Our Gov. Moonbeam has lost his dreams it would seem.
Gov. Jerry Brown scored a budget win Thursday as the Obama administration approved a major share of Medi-Cal cuts that health care providers and patient advocates said would cut off medical access to the state's most vulnerable residents.
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will allow the state to cut reimbursement rates by 10 percent this fiscal year for a variety of Medi-Cal providers, including physicians, pharmacists and optometrists. The state Department of Health Care Services says it will not cut rates paid to pediatricians or home health providers. http://blogs.sacbee.com/...
The part about no cuts to home health providers is not true since this week my wifes home health provider recieved a letter announcing a cross the board salary cut of 3.2 for at least a yr at the same time his hrs were cut by 25%. Nothing in my wifes condition has changed recently except her worsening overall health.
As the Occupy movement grows for Pres. Obama and co. it seems like business as usual. As the 4 US Attorneys assigned to Cal. reek havoc on those in need of one form of medication another part of this admin. is still making up its mind on just how hard to make it on the sickest and poorest among us.
Yet to be decided is the state's request to add co-pays for Medi-Cal recipients and limit the number of times people can see a doctor. Under that proposal, patients would have to come up with co-pays of $5 for doctor's appointments, $50 for emergency room visits and $100 a day for hospital stays. Most beneficiaries would be allowed to visit the doctor seven times a year. http://www.latimes.com/...
The Doctors are understandably upset by these cuts. I can't imagine anyone making any kind of business work what with rent, insurance, supplies, employees and taxes. At $11.00 per patient to just pay the bills he would have to see a minimum of 15 patients a hour or more. One can't diagnose a cold in that time let alone any serious disease.
The California Medical Assn. expressed frustration over the new cuts, saying that physicians could receive as little as $11 a visit. Doctors will have no choice but to stop seeing Medi-Cal patients, said CEO Dustin Corcoran. "You can't pay the bills at these rates," he said. "They are unconscionably low."
Now just as you think it can't be worse comes the big finale.
Federal healthcare reform, which includes a massive expansion of Medicaid, also could be seriously hampered by this new round of cuts, Corcoran said.
"They built federal healthcare reform on the foundation of Medi-Cal, and they just destroyed that foundation," he said.
Since Medicare D went into effect the cost of out meds have went from zero to whatever the co-pay happens to be that day. If I were to take meds as prescibed I would have over a extra $100 or more gone from my lowly fixed income. More than a 10th of my income is more than I can afford and still pay the bills and eat. That has come to mean I play Dr. every month as I decide which meds not to order. I usually end up guessing just how high my BP is, how bad my depression is, am I sleeping more than 2 hrs a night, can I stretch out my arthritis meds while still making sure I can afford the daily migraine meds.
If you have friends in Ca. please pass this on, if not, I would still watch what is happening in your own state. If Obama is willing to abandon over a Billion sick children and adults in Ca., there is no telling where it will stop.
My thanks to all those being even a small part of occupy..., I put in plenty of time marching in the late 60s/early 70s and I would be there with you if I could.