By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO. – A lawsuit over last year's Medicaid cuts gets a second life.
A federal judge last September refused to block a state policy change that denied Medicaid coverage of certain medical equipment to most adults.
But a panel of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals today overturned that decision and ordered the judge to reconsider the case.
Among the items no longer covered were bed rails, catheters, crutches and wheel chair batteries. The Legislature this year restored coverage for wheel chair batteries.
The appeals court panel says the denial of certain medical equipment appears to be unreasonable, considering that Medicaid's goal is to provide medically necessary services to the poor.
The case has been sent back to the trial judge.