♪ THE RESULTS TOGETHER WITH VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6. IT.
GETTING RESULTS.
>> GINGER: TONIGHT, HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF LOW-INCOME
FLORIDA RESIDENTS FACE THE
DANGER OF BEING DROPPED FROM
THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE. IT’S
BECAUSE A RULE THAT KEPT
PEOPLE ON MEDICAID THROUGHOUT
THE PANDEMIC HAS NOW EXPIRED
AND MANY FAMILIES MAY NO
LONGER BE ELIGIBLE NEWS. 6
INVESTIGATOR ERIK SANDOVAL
FOUND OUT THIS IS ALREADY
AFFECTING SOME LOCAL FAMILIES
ARE. YEAH, GOOD EVENING, GUYS.
THEY’RE CALLING THIS MEDICAID
ON WINDING AND THESE FAMILIES
ARE BASICALLY RECEIVING
E-MAILS JUST LIKE THIS ONE.
>> GINGER: FROM THE DEPARTMENT
OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. BUT
WE FOUND OUT THESE E-MAILS ARE
ACTUALLY CAUSING SOME
CONFUSION. WE ACTUALLY HELPED
GET RESULTS FOR ONE FAMILY WHO
IS GOING THROUGH THE
UNTHINKABLE.
>> WE’LL ASK TO WATCH 7
YEAR-OLD LANDEN PLAY IN HIS
ORLANDO BACKYARD AND ME. YOU
NEVER KNOW. HE WAS BATTLING
LEUKEMIA. HIS MOTHER, ERIN
CHRONICLE HIS FIGHT ON
INSTAGRAM. WE DO REALLY GOOD
PLAN AND DUMPING HER SON,
LANDON. THE CONQUEROR. SHE
SAYS MEDICAID SAVED HIS LIFE.
I WOULD HAVE TO PAY.
>> HUNDREDS OF $1000 FOR MY
SON’S TREATMENT FOR HIS LAST
TREATMENT OF CHEMO. YOU HAVE
THAT MONEY. NO.
>> HER FAMILY RECEIVED
MEDICAID UNDER A FEDERAL
PROGRAM THAT ALLOWED MILLIONS
OF AMERICANS TO CONTINUE TO
GET MEDICAL CARE THROUGHOUT
THE PANDEMIC. WHETHER THEY
QUALIFIED FOR MEDICAID OR NOT.
BUT THE PROGRAM EXPIRED ON
APRIL FIRST. AND THOSE WHO ARE
NOT ELIGIBLE, WE’RE STARTING
TO GET DROPPED FROM COVERAGE.
IT’S A PROCESS THEY’RE CALLING
MEDICAID UNWINDING AARON GOT
THIS E-MAIL FROM THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES WITH MAIL.
>> SAYING MY MEDICAID STUDENT
EXPIRE ON APRIL 30TH.
>> 2023 BUT HER ACCOUNT ONLINE
SAID HER COVERAGE WAS GOOD
UNTIL MARCH OF 2024. WHEN YOU
OPEN THAT EMAIL AND SAW WHAT
IT SAID, WHAT WENT THROUGH
YOUR MIND?
>> I WAS LIKE, HOW AM I GOING
TO COVER MY SON THAT HAS
CANCERS THE REST OF HIS
TREATMENT IN HIS T AND P T.
>> SERVICES WE CUT THROUGH THE
CONFUSION. WE CONTACTED DCF
AND WE CAN FROM HER FAMILY’S
MEDICAID COVERAGE IS GOOD
THROUGH NEXT YEAR. I GOT THAT
LETTER. I WOULD BE CALLING
EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I’M
GOING TO DO NEXT. CHRISTINE
RUSSO WALTERS IS WITH
COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES OF
MID-FLORIDA. SHE IS TRYING TO
HELP FAMILIES WHO MAY FIND
THEMSELVES IN A SIMILAR
SITUATION. YOU THINK THIS IS
GOING TO CATCH A LOT OF PEOPLE
UNEXPECTEDLY. YES.
>> THERE’S ACTUALLY SOME
CONCERN THAT THE FIRST TIME
FOLKS WILL FIND OUT THEY NO
LONGER HAVE MEDICAID BENEFITS
AS WHEN THEY GO TO RECEIVE
SERVICES. SO WHEN THEY SHOW UP
AT THE PHARMACY TO TO GO GET
THEIR ASTHMA INHALER, THEY
MIGHT FIND OUT THAT THERE’S NO
LONGER BENEFIT COVERAGE. SHE
FEARS THIS COULD IMPACT MORE
THAN A MILLION FLORIDA
RESIDENTS.
>> AND THAT’S WHY SHE’S URGING
PEOPLE WHO ARE ON MEDICAID
RIGHT NOW TO LOG ON TO THEIR
ACCOUNTS TO MAKE SURE THEIR
CONTACT INFORMATION IS
CORRECT.
>> IF YOU GET A NOTICE FROM
YOUR INSURER, RESPOND TO IT.
AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, ASK
THEM NOW, DON’T WAIT.
>> I JUST HATE FOR ANY OTHER
FAMILIES THAT HAVE THE
SITUATION GOING ON WITH THEM.
SOME MAYBE JUST JUST STARTED
TREATMENT OR JUST, YOU KNOW,
HAVE THE CHILD THAT HAS A
LIFELONG THREATENING ILLNESS
FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES
AND THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
HOW THEY’RE GOING TO PAY FOR
THEIR TREATMENT OR HOW
COVERAGE.
>> ALL RIGHT. SO HERE’S THE
GOOD NEWS. WE FOUND OUT THAT
THERE ARE OTHER HEALTH OPTIONS
AVAILABLE FOR THESE FAMILIES.
YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT
THEM. IF THIS AFFECTS YOU
COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES OF
MID-FLORIDA IS GETTING SOME OF
THESE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER
SO PEOPLE CAN LEARN ABOUT THEM
LATER ON THIS MONTH, WE PUT
THE DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE.
CLICK, ORLANDO DOT COM. JUST
LOOK FOR THE INVESTIGATORS.
YOU KNOW, WE ALSO WANT TO HEAR
FROM YOU. ARE YOU GOING
THROUGH THIS OR A SIMILAR
SITUATION? EMAIL US THE
DETAILS ON WHAT YOU’RE
EXPERIENCING AND HOW WE CAN
HELP YOU GET RESULTS. THE
EMAILS THERE ON YOUR SCREEN.
THE INVESTIGATORS AT WKMG DOT
COM. WHAT A TERRIFYING THOUGHT
FOR ANYTHING. CAN YOU IMAGINE?
I DO WANT TO KNOW HOW IS LINDA
DOING, OK? SO THIS IS ALSO
GOOD HE HAS HIS FINAL
CHEMOTHERAPY APPOINTMENT
COMING UP. AND, YOU KNOW,
THAT’S WHY MOM WAS SO
CONCERNED ABOUT NOT HAVING
INSURANCE. HE ALSO HAS SOME
AT-HOME TREATMENTS, THOUGH,
WHICH COST $2000 ON MONTH.
AGAIN, THE GOOD NEWS, DOCTORS
SAY HIS PROGNOSIS IS VERY VERY