MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A looming deadline could leave some Tennessee families facing an impossible choice: verify their child’s immigration status to keep healthcare benefits or risk losing the program that helps pay for life-sustaining care.
The Tennessee Department of Health recently mailed letters to families enrolled in the Children’s Special Services (CSS) program. The letter states that if the program continues paying for a child’s healthcare after June 30, the department will report their child’s immigration status to the Tennessee Department of Safety, as required by a new law.
Children’s Special Services is a long-running state program administered through local health departments that helps children with severe chronic illnesses and disabilities access specialized healthcare, medications, medical equipment, and other medically necessary services…