An Adams County woman learns her children don`t have health insurance at the most inopportune time – when she took them to the doctor`s office.
Melinda Jones told us, “I gave the lady my information and she said ‘your daughter`s not on your insurance’ and I said what do you mean? I paid for this and she said ‘no I`m sorry but it`s not on here’.”
Melinda is a mother of three who signed up for a family insurance plan through Healthcare.gov -only to learn her children weren’t insured because the insurance company had to wait to see if they qualified for Medicaid.
“I don`t want Medicaid I want my family plan I specifically worked very hard to pick out what fits my family I have a deductible I can afford and I have a plan that will have my needs met during the year.” Said Melinda.
She didn’t even want her children’s names to be considered to qualify -but – the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare says certain criteria such as income – will automatically send children`s names to see if they qualify.
“It`s the way they`re directing traffic at the marketplace and it`s how the affordable care act was designed.” Says Matthew Mclees of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.
He said they would like to help Jones – but their hands are currently tied.
They’re waiting for thousands of aplication files to come from the federal government.
Melinda too, in a waiting game, says “Right now I want to fight this really hard because I don`t think anyone should have to go through this I left that doctor’s office in tears.”
The department of public welfare says once Melinda eventually finds out if her children do qualify for Medicaid – she can opt to take them off and put them on her plan and they would be able to help her do that –