TAMPA, Fla. — According to the Florida Policy Institute, Florida leads the nation for the number of patients that have lost Medicaid coverage. 

What You Need To Know

  • According to the Florida Policy Institute, Florida leads the nation for the number of patients that have lost Medicaid coverage

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people enrolled in Medicaid in Florida reached a record-breaking 5 million

  • Following the end of the pandemic, eligibility screenings have resumed, and it has been projected by the state that approximately one million Floridians are no longer eligible

  • One Tampa mom fought to reinstate her disabled son's Medicaid benefits

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people enrolled in Medicaid in Florida reached a record-breaking 5 million.

The Department of Children and Families reported that the recent increase in Medicaid enrollment was because of a government-mandated halt of re-determinations, which aimed to provide health care coverage to all individuals.

Following the end of the pandemic, eligibility screenings have resumed, and it has been projected by the state that approximately one million Floridians are no longer eligible.

Katie Roders-Turner is the executive director of the Family Healthcare Foundation. The foundation and its partners are part of a statewide group of navigators that are overseen by the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health.

They’re currently helping patients who’ve lost coverage.

“Almost 10 years that have been doing some form of healthcare navigation, or overseeing projects or programs that do that work,” said Roders-Turner. “So, this is definitely the first time that people may all be losing coverage at this volume. It’s definitely very unique to the responses that happen as a result in response to COVID-19.”  

More than 250,000 Floridians have lost their Medicaid coverage, which is expected to continue to climb.

Congresswoman Kathy Castor says that includes people who were dropped because of procedural issues. 

“This concerns me a great deal is that a lot of the people being kicked off of Medicaid are being kicked off because of bureaucratic snafus, not because they don’t qualify anymore,” said Castor. “That’s why I have asked Gov. DeSantis in the state of Florida to pause, go slower, so that people can get their treatment and healthcare and not face astronomical bills.” 

Tampa mom fights to reinstate Medicaid benefits for disabled son

Renee Hanania is a mother of three who is battling Stage 4 Cancer.

“I just learned that breast cancer has returned, and it has metastasized to my lymphatic system and my neck area,” Hanania said. “Yeah, it’s very exhausting.”

When she’s not undergoing chemotherapy, Hanania is fighting to reinstate her non-verbal and disabled son Branden’s Medicaid benefits. 

On July 7, she called Medicaid to learn of her son’s status.

“So you’re telling me that he is active in the system for Medicaid right?” she asked the administrator. “Yes, they responded over the phone.”

Hanania says Medicaid notified her last month that Branden would lose his benefits on June 30. However, she says his benefits were extended, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families.

She called the Medicaid service line after her pharmacy declined to refill her son’s medications.

“There are basically two systems that belong under one branch, and those systems don’t talk with each other. There’s DCF and there’s Medicaid,” she said.

One agency lists her son as covered, while the other does not.

She went to the Department of Children and Families to sort out what she said could be a costly and potentially dangerous situation.

“They didn’t pick up his co-pay. I’m like, ‘That can’t be,’” she said. “He relies on caregivers and nurses for oxygen, seizure medication, incontinence. He can’t do anything on his own.” 

It’s an ordeal Hanania says her son shouldn’t have had to experience because, according to DCF, he still qualifies for the benefit. 

“I’m here to make sure my son’s rights are being met,” she said.

She worries that all the back and forth could cause delays in her son getting the care he needs.

“Nothing will stop a determined mother or loving parent to do what is best for their loved ones if they can’t fight for themselves,” she said.

Hanania said she’s speaking up not only for her child but for other families who are now experiencing a gap in medical coverage.

As she battles her own health diagnosis, she said she’ll continue to fight for her son.

UPDATE: Good news for a mother

Since this story aired, Branden’s Medicaid Benefits have been fully reinstated.

For those who are experiencing being dropped from Medicaid, there are safety net programs, including the: 

All are county-driven healthcare programs that provide no-cost or low-cost access to healthcare services. 

In Pasco County, patients have the option of the Premiere Community Healthcare Center, a federally funded nonprofit clinic that serves medically underserved areas and populations.