‘I’m running out of medicine.’ Paperwork backlog costs some their Medi-Cal coverage

Moncrief is one of many Los Angeles County residents who say they were wrongly dropped from Medi-Cal, the state’s healthcare program for low-income and disabled Californians, and have struggled to regain coverage and see their doctors.

News Story (California)

Soumya Karlamangla
Los Angeles Times (LA Times)
December 20, 2016
READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Tags: Health Care, Medicaid

Organizations mentioned/involved: Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA)

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DETAILS

David Kane, an attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, said his organization has heard from more than 200 people this year who believe their Medi-Cal coverage was improperly terminated. Kane said he thinks the total number of those affected could be in the thousands.

Officials from the Department of Public Social Services, which processes Medi-Cal applications and renewals, would not comment on whether people had been wrongly terminated from Medi-Cal, saying they had been threatened with a lawsuit.

“I am aware of the Medi-Cal coverage situation that resulted in some cancellations, and my office is conducting a review of the matter,” L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said in a statement. “We are working with DPSS to ensure that recipients are treated fairly and that their concerns are being addressed.”