By skyforbes 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed it is sharing personal data of 79 million Medicaid enrollees with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to support efforts in identifying individuals who may be residing in the country illegally. The development, announced on Thursday, marks a notable expansion of the Trump administration’s strict immigration enforcement policies.
The data-sharing arrangement has raised concerns about potential violations of privacy protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). However, a spokesperson from HHS stated that the department acted “entirely within its legal authority — and in full compliance with all applicable laws — to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them.”
The data exchange is taking place between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE. A DHS spokesperson confirmed that the department is working with CMS to ensure that individuals who are ineligible for Medicaid due to their immigration status do not receive benefits.
The Associated Press first reported on the agreement earlier on Thursday, noting that it was formally signed on Monday. Medicaid, the federal and state-funded health insurance program for low-income individuals, does not extend coverage to undocumented immigrants under federal law. However, 14 states and the District of Columbia do provide Medicaid coverage to children regardless of immigration status, and seven states, along with D.C., also cover certain adults.
“CMS is aggressively cracking down on states that may be misusing federal Medicaid funds to subsidize care for illegal immigrants,” the HHS spokesperson added. “This oversight effort — supported by lawful interagency data sharing with DHS — is focused on identifying waste, fraud, and systemic abuse.”
The specific types of data being shared have not been disclosed by HHS. The Associated Press, citing a copy of the agreement, reported that the data includes individuals’ home addresses and ethnic backgrounds. HHS did not respond to questions from Reuters regarding how it plans to uphold HIPAA protections in the process.
This agreement is part of a broader series of actions by the health department in support of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. It follows a recent policy shift that broadens the interpretation of laws barring most immigrants from accessing federal public benefits.