Kansas mistakenly removed 12,000 patients from Medicaid due to an eligibility processing mistake

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said more than two-dozen states, including Kansas, failed to conduct renewal assessments properly and consequently disenrolled too many people. Officials say that Medicaid expansion — which GOP lawmakers in Kansas have repeatedly blocked — would have protected some of the patients.
Kansas administrators of the Medicaid program estimate 12,000 adults or children eligible for the health coverage program were stripped of benefits due to problems with processing renewals.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said more than two-dozen states, including Kansas, failed to conduct renewal assessments properly and consequently disenrolled too many people.

About 500,000 in the United States should have been allowed to maintain coverage, but were excluded by states and territories as a result of the eligibility review shortcomings.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sounded an alarm Aug. 30 that some state computer systems were inappropriately disenrolling people, even when the state had information indicating the person remained eligible.