To: Jennifer Kent, Director of Department of Health Care Services, Jennifer Kent, Director of The Department of Health Care Services, and Governor Gavin Newsom
Deadly Facts for Medicare/Medi-Cal Enrollees in California
Medi-Cal Fee For Service (FFS) payment rates remain the lowest Medicaid fees in the nation. Medi-Cal/Medicare enrollee's have inferior access to health care, poorer health outcomes and this correlates to very high mortality rates, compared to privately insured patients, all due to the program's low reimbursement rates. Patient dumping and neglect are rampant within these programs. Please do not wait until you are an elder or disabled to realize this is everyone's issue. Sign our petition to make clear to the Director of the Department of HCS and our Governor that health care for our elders and disabled is a priority and no one should die because they do not have blue chip or private insurance.
Why is this important?
I am a disabled American; I suffer from several rare, genetic medical conditions. I am enrolled in Medicare and Medi-Cal because I have been uninsurable all of my life. And I have personally seen first hand the results of the cuts in reimbursements to Medicare and Medi-Cal. I have had my life support terminated and been dumped repeatedly by the only health care providers that I am allowed to see in the State of CA and refused essential and life-sustaining treatments over and over again. I have had to resort to litigation repeatedly, as the only means to save my life. No one has helped me, not one advocacy organization, not anyone. Others less fortunate and unable to defend themselves, simply die! No one who is ill or disabled can endure this kind of neglect, dumping and abuse for long and survive. And my future is uncertain now that my life support has been terminated once again. Please do not think this only happens to those who are less fortunate. We all will be elders one day; We will all suffer disabilities one day. And few of us will have sufficient monies to pay for our care. Please sign this petition and make it clear to the DHCS and the Governor that cuts in these programs, the lowest funding in the nation, are not acceptable. People are dying and patient dumping and abuse need to stop.
Reference: https://www.kff.org/report-section/medi-cal-managed-care-an-overview-and-key-issues-issue-brief/
Reference: https://www.kff.org/report-section/medi-cal-managed-care-an-overview-and-key-issues-issue-brief/