LIVE CHAT!! LIVE CHAT!! LIVE CHAT!! LIVE CHAT!! LIVE CHAT!!
I have "Miriam" with me today to answer your questions. Miriam has experience with both the Medicare and the Medicaide systems as a patient. She will be here is a few minutes.
I have republished Miriam's letter to me so you can reread it. Make a Comment to ask her a question.
Dear Dr. A:
In 2001 I was employed and had great insurance coverage, that was until I hurt my back while on vacation in Disneyland. When I returned from my vacation I realized real quick that the injury to my back was much worse then originally thought. Walking, sitting, or bending was unbearably painful. I sought medical treatment. After months of physical therapy my doctor gave me the news that I would not recover from my injuries and surgery was not an option. I filed for disability and after a hearing before a judge I was deemed permanently disabled. My income went from $1,500.00 a month to $500.00 per month.
I am a single mom and I had six children at the time. My medical insurance was now Medicaid. I no longer had dental or eye care coverage, I wore contacts and my children had either glasses or contacts. Eye care was now an expense I had to pay out of pocket, and dental was too expensive.
I quickly realized that most doctors do not accept Medicaid because the reimbursements are too slow. If the Dr visit was not covered by Medicaid the doctors wanted cash up front for the office visit. Not possible, I did not have enough money.
I May 2002, I moved to Flagstaff, AZ where the summers are longer, winters milder, in hopes to manage my pain in the cooler months.
When I arrived to Flagstaff my Medicaid was transferred to Access [Medicaid in Flagstaff]. I still had no dental or eye care coverage. The cost of living was greater here and yet my disability payments were the same.
I found the only place that would except my insurance was the place I call the "barn" [Name of facility deleted. Not my office in case your wondering.]
I dreaded having to go there. Waiting to see a doctor could be as long as 5 hours. The waiting room is cold, smelly, old, dirty. I was surrounded by others who didn't appear to have showered or combed their hair in weeks if not months. I sat next to people who had urine soaked clothes. Some smelled like vomit or alcohol so bad at times I would wait my turn outside, even in the winter months. [Flagstaff winters can be 10-20 degrees in the daytime.]
When flu season was here, the room was full of very sick patients whom had buckets or bowls to vomit in.
On my first visit as I sat in the office waiting for the DR I noticed dust on the counters, blood on the walls and floor, stains on the carpet. The metal tray had streaks on it. I wondered if it had been cleaned at all.
My second visit I believed I had broken my foot. After a brief examination I was told I had a sprain. Two months later my foot was still in a lot of pain so I went to a specialist and discovered I had a bad fracture and needed surgery.
Another time I went to the "barn" because I was having chest pains, the dr did not check my blood pressure or listen to my heart. He looked at me and said I was "morbidly obese, go home and loose weight." About a week later I saw a heart specialist and was in surgery the next day for a catheterization.
A new doctor came to town and he accepted Access, but this did not last very long. After a few months this dr sent me a letter stating his business had grown so he was referring me back to [the barn].
It has now been 6 years without dental coverage or eye care so my teeth have to be pulled out. Access will cover an extraction but not a filling or preventative care.
I am having an allergic reaction to my glasses so they have rust along the ears and when I wear them my ears burn.
This summer I received a letter from Social Security informing I was loosing my Access and being put on Medicare. Social Security picked a plan they thought was best for me. This plan will cost me $90.00 per month plus co-pays and deductibles. My monthly social security in now $510.00.
Monthly Income $510.00
$100.00 deductible
$150.00 for prescriptions (needed every month)
$80.00 son's prescription
20% co-pays
Son had eye infection $280.00
Rent
Utilities
Car Insurance
Food
Son's dr bill $130.00
Son's dental bill $900.00
Tonight son went to ER amount?
Misc, birthdays, Christmas, repairs, Etc.
I have been homeless two times since my move to Flagstaff. My family goes days without food every month. I have a college degree and because of a back injury I am at the mercy of the government whom I have been paying taxes to since I was 15 years old. Now I can't get affordable medical care, I have been homeless because I could not balance rent and food and utilities. I don't enjoy life anymore, how can I? I can't afford to vacation, a nice car to get me to where I need to go, and at times I am very weak from hunger. Something must change. I cannot go on like this. I now have additional health concerns in which I cannot afford to purchase the healthy food I need.
The Government has failed to help those who are in true need. Shame on them!
"Miriam"