Opinion ID: 2082423
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: PRWORA's Treatment of Aliens' Entitlement to Medicaid

Text: Title IV renders non-qualified aliens ineligible for Federal Medicaid (8 USC § 1611 [a]). Qualified aliens are divided into two subcategories. The first subcategory includes those who were lawfully residing in the United States before August 22, 1996. Section 1612 (b) (2) requires States to provide Federal Medicaid to some, but not all, of this group. [7] The second subcategory includes those who entered the country on or after August 22, 1996. This latter group is largely ineligible for Federal Medicaid for five years ( see, 8 USC § 1613 [a]). [8] Moreover, title IV authorizes States to extend the ineligibility period beyond the initial five years ( see, 8 USC § 1612 [b] [1]). In addition to rendering PRUCOLs ineligible for Federal Medicaid, title IV renders them ineligible for State Medicaid as well ( see, 8 USC § 1621 [a], [c] [1] [B]). Section 1621 (d), however, authorizes States to provide State Medicaid to PRUCOLsand indeed even to illegal aliensby enacting a new law (after August 22, 1996) which affirmatively provides for such eligibility ( see, 8 USC § 1621 [d]). [9] As for qualified aliens, title IV does not require, but instead allows States to grant or deny them State Medicaid, subject to certain exceptions ( see, 8 USC § 1622 [a]). [10] Finally, notwithstanding all of these restrictions, both non-qualified aliens and qualified aliens (during their periods of ineligibility) may receive State and federally funded emergency medical treatment ( see, 8 USC § 1611 [b] [1] [A]; § 1613 [c] [2] [A]; § 1621 [b] [1]). 2.