BINGO!

The CATO Institute has published an opinion written by Michael F. Cannon that states, in part, "In fact, a body of literature suggests that the program exacerbates the problems of poverty and high health-care costs and points to a counterintuitive solution." *

And to that I say, BINGO! He wins the prize.

Listen, I am just one lowly Medicaid patient whose greatest wish is TO GET OFF MEDICAID. Why, you ask? Because of the very reasons above. On Medicaid I truly feel like an unwashed person. Doctors order tests that their office managers know Medicaid will not pay, so they are the ones who have to tell the patient. Office managers are not known for their tact [nor should they be], and to a Medicaid patient on the other end of the phone when the doctor's office calls to cancel an appointment they have had on the books for some months because Medicaid will not pay for the test, it is abundantly clear that the Medicaid patient is not equal to other patients.

Also, I truly feel Medicaid plays me for a fool. Allow me to share a personal experience:

Oct 15th I see my PCP. He writes 5 prescriptions for meds I have been taking for months & years. I take the prescriptions to the Pharmacy located just outside the hospital. They are able to fill all but one, which they advise, "This medication must be Pre-Approved by Medicaid". They will make all the calls and I can pick up the Rx tomorrow. Okay, great. Except I do not have transportation and it is unlikely that I will be able to pick up that prescription. And that is exactly what happened. They called and I was unable to arrange transportation to pick up the medication, so I was forced to go without it for an entire month.Thank you, very much Medicaid.

Now it is a month later. I've had time to arrange transportation and I call in the refills. Go to pick them up and they are sorry, but "one of the prescriptions requires pre-approval from Medicaid". It wasn't filled and I would have to go back to pick it up. Shades of a month ago, Medicaid! Now here's the rub; The Rx that required pre-approval in November did NOT require pre-approval in October, and the Rx that required pre-approval in October did NOT require pre-approval in November. Once again, thank you, Medicaid.

Again I must go without a medically necessary medication for 30 days. Not a wanted circumstance. That, I know, can not be Mr. Levine's mission. 

Each month a different Rx, or a different doctor's appointment, or a different test that everybody has known about for months, gets slammed by Medicaid. Each month the number of phone calls to try to get something done is staggering. The amount of time wasted is fiscally irresponsible.

Several months ago I realized that the only way I am going to get anywhere near healthy would be to GET OFF MEDICAID. I concluded that Medicaid is designed deliberately to short-change and confuse both patients & providers, with the bottom line being patient health getting no better, and, in fact, possibly worse.

Now I must find a new PCP because the one I had been seeing, can 'no longer meet [my] needs'. Quite a dilemma for a guy who has limited mobility.

Thanks, Mr. Levine! Have a nice Thanksgiving.

*  CATO Institute Article