Medicaid and Newborn EligibilitySince 1984, federal law[1] has guaranteed that infants born to mothers enrolled in Medicaid at delivery are automatically eligible for Medicaid coverage through their first year of life. Instead, coverage is treated as effective at birth based on the mother’s Medicaid enrollment status at delivery. Many state Medicaid systems depend on the SSA assigning SSNs to newborns to activate “deemed newborn” Medicaid eligibility. Birthright Citizenship in the Broader Health Policy EnvironmentExecutive action is increasingly shaping eligibility for federal health programs through immigration- and status-based directives. ConclusionLitigation surrounding EO 14160 has drawn birthright citizenship into direct tension with federal health programs, particularly Medicaid’s “deemed newborn” rule.