Utah Program Promotes Identity Theft While Aiding Pregnant Illegal Aliens

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Utah Program Promotes Identity Theft While Aiding Pregnant Illegal Aliens

The Utah Department of Health has been issuing what appear to be false Social Security Numbers (SSNs) to pregnant illegal aliens who apply for a state and federally funded prenatal-care program, news outlets in Utah reported last week. (<A href="http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51757555-78/baby-numbers-security-social.html.csp">The Salt Lake Tribune, May 17, 2011) The state administered program at issue, “Baby Your Baby,” provides low-income expectant mothers who meet certain qualifications prenatal healthcare services for up to two months while they wait for their Medicaid applications to be approved. (Id.)

The practice gained national attention after an illegal alien, who goes by the pseudonym Rosa Flores to avoid deportation, told reporters she was instructed to lie by a counselor at Utah’s WestView Women’s and Family Medical Center, a private clinic in Utah, in order to receive benefits under the program. (Id.) “Yes, I’m a legal resident,” Flores alleged a counselor at the clinic urged her to claim in 2008. The Utah Department of Health then, through the clinic, issued a nine-digit number to Ms. Flores, which happened to be the same as a SSN belonging to Rick Bonneau, the Deputy Chief of the Skowhegan, Maine Police Department. (Id.)

Utah’s Medicaid Director, Michael Hales, says the numbers handed out by program employees were never intended to be SSNs. (Deseret News, May 13, 2011) “No one in our organization encourages people to somehow defraud the system,” Hales commented. (Id.) Nonetheless, the U.S. Social Security Administration has subsequently used many of the numbers given to the illegal aliens taking part in the program, causing concern among those such as Deputy Chief Bonneau whose SSN is being casually handed out by Utah employees. (Id.) “It looks and smells like a Social Security number, and I’m the only one authorized to use it,” said Mr. Bonneau about the ordeal. (The Salt Lake Tribune, May 17, 2011) “What’s to stop this illegal immigrant from turning around and using it to establish credit? It doesn’t take a lot of research to figure out who I am,” he argued. (Id.)

Sam Meziani, an attorney who represents two of the WestView clinic’s owners argues the State used the 9-digit system to avoid turning away undocumented pregnant women. (Deseret News, May 13, 2011) “I think it was swept under the table and that's what you see here with these facts,” he said. (Id.) Utah State lawmakers are also weighing in on the investigation, such as Representative Chris Herrod (R-Provo): “It just confirms what a lot of us already knew was going on … State officials are consistently saying illegal immigrants aren’t getting benefits. But it appears they are — and at tremendous costs to taxpayers and privately insured citizens who get stuck with higher premiums.” (Salt Lake Tribune, May 14, 2011)