CMS issues Medicaid/CHIP guidance on immigrant sponsor requirements

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued guidance for states on how to determine certain sponsored immigrants’ eligibility for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The guidance follows a May presidential memorandum directing federal agencies to update or issue procedures and guidance to ensure compliance with sponsor deeming and repayment obligations. The Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that the income and resources of the sponsors of certain immigrants be counted in determining the immigrant’s eligibility for federal means-tested benefit programs, including Medicaid and CHIP.