Judge denies move to block Medicaid cuts

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A federal judge late Thursday denied an attempt to block the first round of cuts in the state's Medicaid program from taking effect.

Medicaid recipients sued a day earlier, contending the Department of Social Services violated constitutional due process rights by not providing parents adequate notice of the cuts in health care coverage. The suit sought class-action status and an injunction preventing anyone from losing Medicaid benefits.

U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey heard arguments for a temporary restraining order Thursday afternoon and denied the request hours later. A spokeswoman for the agency and an attorney for the recipients did not immediately return messages seeking comment Thursday night.

The first round of cuts affects about 24,000 poor parents.

The suit contends that 17 percent of parents on Medicaid will be inadvertently cut off because the department made errors in determining their eligibility and that the notices were too complicated to understand.

The state budget taking effect Friday relied on the Medicaid cuts to balance without tax increases, a key pledge of Republican Gov. Matt Blunt. The Republican-led Legislature passed the cuts despite objections from Democrats and repeated protests by Medicaid recipients and activists.

Over the coming fiscal year, more than 90,000 of Missouri's 1 million Medicaid recipients are projected to lose Medicaid coverage. Hundreds of thousands of adults remaining on the program are to receive fewer benefits while paying more out of pocket through premiums, co-payments and personal medical expenses.