A lawsuit was filed recently against MassHealth, claiming the state’s Medicaid agency violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The agency provides insurance for more than 1 million Massachusetts residents, however, the suit alleges it failed to provide adequate communication options for disabled applicants. In their lawsuit, four blind and two deaf residents claim the agency did not provide Braille or electronic forms that can be filled out without assistance.
Furthermore, the lawsuit states the agency did not offer materials in American Sign Language and that it was incredibly difficult to contact a live customer service representative.
Many of the plaintiffs claim they cancelled or suspended their healthcare services because of their inability to fill out the required paperwork.
“Defendants have committed multiple ongoing and continuous violations of the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, and unless restrained from doing so, Defendants will continue to violate the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. Said conduct, unless enjoined, will continue to inflict injuries for which Plaintiffs have no adequate remedy at law,” the lawsuit claims.
The case highlights the importance of businesses adhering to federal regulations, as failure to do so can result in expensive professional liability lawsuit that could ruin small companies without proper business insurance coverage.
