STORIES
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STORIES
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Medicaid | The Lived Experience:
Unwinding the Continuous Coverage Requirement
After the pandemic-related Medicaid continuous coverage requirement ended March 31, 2023, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) began redetermining the eligibility of Florida’s enrollees and sending termination notices to those deemed no longer eligible or who failed to complete their renewal within 30 days. The notices are extremely confusing and often lack adequate explanation as to why DCF determined the person(s) to be ineligible, some terminations are clearly erroneous, and people are generally unaware of their right to appeal or how to do so. The personal narratives below, as well as multiple stories in national and state media, illustrate how Florida’s redetermination process is hurting vulnerable children and families.
At Least 2 Million Children Have Lost Medicaid Insurance This Year
Many of the children were eligible for federal aid, experts said, but errors have been common as states “unwind” assistance from earlier in the coronavirus pandemic. Christina describes the harm caused to her family after her kids were erroneously terminated from Medicaid twice.
The Biden Administration Is Slow To Act As Millions Are Booted Off Medicaid
Up to 30 million of the poorest Americans could be purged from the Medicaid program, many the result of error-ridden state reviews. Lily and her FHJP lawyer describe how the state erroneously terminated Lily‘s Medicaid on 2 different occasions.
Hundreds of thousands of children are being kicked off of Medicaid
Once they lose Medicaid –even if still eligible– “regaining coverage can be frustrating and time-consuming. Over several weeks, Tanya spent hours on hold trying to restore her kids’ insurance."
Class action challenges Florida’s termination notices
Over 182,000 Floridians have been sent incomprehensible termination notices. FHJP and NHelP allege that many have no idea if the State is making the right decision and whether (or how) to challenge the termination if they think it is wrong.
Millions may soon lose Medicaid
Under Florida’s Plan, children with complex medical needs like Penelope were supposed to have their redeterminations postponed until the end of the Medicaid “unwind” period.
Florida declining help with Medicaid unwinding
The federal waivers aim to reduce the risk of eligible families losing Medicaid coverage due to procedural errors.
Staggering numbers of Americans lose coverage
Since pandemic protections ended on April 1, those initially losing coverage include Florida children with complex medical conditions. FHJP is helping them.
Florida Medicaid changes leave some scrambling
Florida has purged kids younger than 21 with medically complex conditions until next spring, a variation from their plan for Medicaid redeterminations.
The STORIES, Media and Information
Orange County, FL
For fifteen years, Medicaid has provided Kaylee the ability to fight the odds and thrive in spite of the severe neurological disorder she was born with. Suddenly, Kaylee’s mother Tania was informed, like so many other parents of medically complex children in Florida, that on Easter Sunday her daughter would be losing the healthcare coverage that has been her lifeline.