Florida agencies are accused in a lawsuit of sending confusing Medicaid termination notices

2025-01-11 23:28:32 source: category:My

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Three Florida residents filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, alleging that state agencies aren’t adequately notifying low-income and disabled people that their public health insurance is ending.

The class-action lawsuit was filed in Jacksonville federal court by the Florida Health Justice Project and the National Health Law Program on behalf of the three Floridians, according to court records. The defendants are the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Children and Families.

The agencies didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

More than 182,000 Floridians have been issued termination notices since April, when a coronavirus policy that banned states from dropping people from Medicaid ended, while hundreds of thousands more are expected to lose coverage over the next year, the residents claim in the lawsuit.

Other news Knicks sue Raptors, accusing rival of using ex-Knicks employee as ‘mole’ to steal scouting secrets Michael Oher greets fans at a Baltimore book signing a week after suing to end his conservatorship Texas moves large floating barrier on US-Mexico border closer to American soil

Many of the low-income people who are losing coverage have no idea whether the state is making the right decision or how to challenge their loss of coverage, they argue. The residents are asking for an end to the current notification process and for coverage to be reinstated to people who previously received the faulty termination notices.

The state agencies have known since 2018 that the notices were confusing but have continued to use them, leaving many without coverage for critical care, prescriptions, vaccinations and postpartum care, Sarah Grusin, an attorney for the National Health Law Program, said in a statement.

“Fundamental due process requires the State to ensure that people receive adequate, meaningful notice of the State’s decision and the opportunity to challenge it before coverage is terminated,” Grusin said. “This is not happening.”

The National Health Law Program said this is the first lawsuit amid the nationwide Medicaid unwinding, with nearly 4 million people across the U.S. being cut from Medicaid since this spring.

Amanda Avery, another attorney for the National Health Law Program, said in a statement that the scope of Florida’s terminations is particularly egregious but that similar patterns are seen in many other states.

“For months, advocates have been warning state and federal agencies that the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the Medicaid unwinding process would lead to massive coverage losses for people who are still eligible for Medicaid,” Aver said. “We are seeing that play out in real time.”

More:My

Recommend

Man gets a life sentence in the shotgun death of a New Mexico police officer

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — An armed driver who fled from a traffic stop in New Mexico was sentenced thi

New Jersey State Police ‘never meaningfully grappled’ with discriminatory practices, official finds

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey State Police didn’t do all they could to prevent discriminatory poli

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi killed in helicopter crash along with foreign minister, state media confirm

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, along with the country's foreign minister and others, were found dea