The letters sent out by Medicaid to recipients have gotten citizens across the state up in arms and ready to go to battle.
Mostly, the people who depend upon Medicaid to pay for their hundreds of dollars worth of medicine each month are panicking.
Medicaid sent out letters declaring a cutoff date of July 1 to about 65,000 people across the state.
However, the letter failed to explain the state legislature has a plan in place to pay for the medicine Medicaid will no longer provide.
State legislator Warner McBride said people are upset because they have a lack of information regarding the Medicaid Reform Act of 2004.
McBride spent this week going to local pharmacies and medical personnel clinics and offices to hand out a copy of the act and to explain what will be provided for Medicaid recipients.
Todd Johnson of Medicap Pharmacy told McBride he did not know about the provisions the act made the Medicaid recipients who will be cut off.
"We are not here to hurt people with their healthcare," McBride said. "We want to make sure people have an understanding of the act."
The Medicare Reform Act of 2004 provides for those with limited monthly incomes.
"There are two categories of people in the Poverty Level Aged and Disabled (PLADs) program who will move to Medicare on July 1, 2004: those under 100 percent and 135 percent of poverty.
"Those below 100 percent of poverty have an income less than $776 per month for an individual or less than $1048 per month for a couple. Those between 100 percent and 135 percent of poverty have an income of $776-$1048 per month for an individual or income of $1048-$1406 per month for a couple.
"People with an income of less than 100 percent of poverty who are moving to Medicare will have: NO premiums, NO deductibles, and NO co-pays for health services."
The co-pay would be $15 and each person has a $1200 one time credit toward medicine purchases. When that $1200 is used up, then discount cards with the co-pay would kick in.
Whether the cutoff will be July 1 or not, according to McBride, the legislature is talking about going back into special session to possibly move the cutoff date to Oct. 1, 2004. McBride will know this week if a special session will be called June 28.
For more information, call the local representatives and senator at Senator Nolan Mettetal, (662) 487-1512; Representative Leonard Morris, (662) 563-3553; and Representative Warner McBride, (662) 563-7314.
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