Cohen says convincing people that she is very much alive has been a greater challenge than she could have imagined – she has made calls and waited in lines.
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Cohen said that after she received the letter from the New York City Fraud Bureau, she has waited in lines and spent time on the phone in order to attempt to prove that she is, in fact, still alive.
“I couldn’t believe it”, the Brooklyn woman tells the New York Daily News.
After calling Medicaid, Cohen was told the matter was due to a computer error and that it could take a few weeks to fix. She’s afraid that she will begin to lose other benefits as well if the city thinks she’s deceased. Selma relies on her monthly social security check to pay for her home, and without it, she would be out on the street. She says she has no idea what she is going to do if this does not come through. “They’re not going to give me food stamps if I’m dead”. “When you’re dead, they don’t send you checks”. She says it takes 14 medications daily, and if the mistake is not corrected, it could have grave consequences.
Gillibrand’s office got the error straightened out after seeing a news report about Cohen.
Selma Cohen isn’t dead.
Cohen said she then got passed from one government office to another, with the Bureau of Fraud Investigation telling her to go to the Medicaid office in Brooklyn.
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“We’re grateful to the news team for highlighting this case so we can make sure Ms. Cohen receives the services she needs”, the statement read.
