Hundreds of Medicaid and Medicare recipients have been alarmed by a text message scam, according to health care provider EPIC Health.

On Wednesday, the Michigan attorney general issued a warning.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Medicaid, Medicare text scam scares hundreds during federal government shutdown

Sarah Lattimore, a Medicaid recipient, said she received one of those text messages on Thursday. For a moment, she thought her visit to the doctor on Friday would be impossible because the text claimed she no longer had Medicaid coverage.

"Basically saying that my insurance is cut off and I cannot see any doctors for any of my conditions, Lattimore told 7 News Detroit.

She said she was instantly concerned.

"I can't pay out of pocket like everybody else can, Lattimore said.

The text message had a link for her to click and submit personal information to resolve the problem. Instead, Lattimore made the wise choice to call her health care provider EPIC Health.

She learned it was scam and at least 200 other EPIC Health patients received similar text messages from scammers exploiting the federal government shutdown as a way to scare Medicaid and Medicare recipients.

"Today, we saw a huge drop off in the number of our scheduled patients," Dr. David Wash told 7 News Detroit.

Wash is the supervising physician at EPIC Health.

When asked what implications there are when someone receives and believes the text messages, Wash said, Delayed care.

Basically what that's going to do is inundate our emergency room where people are gonna start using emergency room as their primary care, or some people are just not going to go, the doctor explained.

And what that's going to do is that's going to delay care and cause increase, possibly emergencies because we have a lot of people who have uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure that need that constant preventative long-term care and management.

Wash referenced also the attorney general's warning. Attorney General Dana Nessel advises the following:

Block the text, email or call Don't click links or open attachments Report the spam Delete the text or email from their device

EPIC Health district manager Cora Fitzpatrick said the health system is also doing its part to clear confusion.

"We reassure them by letting them know, 'Hey, you are covered, she said. When they're calling us (and) when they're coming in, we let them know, You are covered. You can be seen today.

You can report scams and file complaints with the attorney general's consumer protection team on the state's website.

Legislators in Lansing have yet to pass a budget and have one week to do so. A number of programs are at stake if that doesn't happen.

In recent years, the state had made school breakfast and lunch free. However, if state lawmakers fail to balance a budget by the Oct. 1 deadline, those free meals would go away.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Michigan's budget battle heating up

Troy School District Superintendent Richard Machesky said the district will go back to serving free and reduced lunch only for those who qualify.

Qualifications are determined by federal guidelines.

We would be required to send out notification, which we are planning to do to families. Theyll have to fill out paperwork to identify whether they would otherwise qualify, he explained.

For those who dont qualify, Machesky said theyll be charged.

So, well identify a price per meal and will share that with families," he said.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democrats want to continue allocating funding specifically for free breakfast and lunch for all students.

"I think it's important that we designate dollars for lunch and breakfast. I think if we don't do that, we run the risk of some kids having access to meals and others not," she said.

Previous report: Uncertainty surrounds free meals for Michigan students amid unapproved state budget Uncertainty surrounds free meals for Michigan students amid unapproved state budget

Republicans have a different approach.

We didnt remove or don't eliminate school lunches, breakfast, dinners or picnics on Saturday if they want. We just rolled it up in a different way, state Rep. John Roth told 7 News Detroit.

He said House Republicans want to leave it up to school districts to decide how to spend the money. So, Republicans lawmakers proposed increasing per pupil funding.

And thats $10,025 per pupil student foundation, and a $1,975 on top for schools to have flexibility to do what they want with that," Roth explained.

Whitmer said, "We will work through those differences and get a budget done, and I just want to make sure it gets done right and it gets done on time."

The family of Thomas Cooper has filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against The Oxford Center, its employees and a hyperbaric chamber manufacturer on Monday in Oakland County Circuit Court.

Thomas, 5, died in January when the chamber he was in caught fire and exploded during his oxygen therapy session. His mother was burned severely.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Family of boy killed in hyperbaric chamber filed $100 million lawsuit

"The two photographs to my left are pictures of the inside of the chamber showing the significant fire damage that was done when the chamber ignited and began to burn Thomas," Fieger Law attorney James Harrington told news media.

