LANSING – The cost of birth certificates and photo identification is keeping some Michigan families from receiving Medicaid coverage.

Earlier this year, the state began enforcing federal requirements that applicants provide both documents.

“Michigan held off implementing this as long as they could,” said Sharon Parks, vice president of policy for the Michigan League for Human Services.

The cost of providing those documents is causing eligible citizens to be denied coverage, she said.

“We think this is turning out to be a pretty big problem,” she said.

A single mother with two children must have a maximum income between $493 and $567 a month to qualify for Medicaid, according to the league. The newly required documents could cost her $100.

Because of the requirements, the state’s Medicaid caseload is declining for the first time since 2000, despite other indicators of economic hardship at record highs, the league said. The percentage of applications denied due to lack of verification has increased from 25 percent to 35 percent.

Charitable organizations have seen an increase in requests for help in obtaining the documents.

“Agencies are paying a lot,” said Jackie Doig, senior staff attorney for the Center for Civil Justice in Saginaw. “I just don’t know how much longer they can do that.”

Patricia Hathaway, director of community assistance at the Partnership Center in Saginaw, said her agency has paid $2,972 this year to help low-income people obtain identification, up from $1,848 last year.

Lisa Horne, social work care manager for Health Access in Flint, said her agency helps clients receive documents in partnership with the First Presbyterian Church. Last year they spent a little more than $6,000; already this year they’ve spent more than $10,000, she said.

Many different agencies are requiring a valid ID, so if someone has an outdated ID, he or she won’t receive the services.

“This is a huge need,” Horne said.

A new Department of Human Services program can be used to verify those born in Michigan, eliminating the need for those Medicaid applicants to purchase a birth certificate, she said.

“We’re really pleased about that,” Doig said.

However, Horne said some workers are unaware of this option and are still requesting birth certificates.

Michigan also has voluntarily applied the documentation requirement to its Family Independence Program, which provides temporary cash assistance to low-income families, Doig said.