MCHP Citizenship & Identity Information

The federal Deficit Reduction Act requires that all individuals declaring to be U.S. citizens provide documentation of their citizenship and identity at the time of initial application or annual eligibility review (“re-determination”). This requirement applies to all Medical Care Programs including the Maryland Children’s Health Program.

Which documents are acceptable proofs?

Documents must only be provided once. If the required documents are already in the case record, they will not have to be produced.

One of the following documents may be used to prove both citizenship and identity:

U.S. Passport (current or expired)
Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570) OR
Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561)

Proof of Citizenship:

U.S. Birth Certificate
Record for child under the age of 16 created near the date of birth and showing U.S. place of birth: record on hospital letterhead or other medical record, except immunization record
Record showing U.S. place of birth, if created at least 5 years before the individual’s first application. Record on hospital letterhead, medical record of the birth, institutional admission papers, signed statement by physician or midwife who attended the birth, Vital Statistics notice of birth registration, insurance record
Final adoption decree for child born in U.S.
Certificate of citizen born abroad (DS-1350, FS-240, FS-545)
Military service record showing U.S. place of birth
Evidence of U.S. civil service employment before 6/1/76
Federal or state census record for 1900-1950 showing U.S. citizenship or U.S. place of birth
ID card for naturalized citizen living in Mexico or Canada (I-179 or I-197) OR
Two written and signed statements by U.S. citizens who have personal knowledge of the individual’s citizenship and why documentation is not available. At least one of those affidavits must be signed by someone who is not related to the applicant or recipient. Both signors must prove their own U.S. citizenship and identity. A third affidavit must be signed by the individual, parent, guardian, etc. explaining why the other types of documentation are not available

One of the following documents may be used to verify Proof of Identity:

Photo driver’s license or MVA ID card
Photo school ID card
Photo federal, state, or local government ID card
U.S. military card or draft record
Military dependent’s ID card OR
For children under 16, a school record, nursery or day care record, or written statement signed by parent or guardian (if a written statement was not used as documentation of citizenship)