The lawyer for three New Hampshire residents who sued the state health department over delayed Medicaid services says a preliminary settlement is a victory for people with disabilities.
The three people filed a federal class action suit against the state Department of Health and Human Services in February. They charged that the department was not following federal law which says the department must make decisions about a person’s Medicaid eligibility within 90 days unless there are unusual circumstances.
The settlement, which must still be approved by the court, would give the department 6 months to start making Medicaid decisions within 90 days or explain what unusual circumstance prevented a decision. The department would report its progress to the court and the plaintiffs’ lawyers.