Cash & Medical Assistance
The Cash and Medical Assistance (CMA) Program is part of the Division of Refugee Assistance and provides reimbursement to States and alternative refugee assistance programs for 100 percent of Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA), and Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program services, provided to refugees and other eligible persons, as well as associated administrative costs.
ORR clients determined ineligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid are eligible for RCA and RMA for up to eight (8) months from the date of arrival in the U.S., date of final grant of asylum for asylees, and date of certification for trafficking victims. CMA also reimburses States for medical screening costs through local public health clinics or physicians so that contagious diseases and medical conditions that may be a public health concern or a barrier to refugees’ economic self-sufficiency are identified and treated.
ORR provides grants to 15 States for the support and care of refugee unaccompanied minors in the U.S. These children are identified overseas as unaccompanied minors, and enter the U.S. in that status. Depending on their individual needs, refugee children are placed in foster care, group care, independent living, or residential treatment facilities. Refugee unaccompanied minors are eligible for the same range of benefits and services as U.S. children in foster care.