Lawyers in Georgia are trying to determine why an estimated 17,000 seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid have been told they will be kicked out of the Medicaid program.
After several people received termination notices this spring, a charity legal organization called Georgia Legal Services intervened on their behalf.
But as of now, representatives have no idea why notices were sent to those who should have been invited to renew their coverage. The lawyers have written to the state Department of Community Health to seek reversals and get an explanation.
“We represent some of the most vulnerable people in Georgia, seniors and disabled Georgians who will not have access to healthcare if these programs are ended,” Vicky Kimbrell, a Georgia Legal Services attorney, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The computer and administrative errors that cause these terminations should not be allowed to happen and cause this harm to people.”
DCH has not confirmed how many individuals might be affected, or what triggered the notices. The agency also did not comment to the newspaper.
About 2 million Georgians receive care under Medicaid. Georgia Legal Services said most of those affected by the notices are covered by a scaled-down version of Medicaid that fills in gaps in Medicare benefits.
