Florida Medicaid termination notices criticized by federal judges

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has expressed significant skepticism regarding Florida’s handling of Medicaid termination notices. During an hourlong hearing in Atlanta, judges questioned attorneys representing the state’s health agencies over the lack of clarity in letters sent to families informing them that their benefits had ended.

The legal dispute follows a 2023 lawsuit against the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Children and Families. The plaintiffs argue that the state’s notices fail to provide essential information, such as the specific basis for income determination or household size used to decide eligibility, which prevents recipients from effectively appealing decisions.

U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan criticized the state’s defense of its minimum due-process requirements, describing the situation as “pretty bad.” The court is reviewing a previous ruling by U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard, which barred the state from terminating coverage based on income until it corrected the technology used to generate these notices and provided clearer pathways for appeal.