In by ombudsman

A Southcentral woman receiving Medicaid benefits complained that the Division of Health Care Services (DHCS) would not approve travel vouchers for her so that she could be treated by her dentist and her eye doctor for injuries sustained in a car accident. The Ombudsman contacted the DHCS Transportation Program Manager to discuss the complaint. The manager reviewed the complainant’s case and determined that the agency had not denied any travel assistance requests for the complainant. In fact, several requests had been approved through the end of that month. It was unclear why the complainant believed the travel had been disallowed. The Ombudsman relayed this information to the complainant and referred her to the manager who was willing to discuss the transportation assistance request and approval process directly with the complainant. (A2016-0745)