‘It was pure panic’: Disabled Florida woman who needs almost 24/7 care had Medicaid coverage stripped during the state’s ‘unwinding’ of the program — thousands suffered the same fate

“I need help for the rest of my life,” she told NBC News. “[From] getting up to eating, to preparing meals, to going out in the community, I need help … almost 24/7.”

But in June 2024, the payments to her caregivers suddenly stopped and Eakin’s quality of life spiraled overnight. The state of Florida had revoked her essential Medicaid coverage after she failed to provide them with information that would prove her eligibility for financial support.

Eakin is one of 1.9 million Floridians who lost their Medicaid coverage, per KFF, in a process known as “unwinding.” According to NBC, patient advocates estimate that thousands of disabled people, like Eakin, have been a victim of these cuts.

Medicaid ‘unwinding’

During the pandemic, the federal government ruled that people enrolled in Medicaid could maintain their coverage for the duration of the public health emergency — even if they had technically lost their eligibility through that period.

That continuous enrollment condition officially came to an end on March 31, 2023, after which point states resumed their normal operations and were able to terminate Medicaid enrollment for individuals no longer eligible — perhaps because their income had increased or they enrolled in another health insurance plan.

This “unwinding” process has hit some difficult snags in several states, including Florida — with thousands of Americans, like Eakin, being disenrolled for procedural or administrative reasons like incomplete paperwork, submitting a late application or not having a current address on file.

In Eakin’s case, she was sent several digital notices asking for more information, according to NBC, but as a legally blind individual, she couldn’t read the demands. The notices were not sent to her carers, who claim they could have helped her to confirm her eligibility before it was too late.

“Their process is really bad for individuals who have vision impairments and who are disabled … Especially if you don’t have computer skills, and that’s the only way that you’re being notified,” said Eakin.

Class action lawsuit

When Eakin’s Medicaid coverage lapsed, her head carer Kimberly Bryant stepped up to pay her bills. According to NBC, Bryant took out almost $14,000 in personal loans to pay for the (dramatically reduced) caregiving that Eakin received during the three-month gap she went without Medicaid assistance.

“My employees need their money,” said Bryant, who runs a home and community-based caregiving company. “They can’t just sit here and wait for months without continuing to get paid. And that’s pretty much what they left us to do.”

Bryant doesn’t know if she’ll ever get reimbursed for the help she gave Eakin during her Medicaid coverage lapse, but says she “couldn’t walk away” from someone so clearly in need of help.