A federal judge has scheduled a trial on May 13 in a lawsuit over people being dropped from Florida’s Medicaid program after the end of a federal public health emergency that was declared in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a court docket, Jacksonville-based U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard issued an order on Friday to schedule the trial.
Attorneys for Medicaid beneficiaries filed a potential class-action lawsuit in August, alleging that the state was not properly informing people before dropping them from the health-care program. They filed an amended version of the lawsuit in January.
Read: Former State Attorney Andrew Warren, Suspended By Florida Gov. DeSantis, Will Seek Re-Election
The lawsuit is rooted in last spring’s end of the federal public health emergency.
The federal and state governments jointly fund Medicaid, and Washington agreed to cover more of the cost as part of the emergency.
But in exchange for the extra money, states had to agree not to remove people from the Medicaid rolls during the emergency.
Florida’s program grew from about 3.8 million beneficiaries in January 2020 to nearly 5.78 million in April 2023. At least in part, the increase stemmed from the program being unable to drop people who otherwise might not qualify because of their income levels.
Read: Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs 14 Bills Including Cybersecurity Changes
After the end of the public health emergency, the state used an eligibility “redetermination” process.
That process led to hundreds of thousands of people being dropped from the program. As of February, enrollment was about 4.8 million, according to data posted on the state Agency for Health Care Administration website.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.