Previous Story
COFA citizens in the CNMI may now avail of Medicaid
Citizens of Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia who live in the CNMI may now be eligible for Medicaid, thanks to the passage last December of an omnibus bill that is now law.
In a news statement last Tuesday, the Commonwealth Medicaid Agency said that CNMI residents who are citizens of the Freely Associated States under the Compact of Free Association may now be eligible for Medicaid. This means citizens of the Republic of Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap).
FAS citizen residing in the CNMI who wish to enroll in Medicaid must meet the income and resource criteria.
For more information, contact the Commonwealth Medicaid Agency or visit the office as soon as possible:
– SAIPAN: 664-4880/82/86/87/88
(Capitol Hill Building # 1252)
Office Hours: Monday to Thursday – 7:30am to 1:00pm
(Closed on Fridays & Government Holidays)
– TINIAN: 433-9233/263/333
(Tinian Health Center)
Office Hours: Monday to Friday – 7:30am to 4:30pm
(Closed on Government Holidays)
– ROTA: 532-9641/62/63 ext. 264
(Rota Health Center
Office Hours: Monday to Friday – 7:30am to 4:30pm
(Closed on Government Holidays)
On Dec. 21, 2020, the U.S. Congress passed the omnibus COVID relief bill that corrected a nearly 25-year error that unjustly excluded Compact of the Freely Association citizens residing in the United States or District of Columbia and U.S. territories from Medicaid. The omnibus bill was signed by President Trump on Dec. 28, 2020 and is now law. The new law corrects the error in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, commonly referred to as welfare reform, which changed the categories of persons eligible for certain federal safety-net programs including Medicaid.
On March 26, 2021, Gov. Ralph DLF Torres elected and certified the State Plan Amendment to cover FAS citizens residing in the CNMI. (PR)
