MaineCare Citizenship & Identity

New Citizenship and Identity Requirements to Get MaineCare

A new federal law requires that all United States (U.S.) citizens (both adults and children) who want MaineCare to show original documents that:

Prove you are a U.S. citizen.
Prove who you are.
The new law does not apply to you:
- If you get Medicare, Social Security Disability (SSDI), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) either currently or in the past.
- If you are a child in foster care.
- If you are a lawfully admitted immigrant or refugee.

How to get the information needed:
What do you need to do	How to get the documents you need
How to prove citizenship	What you need to do to get and keep benefits
How to prove citizenship and identity	How to prove who you are
Still have questions

Locate a DHHS Regional Office

What Do you need to do

When you apply for MaineCare or by your next MaineCare review, you will need to show documents that prove your citizenship and identity. You will need to show the documents for every member of your family who gets MaineCare.

(* You only need to show us these documents once.)

How to Prove Citizenship and Identity

To prove citizenship and identity with one document show us an original:

U.S. Passport.
Certificate of Naturalization (DHS Forms N-550 or N-570).
Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (DHS Forms N-560 or N-561).

How to Prove Citizenship

To prove U.S. Citizenship only you must show one of the following original documents:

An official birth certificate issued by a State or U.S. Territory before you were age 5.
A U.S. Citizen ID card (DHS Form I-197 or I-179).
An official military record showing a U.S. place of birth.

If you do not have one of these documents, you must show us one of the following original documents:

A U.S. hospital record of birth on hospital letterhead created at least 5 years before you applied for MaineCare.
A life, health, or other insurance record created at least 5 years before you applied for MaineCare.
Admission papers from a nursing home showing your U.S. place of birth created at least 5 years before you applied for MaineCare.
A medical record created at least 5 years before you applied for MaineCare (unless it is a medical record for a child under 16 years of age) that shows your U.S. place of birth.

If none of these documents exists you may complete affidavits signed by two people. Only one of these people can be a relative.

How to prove who you are

To prove your identity only you must show one of the following original documents:

A driver’s license with your picture or physical description.
A state, local, or federal identity card with your picture or physical description.
A school ID card with your picture.
A U.S. military or draft record or military dependent’s ID card.

For children 15 and under, to prove identity you can also send in:

A school (including nursery), or daycare record.
An affidavit signed by the parent or guardian *(note, you cannot use an affidavit to prove identity if an affidavit has also been used to prove citizenship).

How to Get the Documents You Need

For a Maine birth certificate, contact the Office of Vital Records at:
- Phone: 1-888-664-9491
- Web site: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/bohodr/recorder.htm
To find out how to get a birth certificate from another state, call the Citizenship and Identity Hotline at:
- Phone: 1-800-701-1887
To get a photo ID from your local Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) office.
- a non-driver photo ID
- Locations and hours

What you need to do to get and keep benefits

If you are already receiving MaineCare benefits, DHHS may have some of this information on file. Please contact your eligibility worker at your local DHHS office if you have any questions about what may be needed to meet the citizenship and identity rule.

Locate a DHHS Regional Office

Not sure which regional office covers your town? DHHS Office Finder

Still have questions

If you still have questions regarding this new requirement, please call the Citizenship and Identity Hotline at: 1-800-701-1887

OIAS Information