- calendar_today August 13, 2025
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday announced a new plan to crack down on illegal immigrant enrollment in public health insurance programs, moving to strip ineligible immigrants from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The plan, which was first reported by CMS, is among the Trump administration’s most forceful actions in its second term to bar taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants and limit eligibility to U.S. citizens.
CMS will now provide monthly enrollment reports to each state that detail Medicaid or CHIP enrollees who cannot be verified using federal databases to be in the U.S. legally. The federal agency will comb data from other federal databases, including the Social Security Administration, as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.
“This is an enormous step forward in securing the nation’s largest public benefits programs for citizens, legal residents, and those authorized to be here,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement.
States will receive monthly reports, according to CMS. Each state will then be required to review all flagged individuals’ immigration status. Eligible enrollees should be verified as such by states, which will be required to report back to CMS.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. heralded the announcement on Tuesday, writing in a statement, “We are tightening oversight of enrollment to safeguard taxpayer dollars and guarantee that these vital programs serve only those who are truly eligible under the law.”
The announcement on Tuesday was part of a wider effort across the administration to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving federal benefits. Republicans have long sought to limit illegal immigrant access to taxpayer-funded benefits. President Donald Trump has made eligibility verification for federal programs a priority this term, as have congressional leaders.
Trump signed an executive order in February shortly after beginning his second term, mandating that agencies review each federal benefit program and take steps to ensure they were not being accessed by non-citizens in violation of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The Department of Health and Human Services, soon after, in late February, expanded the list of government programs it deems to be public benefits from 31 to 44.
The CMS announcement comes just weeks after a federal judge issued an injunction against the Trump administration barring the Department of Health and Human Services from sharing enrollee information with immigration authorities. The Trump administration has been providing information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for use in deportation operations, but the court ruled that the practice was outside of its authority.
CMS’s announcement on Tuesday does not appear to conflict with the injunction or the scope of the judge’s decision. However, states have new statutory requirements to verify enrollee eligibility, now tied to a Republican spending bill from last month. The omnibus legislation mandated that states check the eligibility of Medicaid enrollees at least twice per year, a major uptick from previous years. While Republicans say the requirement will cut down on fraud and waste in Medicaid, some Democrats argue it will create needless red tape for enrollees and make it more difficult for families to access care.
A coalition of more than 20 Democratic attorneys general has already sued the administration over the new rules, saying the requirement of checking immigration status with federal agencies to verify eligibility will impact access to care. Led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the group also argues the new rules violate federal law, going beyond the administration’s existing power to ensure only legal residents receive Medicaid or CHIP services.
“This increase to the required rate of eligibility checks is a devious attempt to make it harder for families to keep health insurance, increase churn in Medicaid, and cover the cost by reducing access to health care and increasing paperwork for states and families across the country,” James said last month.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz released a statement last month denouncing the lawsuit, saying it targeted Republican efforts to preserve program integrity. “Misusing Medicaid and CHIP eligibility and benefits is unacceptable, and all states must comply with Medicaid and CHIP eligibility requirements,” Oz said.
“We believe our decision is well within CMS’s existing authority and is fully compliant with all applicable federal laws. That is why this lawsuit is about something much bigger than any state or program—it is about upholding the rule of law in the Medicaid program.”
Medicaid and CHIP have been major targets in recent years of states and conservative advocates looking to combat illegal immigrant fraud and waste in the nation’s safety-net health care programs. The programs are also in the crosshairs of some Democrats, who say tighter eligibility standards will prevent poor and low-income families from accessing essential health care and other support services.
CMS’s first reports under the new program have already been released to states, according to the agency. It is unclear how many people are on Medicaid or CHIP waiting for eligibility verification.




