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Spotlight On: The PHLP Helpline

helpline march 2020 pie chart

PHLP’s Helpline calls have decreased during the COVID-19 crisis, yet we know anxiety about health is increasing.  We want you to know that we are still here for you during this crisis; we’ll help you to fight for the healthcare you deserve.  You can call our Helpline at 1-800-274-3258 Monday, Wednesday, or Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or email us anytime at staff@phlp.org. 

March Calls to PHLP’s Helpline 

PHLP's Helpline is our central point of contact for individuals who need help resolving problems with Medicaid, such as coverage or services being stopped or reduced. In March:

  • We helped 54 (red) people with Medical Assistance (MA) eligibility issues. No one should lose MA during this crisis.  PHLP helped restore lost MA coverage! We also helped people who lost their employer-based health coverage secure MA. 
     
  • We helped 27 (green) people with difficulty accessing health care services. For example, people came to us saying their life-sustaining medication was denied at the pharmacy and we helped them access it.  
     
  • We helped 27 (orange)  people determine if they are eligible for home and community-based waivers. We also advised them about appealing waiver eligibility denials.
     
  • We helped 33 (yellow) people whose long-term services and supports were denied, reduced, or terminated. Most commonly, we helped with reductions in Personal Assistance Services (PAS) hours under Community HealthChoices (CHC). Currently, hours are not supposed to be reduced during the COVID-19 crisis. We helped people get those hours restored! For those seeking new PAS hours who were denied, we helped with them appeal.
     
  • We helped 19 (blue) professionals get answers to their MA-related questions. This includes social workers, other legal aid staff, health care providers, benefits counselors, and many more. We are here to support the people on the front lines!
     
  • We helped 16 people with their MA service denials, reductions, or terminations. For example, we heard from parents who have children with complex medical needs whose shift nursing hours were reduced. We are fighting for them to get those hours back! 


Again, if you need legal help understanding or navigating Medicaid call PHLP’s Helpline at 1-800-274-3258 or email us at staff@phlp,org. We look forward to helping you!