A new requirement for Medicaid applicants to provide proof of citizenship is meant to keep illegal immigrants out of the program. But it could also exclude some elegible recipients who find it difficult to provide adequate proof of citizenship.

Medicaid recipients are obligated to provide evidence they are US citizens -- a passport, birth certificate or other accepted proof -- under a rule that took effect on Saturday. Passed last year as part of the Deficit Reduction Act, it is designed to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining benefits.

Exemption Categories

Senior citizens and people with disabilities who are covered under Medicare or the SSI (Supplemental Security Income) program are among those impacted by the new regulations providing exemptions to the rule.

Citizens who already provided verification when applying for food stamps or a driver's license may also be exempt from having to present further proof, since the new regulations allow database matches with state records.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services agreed that people falling into those categories should be excluded from the new proof-of-citizenship requirement.

Still, there is considerable worry that Americans who are eligible for Medicaid benefits will be denied coverage because they might not be able to produce the required documentation.