A woman claims the Louisiana Department of Health illegally terminated her Medicaid benefits.
Earline J. Parker filed her complaint in federal court against the Louisiana DOH.
Parker says Dr. Ralph L. Abraham, in his official capacity as Secretary of the Louisiana DOH, violated federal law by refusing to consider an applicant's family size when determining income eligibility for Medicaid's Medicare premium assistance. According to Parker, this policy led to the denial of her assistance.
The complaint states that under federal law, states participating in the federal Medicaid program are required to determine income eligibility using "the official poverty line for a family of the size involved". However, Parker claims Louisiana's policy denies eligibility if an individual's income exceeds the limit, regardless of how many people they must support.
Parker is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctive relief from this policy which she argues contradicts federal law. She does not seek damages but rather proper Medicaid eligibility evaluations that conform to federal standards.
The lawsuit also highlights that approximately 68 percent of funding for Louisiana’s Medicaid program comes from the federal government and therefore should comply with federal regulations.