Gloria Nagle, associate regional administrator of the Division of Medicaid and Children’s Health Operations, informed Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez about a state plan amendment that will add “village homestead” to the existing ancestral real property resource exemption.
“I am approving this [amendment[ with the requested effective date of April 1, 2008,” Nagle said in her letter.
Taotao Tano president Gregorio S. Cruz Jr. welcomed the exemption, saying local indigenous people are now qualified to receive the Medicaid benefits.
“Since June of 2007 we had been asking the Medicaid office on Capital Hill about the eligibility criteria such as why indigenous NMD applicants were being disqualified and denied eligibility for having a homestead lot when their policy and guidelines did not specify homesteads,” he said.
Cruz said CNMI Medicaid administrator Helen Sablan and Villagomez should be commended for addressing the concerns of persons of Northern Marianas Descent who own homestead lots.
“We encourage everyone under these criteria to avail themselves of such benefits especially in this economic crisis situation. This good news couldn’t have come at a better time,” Cruz said.
Medicaid is the federal health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources.
Among the groups of people served by Medicaid are eligible low-income parents, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with limited income in the U.S.
