Blumenthal: Computer glitch causes Alzheimer's patient to lose medical benefits

Sen. Richard Blumenthal says he is investigating after a computer glitch caused an elderly Alzheimer's patient to lose her medical benefits, leaving her family wondering how they will care for her.
Mercedes Herron, 86, has stage four dementia.
Her family says the burden of caring for someone with this condition is physically and emotionally exhausting to begin with — but then, over the summer, it got harder.
A letter came in the mail saying many of her essential medical benefits had been cut. Even though it was quickly determined that a computer glitch was to blame, daughter Jeanette Herron says she has not yet been able to get the problem fixed.
“I promised my father I would not put my mother in a home and I'm not going to do it,” she told News 12. “Whatever I have to do, I'm going to keep her home."
The family says caring for Herron is now breaking them financially, as well as emotionally, because they don't have coverage for some of the most basic supplies -- like diapers and the nutrition drink Ensure.
They also don't have coverage for essential services, like home care, so family members can go to work and earn the money to buy the things that are not covered by insurance.
Sen. Blumenthal says he going to “fight to cut through the bureaucratic obstacles here so Jeanette Herron and her mom can benefit as they deserve from the Medicaid program."
Jeanette Herron says as a member of the Bridgeport City Council, it's her job to help people -- so not being able to help her own mother is especially frustrating.