By: Tracie Carter
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has joined a multistate coalition in a lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), challenging a policy that allegedly permits the mass transfer of Medicaid recipients’ personal health data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to a statement released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the lawsuit—filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California—claims that the data-sharing policy violates federal confidentiality laws that have been in place since Medicaid’s creation in 1965.
Those laws tightly restrict the use of sensitive health information to limited purposes, such as program integrity and public health needs.
The legal action comes after recent reports revealed that HHS had transferred Medicaid data from several states to DHS, allegedly for immigration enforcement.
The coalition of attorneys general argues that such actions will erode trust in the Medicaid system and discourage vulnerable individuals, including undocumented immigrants, from seeking essential healthcare.
“This is just the latest example of the callous and cruel decision-making that has become all too common,” said Attorney General Platkin. “If people fear their privacy will be violated, they may avoid enrolling in Medicaid, putting their health—and the public’s health—at serious risk.”
Approximately 1.9 million New Jersey residents are enrolled in Medicaid. Nationally, the number stands at more than 78 million.
The lawsuit warns that undermining privacy protections could lead to increased uncompensated care costs for states and worse health outcomes for communities.
The coalition is asking the court to block the continued sharing and use of Medicaid data for immigration enforcement purposes.
