Overview

• HHS sent names, addresses, Social Security numbers, claims data and immigration status for Medicaid recipients in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington, D.C. to the Department of Homeland Security.
• Two senior advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overruled CMS legal staff who warned that sharing the data could violate the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act.
• Medicaid officials received the directive on June 10 and were ordered to complete the transfer before 5:30 p.m. Eastern time that same day.
• HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the agency acted within its legal authority to ensure federal Medicaid funds serve only individuals lawfully entitled to benefits.
• California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office called the action potentially unlawful and cautioned it could deter states from sharing information and stoke fear among immigrant communities.