Rethinking the Medicaid Child Support Cooperation Requirement

Publication Date: May 2003

Publisher: Center for Law and Social Policy

Author(s): Paula Roberts

Research Area: Health; Social conditions

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

In order for low-income, custodial single parents to obtain Medicaid coverage for themselves, they must usually assign to the state any rights they have to private health care coverage and cooperate with the states child support enforcement agency in pursuing that coverage. If they fail to do so, their children can receive Medicaid benefits, but they cannot.

This paper describes the Medicaid program and the child support assignment and cooperation requirements as well as the differences between the Medicaid and SCHIP programs in this context. It concludes with the recommendation that the Medicaid child support cooperation requirement be abolished.