May 26, 2021 by Natalie Cochran
Family In Need of Health Care Benefits to Cover Deceased Child’s Medical Bills
Mrs. Martinez’s son Jason was 13 years old when he passed away from a severe illness. Jason was in the hospital from December 2020 to January 2021. With medical bills piling up, Mrs. Martinez applied for Medicaid and was never sent an approval or denial letter for the deceased child. While he was still living, the hospital continuously reached out to collect the mounting debt and insensitive phone calls were the last thing Mrs. Martinez needed while caring for her fading son.
Mrs. Martinez contacted Lone Star Legal Aid for help with her Medicaid application in hopes that she can focus solely on her son’s health. LSLA contacted HHSC to inquire about the situation and, although she never received any correspondence from them, they confirmed that the deceased child had actually been approved to Medicaid in January. Mrs. Martinez could now the submit hospital bills directly to their Managed Care unit so they can get paid.
Mrs. Martinez is happy about the LSLA’s help.
“I am really appreciative and grateful for the assistance I was provided with,” Mrs. Martinez said.
*Names were changed to protect the identity of the client(s).
