NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the state must hold hearings for people who have waited months to learn whether they qualify for Medicaid coverage because of delays in processing applications.
The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/1lxld2h) reports U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell made the ruling this week on the lawsuit brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Tennessee Justice Center and the National Health Law Program.
The judge also granted class-action status to the lawsuit, meaning possibly thousands of Tennesseans could also become plaintiffs in the case.
The judge specifically stopped TennCare — the state's expanded Medicaid program — from refusing to provide hearings within 45 days after one is requested about a delayed determination of Medicaid eligibility.