States have always been required to share certain data with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees Medicaid (MaineCare). This data includes information like names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, date of birth, race/ethnicity, Medicaid coverage category, and citizenship status.
In the past, CMS did NOT share data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which enforces immigration laws. However, a new data sharing agreement between CMS and DHS allows for some Medicaid data from people who are not lawfully residing in the U.S. to be shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Some data still cannot lawfully be shared, including information about: U.S. citizens, people who are lawfully residing in the U.S., or sensitive medical records.
Families need to weigh getting health care coverage against the possible risk that their information may now be shared for other purposes, including immigration enforcement.
Every family’s circumstances are different so it’s important to consider the following when deciding about risk:
Do you already have MaineCare?
If you already have MaineCare and have not moved, there is no reason to withdraw or stop using those benefits at this point. Withdrawing will not erase your data from CMS’ records or impact your immigration case.
Are you thinking of applying for MaineCare?
If your identity and location are not already known by the federal government and someone in your family needs assistance, the risk of applying may be different. If you have concerns about your immigration status and the impacts, please contact an immigration attorney.
Are you in a “mixed status” household?
Only people who are applying for MaineCare need to share their immigration status. When completing an application for MaineCare, or other benefits like TANF and SNAP, you are not required to provide the Social Security Number or immigration status of family members who are not seeking benefits for themselves, and you should not include that information.
For example, if a parent is applying for MaineCare for their child but not for themselves, the parent’s immigration status is not needed for the application. However, if the parent or ineligible household member is also applying for Emergency MaineCare, they do need to verify their immigration status with DHHS.
Have you applied for immigration relief?
If DHS is already aware of your presence in the U.S. and has your address (such as from an immigration-related process or application), there may not be an additional risk to applying for or receiving public benefits like MaineCare.
What if I don’t qualify for full MaineCare?
Emergency MaineCare helps hospitals pay for emergency medical care for people who do not qualify for full-scope MaineCare due to their immigration status. This includes foreign students, temporary visa holders, asylum seekers, green card holders subject to the five-year bar, and people who are not lawfully present in the U.S. Information shared with the federal government does include the fact that someone is only eligible for Emergency MaineCare, but does not include a person’s exact immigration status.
You do not need to disclose your immigration status on an Emergency MaineCare application. You have the right to decline to apply for Emergency Medicaid and still get treatment, but you may receive bills for any medical care they receive without coverage.
Individual choice & risk assessment:
Only you can decide what’s best for you and your family when it comes to sharing your information with the government.
Remember: Maine DHHS does not make house calls unannounced. If you need to get in touch with DHHS about your MaineCare, call 1-855-797-4357.
Updated: March 2026
