Wish she could come here where the Medicaid patients are treated to the very best. Brand new hospital clinics, spic and span with great staff and the latest medical equipment. 45 minute long appointments simply to establish service. Access to all the specialists on the hospital clinic staff.
What accounts for the difference?
I can posit this and that but the ultimate answer is elusive. The Medicaid reimbursement rates here are abysmal as everywhere and we do have lots of immigrants. The state government is more liberal (of course) but it is hard to see how this results in benefits to the providers above the lousy reimbursement. It is a puzzle.
Try this: Medicare patients who have been paying into the system for decades are getting fewer services and far, far higher copays. Trending now and I can only hope that Medicare will be there for me if I should ever need it.
If you know anyone approaching Medicare age, urge them to have every single thing that might possibly go wrong in the next thirty years fixed NOW before they have to rely on the shrinking-daily Medicare benefits.