Helping you consider differing viewpoints. Before it’s illegal.
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In this issue…
Article 1: Medicaid backlog delaying care for Ohio’s needy, and payments for health providers
Clay’s summary: Its’s bad but its getting better?
Key Excerpts from the Article:
More than 88,000 applications from poor Ohioans are awaiting processing by caseworkers to determine if they are eligible for Medicaid. Nearly two-thirds of the applications have been pending 45 days or longer.
The backlog actually has improved since one point last year, when nearly 110,000 requests were awaiting review, but lengthy delays continue to cause uncertainty and delayed care for needy families — and financial difficulties for many health-care providers.
Advocates for the poor say many Medicaid applicants have no or limited access to health care while they wait, which can cause life-threatening problems.
Read full article in packet or at links provided
Article 2:
State sued over Medicaid application backlog
Clay’s summary: Advocates lawyer up and push for a yes or no on the growing pile of apps.
Key Excerpts from the Article:
The state of Alaska is facing s a lawsuit for failing to process Medicaid applications in the time frame required by federal law.
Medicaid applications are supposed to be processed within 45 days, or within 90 days if it involves determining a disability.
As of February, at least 15,000 Alaskan have submitted an application that has not been processed. At least 10,000 of those applications were submitted in 2018.
“We’ve been following the problem for some years and hoping that it would get redressed, and it seemed to be getting worse and worse no matter what issues are raised to the state,” attorney James Davis said.
Davis, an attorney with the Northern Justice Project civil rights law firm, filed the suit on behalf of one client with intent for it to be certified as a class-action case. Davis’ client applied for Medicaid in November, but still has not had her application processed.
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Article 3: Sen. Kennedy asks feds to investigate Louisiana Medicaid program
Clay’s summary: State lawmaker turns in his state to the federals for Medicaid shenanigans.
Key Excerpts from the Article:
Sen. John Kennedy has asked the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to investigate Louisiana’s Medicaid program after he publicly blistered the state’s health agency and its leader earlier this week.
Kennedy, R-La., wrote a letter to federal Medicaid Administrator Seema Verma asking the agency to “investigate whether or not the Louisiana Department of Health has violated federal Medicaid regulations.”
His action was prompted after the state said as many as 37,000 Louisiana Medicaid recipients may be ineligible for the coverage because their income exceeds the limit for coverage.
Read full article in packet or at links provided