Trump Administration Review of Undocumented Medicaid Enrollees Yields Few Violators

The federal government asked states to review Medicaid enrollees listed as potentially ineligible due to immigration status, but initial findings from five states indicate little evidence of widespread ineligibility. In Pennsylvania and Colorado, reviews through March found no individuals to terminate after screening 79,000 names combined.

Texas reviewed more than 28,000 records and terminated 77, Ohio reviewed 65,000 and disenrolled 260, and Utah terminated 42 of 8,000 identified. State officials described the efforts as targeted checks to verify eligibility, with CMS notes that reviews aim to confirm status that could not be verified through federal data.

Ohio reported that most of the referred names were already known as citizens or appropriately documented immigrants. The findings suggest many referred individuals were either already confirmed eligible or had status that did not support termination.

CMS declined to provide comprehensive state-by-state results or clarify whether terminated cases are shared with immigration authorities. Uncertainty remains about the full scope across all states and the ultimate impact on program integrity and federal funds.