MIAMI — Florida’s Medicaid call center is facing challenges with lengthy wait times and high disconnection rates, potentially obstructing eligible families from obtaining or renewing Medicaid coverage. This issue is highlighted in a report by UnidosUS, a prominent Hispanic civil rights group.
Since April, when Florida resumed assessing Medicaid eligibility for the first time since 2020, about 1 million Floridians, or 17% of those enrolled, have lost coverage. Federal protections preventing termination of Medicaid during the pandemic expired last year, leading to a significant drop in enrollment, second only to Texas.
A critical concern identified in the UnidosUS report is the efficiency of the state’s Medicaid call center. Approximately 80% of calls are automatically cut off, and those who do connect face extended wait times. This is particularly challenging for hourly wage earners who can’t afford the time spent waiting. Both English and Spanish speakers face long wait times, with Spanish speakers experiencing a slight improvement since July.
The Florida Department of Children and Families, responsible for administering Medicaid, has not yet responded to these findings.
Medicaid, predominantly state-managed but federally funded, provides health insurance to lower-income individuals. The report suggests that the call center’s inefficiencies are contributing to the loss of Medicaid coverage. Many in the Medicaid community require direct assistance with the redetermination process, but face hurdles due to the digital divide, language barriers, and complex forms.
Last summer, two consumer advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in Florida to prevent the state from dropping residents’ Medicaid coverage, citing confusing notification processes.
As Medicaid enrollments decline, Florida has seen a surge in Affordable Care Act sign-ups, leading the nation with 4.2 million enrollees during the recent period. This increase is attributed not only to the decrease in Medicaid coverage but also to enhanced subsidies extended through the Inflation Reduction Act.
The latest UnidosUS report builds on an August study, which found that Spanish-speaking callers faced significantly longer wait times than English speakers.