Twenty states, led by California, are suing the Trump administration after federal health officials shared sensitive Medicaid data with the Department of Homeland Security. Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the administration for violating privacy protections, claiming it creates a culture of fear among Medicaid recipients. The states involved routinely provide comprehensive data to the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, which they believe should remain confidential. The lawsuit seeks to prevent HHS from sharing Medicaid data with federal agencies and to prohibit DHS from using that data for immigration enforcement.
"The Trump Administration has upended longstanding privacy protections with its decision to illegally share sensitive, personal health data with ICE," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
"In doing so, it has created a culture of fear that will lead to fewer people seeking vital emergency medical care," Bonta said.
States routinely must share extensive data about Medicaid enrollees with CMS, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, immigration status and healthcare information but say that data is supposed to stay confidential.
The suit, which is being filed in federal court in San Francisco, asks the court to stop HHS from sharing Medicaid data with any other federal agency and to stop DHS from using the data for immigration enforcement.
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