government
Connecticut patients sue over delayed Medicaid processing
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 27, 2012
Some patients are suing the Connecticut Dept. of Social Services over alleged delays in Medicaid application processing.
The plaintiffs said in a Jan. 9 lawsuit that, during the last decade, the department has been "systematically stripped" of the workers needed to process applications and ensure timely provision of health care benefits. Applications for Medicaid assistance and the number of Medicaid enrollees have increased dramatically, along with worker caseloads, the suit said. The failure to process applications in a timely fashion violates federal Medicaid law, the plaintiffs allege.
A department spokesman said in a statement that the agency experienced major staffing losses in the last decade, while monthly Medicaid caseloads have risen significantly. The agency was disappointed that patients filed a lawsuit that will "consume precious time and resources, rather than working with us on practical approaches."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/02/27/gvbf0227.htm.
