Lawsuit challenges Medicaid cutbacks

[proud2BlibKansan]

Posted on Thu, Jun. 30, 2005

‘too high a risk of error’


Lawsuit challenges Medicaid cutbacks

By KIT WAGAR The Kansas City Star


Two public-interest legal groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday, accusing Missouri of preparing to toss thousands off the Medicaid program when they remain eligible under federal law.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, seeks an injunction to block state officials from ending Medicaid benefits for people now scheduled to lose coverage on Friday.

Marc Cohan, director of litigation for the Welfare Law Center in New York, said the lawsuit was triggered by Missouri’s failure to give proper notice to people losing coverage and failure to give recipients adequate opportunities to appeal.

“The entire process was done in a rush that resulted in too high a risk of error and not enough opportunity to correct those errors,” Cohan said. “There really is no dispute, whether from the governor or legislators on down, that if someone remains eligible, they ought not to lose their health-care benefits.”

<snip>

The suit points out that the letter notifying people of their right to appeal their loss of coverage included the wrong date for a hearing. The letters, dated May 20, 2005, erroneously told recipients that if they requested a hearing to prove their eligibility, it would be held June 16, 2004.

In addition, the suit says, the notices were “unreadable for the intended audience.” A scale for analyzing readability found that the recipient needed a college-level reading ability to comprehend the notice. Such ability is far above the reading level of the average Medicaid recipient, the suit says.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/12018552.htm

[hatrack]

1. Yes, but you don't need college-level reading for the following:

"Hey FAGS! Can't get married in MAH state! God said it, I believe it and that settles it! Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk, hyuk!"

Oh, and in case you were wondering, :sarcasm: