Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Office of Medicaid
600 Washington Street
Boston, MA  02111
www.mass.gov/masshealth

	Eligibility Operations Memo 10-05
	March 1, 2010

TO:	MassHealth Eligibility Operations Staff

FROM:	Russ Kulp, Director, MassHealth Operations

RE:	Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants — Qualified Alien Status

Introduction
Due to a change in federal law, certain Iraqi and Afghan aliens may qualify 
indefinitely for MassHealth programs as Qualified Aliens.

Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants were granted a specified period of time for 
resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and eligibility for other 
benefits available to refugees (Eligibility Operations Memo 08-05). While Iraqi 
Special Immigrants were always eligible for an eight-month limited period of 
eligibility, Afghan Special Immigrants were initially eligible for only a six-
month limited period. The six-month limited period of eligibility was increased 
to eight months in 2009.

Effective December 19, 2009, Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants are no longer 
subject to the eight-month limited period for resettlement assistance, 
entitlement programs, and other benefits available to refugees. They are 
considered Qualified Aliens without restrictions and are eligible for any 
benefits available to individuals categorized as refugees.

MassHealth regulations are being revised to reflect this change.

MEC and CPU Responsibilities
MassHealth Enrollment Centers (MECs) and the Central Processing Unit (CPU) 
workers will continue to identify the individuals as either Iraqi or Afghan 
Special Immigrants on MA21 by completing the appropriate field on the MA21 QAC 
screen.

MA21 Functions
Once configured, MA21 will assign a QAC status of “M” to all Iraqi and Afghan 
Special Immigrants.

(continued on next page)

MA21 Functions (cont.)
MA21 will no longer do an automatic eligibility redetermination at the end of 
the eight-month period.

MA21 will systematically
*	update all active members with a QAC status code “S” to QAC status 
code “M;” and
*	update the QAC status from “S” to “M” for any Iraqi or Afghan Special 
Immigrants who had their eligibility terminated based on the eight-month rule 
and redetermine their eligibility as Qualified Aliens.

Staff at Central Office will monitor all Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant 
cases until the MA21 system enhancements are implemented.

Questions
If you have any questions about this memo, please have your CPU or MEC designee 
contact the Policy Hotline.