Delawareans who earn from the $16-thousand to $47-thousand a year will lose health coverage through the state’s Community Healthcare Access Program beginning on February 1st.
The program is run by the state and offers discounted medical services for those not eligible for Delaware’s Medicaid program.
$478-thousand from the tobacco settlement had been earmarked for the program.
State officials say they will offer an alternative to the program on a case-by-case basis only for those who can prove they are not eligible for other plans or are exempt from the federal insurance mandate.
The Wilmington News Journal reports that the news came as a surprise to the Medical Society of Delaware which had partnered with the state to provide a group of doctors and specialists willing to provide free care to the program’s enrollees.
Nearly 600 physicians were on the list of volunteers.
