Fed audit, emergency Medicaid undercut Dems on illegal immigrant health coverage
House Speaker Mike Johnson claps back at Senate Democrats' claims during government shutdown negotiations
By Cameron Arcand Fox News
Published October 1, 2025 1:32pm EDT
A past federal audit, along with existing state government policies, raises questions regarding claims from Senate Democrats that illegal immigrants do not receive Medicaid amid the ongoing federal government shutdown debate.
"Fact: Undocumented immigrants are not even eligible to purchase the ACA coverage we’re trying to protect. Republicans voted to hike costs and take health care away from American citizens. Including their own constituents. Read that again. Over and over," Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., posted to X on Tuesday.
Although those in the country illegally may not be able to purchase coverage through the Affordable Care Act, California, for example, was subject to a 2024 federal audit from the Office of the Inspector General for "improperly" requesting that the federal government cover $52.7 million in capitation costs for those with "unsatisfactory immigration status."
The OIG then recommended that the state refund the federal government.
In addition, there were concerns about the costs of emergency healthcare for illegal immigrants, which was also referenced by the OIG in the audit on the Golden State.
"States are generally prohibited from claiming Federal reimbursement for Medicaid services, other than treatment of an emergency medical condition, provided to certain noncitizens with unsatisfactory immigration status (UIS)," the OIG’s website stated regarding the audit.
"However, California’s Medicaid program extends coverage beyond limited Federal Medicaid benefits to these noncitizens and would generally need to pay for nonemergency services using State funds."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fed-audit-emergency-medicaid-undercut-dems-illegal-immigrant-health-coverage