Assessing immigration status and eligibility for publicly funded medical care: a questionnaire for public health professionals.

Abstract

After reviewing the requirements for establishing a legal presence in the United States and securing health care services under Medicaid and Medicare, this article reports on a questionnaire developed to determine patients' documentation status and eligibility for publicly funded medical care. The questionnaire was developed based on an integration of the relevant provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Social Security Act. The questionnaire is both valid and reliable when compared with an instrument currently used by immigration attorneys. This assessment is useful provided there is no requirement that undocumented individuals be reported to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.