May, 2003
For many people, health care is not something they think about until they need it, they assume that services will be there when they need them. Such is the case with my family when my sister was recently hospitalized with severe meningitis. We were caught by surprise and very scared. Not the best time to be trying to make decisions and navigate through a broken system.
The health care crisis that our State is facing has been personalized for many in this County through the proposed closure of two satellite clinics and the Extended Care Unit of Natividad Medical Center. Our community is beginning to understand that from a policy perspective the time to think about the loss of vital health care services is now, not after our residents go without medical care they need, or our existing services are overwhelmed to the breaking point. Unfortunately, understanding the nature of a problem is not the same as knowing what to do about it. You can have all the information in the world, but without guidance about what action to take, you aren't going to get anywhere.
Some of you may remember one of my past columns regarding the Governor's proposed budget and it's impact on the Medi-Cal program. The Governor has proposed a 15% cut to reimbursement rates for health care providers who accept Medi-Cal. According to a study by the Medi-Cal Policy Institute, less than half of California doctors treat people using Medi-Cal, and of those most see fewer than 5% Medi-Cal users. Any cut to provider rates will further reduce the number of doctors who will accept Medi-Cal, forcing recipients to seek care in emergency rooms at a significantly higher cost to the State. In addition to the proposed cuts to provider rates, 18 "optional" benefits are on the chopping block. Some of these so-called optional benefits are durable medical equipment, including items like walkers, wheelchairs, and ventilators. Also, considered optional is adult dental care, medical supplies, like catheters, diabetic test strips or inhalers. I've said it before, I'll say it again...Since when is breathing optional?
There are over 56,000 people who receive Medi-Cal in Monterey County and statewide that number swells to over 6 million. Those of you who may be reading this column thinking, Well, I have private insurance so cuts to Medi-Cal won't impact me, should think again. If Natividad satellite clinics close, and Medi-Cal provider rates are cut by 15%, who do you think is going to be waiting right along with you at your clinic or emergency room? The answer is all of the people who were previously served by Natividad or whose doctor no longer accepts Medi-Cal because of cuts to provider rates.
It is important to note that over and above what the Governor has proposed, the Republican Caucus has called for an additional 7% cut to Health and Human Services including Medi-Cal and has stated that no proposals for new revenue will receive their support. Obviously, this is not a partisan issue, our State is facing it's most severe fiscal crisis in recent memory, and it will not be solved by simply drawing party lines and daring each other to step over them. For those of you out there who may be wondering how our policy makers could be pondering such severe cuts, I submit that that the problem is simple. They are detached from residents who need these services. Like most of us, they probably don't think a lot about health care until they need it and when they need it, they won't be rifling through their wallet for their Medi-Cal Card,...know what I mean? They will have access to the services they need when they need them.
So, I've given you a lot of information, here's the part where I tell you what you can do about it. If you are a person with a disability who receives Medi-Cal, we need you to tell your story. We are working with several organizations to put together a list, called a "story bank" of Medi-Cal recipients to personalize this issue for policy-makers. Unless we make this problem real to them, we can't expect real solutions from them. You can participate in meetings with policy-makers, attend rallies, and/or hearings on the subject or write letters and send emails. You can participate in whatever activities you feel comfortable with, but if there were ever a reason to move out of your comfort zone, this would be it.
If you are interesting in participating in the Medi-Cal Story Bank, Please contact me at (831) 757-2968 (voice) (831) 757-3949 (TDD) or ddallimore@cccil.org (email)