The Affordable Scare Act doesn’t make healthcare affordable for millions of Americans—it just rams it down everybody’s throat, so that when everyone is signed up you will have to wait six months for an appointment to see a specialist. Stupid Democrats have forced an increase in demand for services but neglected to ramp up the supply process to meet the demand. Of course they neglected it—it’s an impossible task! The result is going to be an automatic shortage of healthcare providers, leading to rationing of services. Like maybe this was not the intent all along?
I know someone with a chronic, life-threatening condition who is on Medicaid via Disability. Recently, she had some terrifying symptoms. They have continued for several months. On 2-3 ER visits via ambulance, she received palliative care and was sent home. She was told that since she qualified as an *emergency*, it would be a month until she could see an MD. That appointment resulted in palliative treatment. It took another couple of months to get permission to make an appointment with a specialist. Since this would be at the nearest (50 miles) VA catering to *low income* patients and since she has experienced the care there and says they always want to do more surgery, she opted to make an appointment at the nearest Mayo affiliate (about 20 miles). She got an appointment in September, 3-4 months after the symptoms began. It was, however, just a consult, however, it was with the top 3 MDs in the specialty she needs. Last week, she finally had an endoscopy, an anomalie was discovered and she had a biopsy. Results in 2 weeks. The next test will involve a camera pill and that will be when a treatment will be decided.
So, it will be about 6 months from her first seeking care for the symptoms to getting some sort of treatment. On the plus side, she had nothing but praise for the medical staff at Mayo and the palliative care has reduced the severity of her pain and dysfunction.
This person has had this condition for about 30 years. She always works when she is able. When she has earned over the minimum mandated by Medicaid, she has always paid the overage herself. If she had developed the severe form of her illness just a few years later than she did, she would likely have had treatment to prevent it becoming as severe as it is. However, that treatment wasn’t available at that time.
Watching her over the years has been an education in what Medicaid treatment really is.