Opinion ID: 164228
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The reasons for the intended action;

Text: 146 (c) The specific regulations that support, or the change in Federal or State law that requires, the action; 147 (d) An explanation of — 148 (1) The individual's right to request an evidentiary hearing if one is available, or a State agency hearing; or 149 (2) In cases of an action based on a change in law, the circumstances under which a hearing will be granted; and 150 (e) An explanation of the circumstances under which Medicaid is continued if a hearing is requested. 151 42 C.F.R. § 431.210. 152 The constitutional right to due process may also impose notice requirements. See, e.g., Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254, 267-68, 90 S.Ct. 1011, 25 L.Ed.2d 287 (1970) (when public welfare benefits are terminated, due process principles require that a recipient have timely and adequate notice detailing the reasons for a proposed termination). 153 Plaintiffs' brief alleges that inadequate notice was provided by each of seven different forms of notice used to implement SB 03-176—the Notice of Medicaid Closure Form quoted above and six others. We share Plaintiffs' concern about the adequacy of notice provided by the forms. The notice of appeal rights on certain forms appears to be inaccurate. Also, there is room for improvement in some of the language explaining why benefits are being terminated. Nevertheless, the factual record is so deficient that the district court did not abuse its discretion in failing to find a likelihood of success on the merits. The briefs do not explain, and the record before us does not reveal, critical information regarding the notices, such as: (1) Which notice went to what people? (2) Under what circumstances was the notice sent? (3) What other information, if any, had previously been provided to the recipients? (4) Were notices other than the seven challenged by Plaintiffs sent to persons to be terminated? This information is essential to an assessment of whether language in a notice is likely to be misleading to those who actually receive it. 154 This same lack of information also makes it impossible to determine who, if anyone, is likely to suffer injury in the absence of better notice. It would be inappropriate to issue an injunction with respect to all alien Medicaid recipients if only a fraction are receiving improper notice. 155 In the absence of an adequate showing of either a likelihood of success or irreparable injury, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying injunctive relief. The sole exception relates to notice to those who were terminated for failure to return the redetermination forms. Defendant admits that those persons were not notified of the right to request a hearing. We therefore REVERSE the district court's denial of a preliminary injunction requiring that such persons be advised of the right to request a pre-termination hearing. Moreover, we express the hope that Defendant will review all notices so that it can revise and resend (or instruct the counties to resend) notice to those of the 3,500 affected persons who may have received inadequate notice.