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MAIN
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A Joint Project of the Maine
Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods |
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Volume 10 No. 3 |
September 2006 |
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MAIN
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A Joint Project of the Maine
Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods |
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Volume 10 No. 3 |
September 2006 |
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NEW: Proof of Citizenship Requirement for MaineCare
As reported in the last MAIN Update, Congress passed a new law that affects MaineCare applicants and current members. The law requires that people getting MaineCare prove that they are U.S. citizens. Before the new law, when you applied for MaineCare, you could simply state on the application that you were a citizen.
Now most MaineCare applicants must show papers to prove both their citizenship and their identity. Most current members also have to show these records when they reapply. People will be given some time to collect their papers. No one should be denied MaineCare or lose MaineCare because they don’t have the necessary papers.
The new law does not affect Medicare and SSI recipients. These recipients are exempt from the new requirement.
It also does not affect legal immigrants. Legal immigrants have already had to show papers that prove their citizenship or legal status.
If you have one of these records, it will count for both citizenship and identity:
- U.S. Passport
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
If you don’t have one of these three, you will need two different records:
One of these:
AND one of these that proves your identity:
- A birth certificate
- A Report or Certification of Birth Abroad
- U.S. Citizen I.D. card
- Adoption Papers
- Military Records, if it shows place of birth.
- A current state driver’s license or state ID card
- School identification (ID) card
- A federal, state or local government ID card
- A U.S. Military identification (ID) card.
If you were born in Maine, you should not need a copy of your birth certificate. The Department of Health and Human Services will collect birth certificates from the Maine Division of Vital Records for people born in Maine. However, there are some people born in Maine who will not be in the state’s vital records. If the Department tells you that you are not in the state’s records, you will need to show a copy of your birth certificate. You can get a copy from the town where you were born.
Many groups are working with the Department to help make this new rule as simple as possible. We are trying to set up a system so that people can get help to get the documents they need.
