DCF

Enrollment totaled 5,254,460 people in August, down from 5,360,069 in July, according to data posted on the state Agency for Health Care Administration website.

The groups say the state's process for redetermining coverage eligibility is unfair to recipients who are Latino, immigrant or Black.

The three plaintiffs are asking for an end to the current notification process and for coverage to be reinstated. A DCF spokesperson says CMS approved Florida's "unwinding" plan.

More than half of those removed from Medicaid were terminated for so-called “procedural,” reasons, like not responding to mail, outdated contact info or computer glitches.

According to the advocacy group UnidosUS, Spanish speakers in Florida waited an average of 2.5 hours in July and August, while English speakers waited an average of 36 minutes.

The Florida Policy Institute's latest push comes after data shows Florida removed 408,000 people from its Medicaid rolls since April. Only Texas has surpassed Florida's numbers.

The waivers aim to reduce the risk of eligible families losing Medicaid coverage due to procedural errors.

Florida has dropped several hundred thousand people, by far the most among states. DCF said it makes between five and 13 contact attempts, including texts, emails and phone calls.

The pandemic forced states to not kick anyone off the Medicaid rolls. That ended in April. But many of those booted from the program now scramble to retain their eligibility.

Although the pandemic health emergency ended this week, states could begin reviewing Medicaid eligibility six weeks ago. It's been a confusing process to reapply, but help is available for Floridians.