Three Floridians, including two children, are suing the state of Florida alleging that their Medicaid coverage was taken without proper notice or a chance to appeal.
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Court records show the class-action lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Jacksonville federal court.
In the complaint, a 1-year-old in Miami missed a routine vaccination after her mother was told the check-up was canceled because the child no longer had insurance.
It also describes a Jacksonville toddler with cystic fibrosis who missed weeks of medication after she and her mother were cut off from Medicaid.
Medicaid “unwinding” began in April.
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As of this week, data from independent polling company KFF shows Florida has removed 408,000 people from its Medicaid program, mostly for procedural reasons, like not filling out the right forms, regardless of their eligibility.
Medicaid eligibility in Florida is determined by the Department of Children and Families or the Social Security Administration.
In an email to News 6, DCF’s Deputy Chief of Staff said the termination letters sent to families are legally sufficient and based on the federal agency’s regulations.
The National Health Law Program said this is the first lawsuit amid the nationwide Medicaid unwinding, with nearly 4 million low-income people across the country being cut from Medicaid since this spring.
The district said the fourth and fifth-grade students at Bunnell Elementary were pulled out of class to attend the presentation on Friday.
It included a PowerPoint telling them African American students had underperformed on standardized tests and that each student had to commit to doing better.
The move prompted some major backlash from parents.
The interim superintendent responded Tuesday saying no malice was intended but also said how this was done does not meet expectations and that it remains under investigation.
The “Weather-or-Not” Assurance policy guarantees guests a free day at the park if the weather impacts their experience.
That includes if rides are closed for 60 minutes or more because of rain or if the heat index reaches 110 or higher.
Random Florida Fact
Built as a tribute to Florida’s citrus industry, the Citrus Tower was built in 1956 on what was once pristine orange grove country on the unusually high, rolling hills of Clermont.
The tower rises 226 feet above ground level, standing in stark contrast to the rest of Florida’s otherwise flat landscape.
The attraction was highly popular in its pre-Disney glory days, bringing hundreds of tourists to its observation deck every day to look out over the orange fields.
The tower is still open today and visitors can still ride the elevator to the top.
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