to obtain Medicaid benefits and for legal immigrants to enroll in SCHIP or Medicaid before living in the United States the requisite five years. As such, the legislation is a significant step backward in efforts to prevent welfare fraud.

Read more at www.heritage.org