Immigrant families who may still qualify for Medicaid in Florida are reporting coverage cancellations, seemingly erroneous denials, and notifications that do not clearly explain the reasons for the decisions.
The issues have been documented in a report published this Thursday by The Florida Trib, which includes testimonies from those affected, their families, and lawyers specializing in access to health services.
Reports emerge as the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) implements new federal restrictions on Medicaid for certain immigrants.
Although some individuals have legally lost their eligibility, the interviewed lawyers warn that others may be losing coverage due to mistakes in verifying their immigration status or in processing their cases.
One of the cases described is that of Khem Raj Poudel, a 74-year-old permanent resident living in Marion County.
According to the report, they received three denials from Medicaid in 2026, despite their lawyers arguing that they meet the requirements set by DCF itself.
Poudel obtained asylum in the United States in 2019 and later achieved permanent residency. Until August, he received Medicaid through the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, but he lost that benefit when the time limit applicable to certain individuals who were granted asylum came to an end.
The termination of SSI did not necessarily prevent access to Medicaid through another category. However, when her family attempted to process that coverage, they received different responses: two notifications indicated that she did not meet a citizenship requirement, and another mentioned issues related to income or household composition.
Her daughter, Anamika Bennett, explained to the media that the family has had to pay for medications and other expenses while trying to resolve the case.
The attorneys from Florida Health Justice Project argue that Poudel should be able to access Medicaid as a permanent resident who previously received asylum, a condition that may exempt him from the five-year waiting period applicable to other green card holders.
The family filed an appeal and a written inquiry with the DCF. As of October 14, they had not received a response, according to the investigation.
Poudel's specific eligibility remains a subject of administrative controversy and has not been resolved by a definitive ruling mentioned in the report.
The research also includes the case of Leticia, a young woman of Brazilian origin living in Boca Raton, who lost Medicaid when she turned 19 on September 29.
Her family is undergoing a migration process that has not yet provided her with a category to confirm her eligibility as an adult.
This second case has a fundamental difference: the loss of coverage could be adjusted to the new age and immigration status rules, although her mother claims that she did not receive a formal notification explaining the decision.
According to their testimony, the family discovered the cancellation by checking the system and speaking with healthcare providers.
In Florida, legal residents under the age of 19 in the United States can retain Medicaid under a special provision for children.
Upon reaching 19 years of age, that protection ceases to apply, and the individual must meet the requirements of a specific adult eligibility category.
The attorney Lynn Hearn, legal director of the Florida Health Justice Project, assured The Florida Trib that her organization is addressing numerous cancellations that she considers erroneous, especially among minors whose eligibility should not have been affected by the immigration reform.
Hearn also questioned the content of the notices sent by the state. He explained that some notifications do not indicate what immigration status is recorded by the DCF nor what would be necessary to maintain coverage. Other families, he asserted, claim they have not received any communication at all.
The problem is particularly delicate because a person may interpret a denial as final without knowing whether it was due to an incorrect immigration classification, a lack of documents, or the actual loss of a legal requirement.
Jared Nordlund, policy director of Florida de UnidosUS, suggested in the research that the complexity of the new categories could lead to classification errors by officials.
The DCF did not respond to the multiple requests for comments made by The Florida Trib, as the outlet itself indicated. Therefore, the investigation does not include an explanation from the agency regarding the individual cases reported.
The difficulties arise after new federal Medicaid restrictions came into effect on October 1.
As explained then, certain immigrants who previously qualified for coverage no longer meet the immigration requirements, although the law maintained specific exceptions.
Among the groups of non-citizens that may continue to be eligible are legal permanent residents, those referred to as Cuban/Haitian entrants, and certain individuals protected under the compacts of free association with the United States.
The DCF itself confirms these categories on its official Medicaid information page. It also clarifies that children aged 18 or younger who are legally residing in Florida retain a path to eligibility under the special rules adopted by the state.
For Cubans, the distinction is important: having Cuban nationality does not automatically guarantee Medicaid.
The category Cuban/Haitian entrant has a specific legal definition and must be verifiable through the corresponding immigration documentation.
In addition, the other program requirements remain applicable, including those related to income, residency, and type of coverage.
The situation of Cubans with I-220A also requires an individual assessment.
As explained in a previous analysis on immigration exceptions, this document does not, on its own, equate to a parole nor guarantee eligibility, but it also does not automatically exclude the possibility of meeting the criteria for Cuban/Haitian entrant.
The DCF explains that it uses the federal SAVE system to verify immigration status. When it cannot verify it electronically, it may request additional documentation from the beneficiary. Therefore, receiving a letter does not necessarily mean that the person has definitively lost their right to coverage.
Those who receive a notification can check its content at MyACCESS, Florida's official benefits portal, review the reason provided by the DCF, and submit any documents requested by the agency within the specified timeframe.
If the decision seems incorrect, there is an administrative route to challenge it. The Appeals Hearing Section of the DCF states that Medicaid beneficiaries have 90 days from the notification of the decision to request an impartial hearing.
The request can be submitted through the official request procedure for a hearing, by email to appeal.hearings@myflfamilies.com, or by phone at 850-488-1429.
This 90-day period corresponds to the right to request a hearing and does not mean that medical coverage continues automatically throughout that period. The ability to maintain benefits while an appeal is being processed depends on additional rules and circumstances.
The DCF also notes that when a request is denied due to missing necessary information, submitting those documents within 90 days may allow for a new evaluation without having to submit another request. This procedure is distinct from the appeal hearing and does not necessarily apply to all grounds for cancellation.
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