These things are designed and manufactured and sold and used for the sole purpose of profits, to get bodies in, bodies out and get the next body in and next body out and take the money," Harrington said of the chambers. "After Thomas, this happened again in the United States down in the southwest where somebody was also killed by one of these machines."

In the 28-page complaint, the victim's family claims The Oxford Center put profits over patient safety. Allegations include negligent hiring, negligent training and a lack of supervision.

Harrington said there were no verbal warnings nor posted signage stating such a risk could occur.

"They were designed and manufactured without fire suppression. They were designed and manufactured without any type of deluge system which is a water system that can help distinguish a fire. There were no automatic fire detections system. There was no effective emergency extraction, which would have been helpful because you know Thomas' mother was severely burned while Thomas was burning alive... trying to get him out," he explained.

Previous coverage: Expert calls out The Oxford Center, alleges facility bucked industry standards Expert calls out The Oxford Center, alleges facility bucked industry standards

Defendants named in the lawsuit include The Oxford Center CEO Tamela Peterson, primary manager Gary Marken, safety manager Jeff Mosteller and chamber operator Aleta Moffitt. They've all been charged criminally.

Other defendants include the company that manufactured the hyperbaric chamber, Sechrist Industries out of California, and the property owner where The Oxford Center is located in Troy.

Previous coverage: Ex-employee reveals safety concerns at hearing for deadly hyperbaric chamber explosion Ex-employee reveals safety concerns in preliminary hearing

7 News Detroit reached out to representation for each person and entity. Moffitt's attorney said no comment.

The only other person I heard back from was attorney Todd Flood, who represents Gary Marken.

In a statement to 7 News Detroit, Flood said:

"This is a horrific loss, and the Coopers should not have to endure this pain. My client and his family pray daily for Thomas and the Cooper family. If the Marken family could, they would reach out to the Cooper family to give nothing more than love and support, unfortunately it is not allowed. "This was a tragic accident that my client had nothing to do with."

The preliminary hearing in the criminal case is scheduled to resume in early December.

The official notice that Wayne State University President Kimberly Andrews Espy resigned was emailed campus-wide just before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

A special meeting took place at 5 p.m. where the board formally accepted her resignation and named the law school dean, Richard Bierschbach, as the interim president.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report in the video player below: Leadership shakeups at Wayne State University

"It doesn't really impact me one way or the other I would say," Aiden Langlois, a college senior told 7 News Detroit.

7 News Detroit spoke with WSU students about Espy's sudden departure, which leaves a vacancy after just two years on the job.

"I think it's important for students because it affects the campus culture and our education," sophomore Arensa Fejzulon said.

Espy, the university's first female president resigned, despite having a five-year contract.

"I'm wondering if something happened, if there was some conflict? Is that why she's resigning? I hope to hear why," senior Chloe Shipman said.

In a letter the Board of Governors emailed to students and staff late Wednesday afternoon, Espy states she's stepping down for personal reasons.

Associate professor Jennifer Sheridan Moss is the president of the Wayne Academic Union, which represents academic staff and faculty.

"From my perspective, the president has not really fit into our campus culture. She has been mostly invisible," Moss explained.

"She has not been particularly good with communicating with the faculty, especially in this past year where the faculty have been under such stress because of cuts in funding and attacks on higher education. We have not heard a lot from the president and we have not felt supported by her."

Moss said the union has tried getting the Board of Governors' attention on a number of issues.

"There has been the issue of the freedom of speech on campus. We had a pro-Palestinian encampment more than a year ago now, which the president had broken up by the police and students were violently arrested and that disturbed a lot of people. Since then, the campus has been under extreme surveillance," she said.

"It's pretty disappointing to see how many millions of dollars have been wasted on the prices of hiring a president, paying a president an exorbitant salary and now having to hire another president. And these executive searches are very, very expensive, and it's just very disruptive not to have permanent leadership in the university."