Posted on 04/19/2014 9:40:27 PM PDT by grundle
MOUNTAIN VIEW (KPIX 5) – While open enrollment for coverage under the Affordable Care Act is closed, many of the newly insured are finding they can’t find doctors, landing them into a state described as “medical homelessness.”
Rotacare, a free clinic for the uninsured in Mountain View, is dealing with the problem firsthand.
Mirella Nguyen works at the clinic said staffers dutifully helped uninsured clients sign up for Obamacare so they would no longer need the free clinic.
But months later, the clinic’s former patients are coming back to the clinic begging for help. “They’re coming back to us now and saying I can’t find a doctor, “said Nguyen.
Thinn Ong was thrilled to qualify for a subsidy on the health care exchange. She is paying $200 a month in premiums. But the single mother of two is asking, what for?
“Yeah, I sign it. I got it. But where’s my doctor? Who’s my doctor? I don’t know,” said a frustrated Ong.
Nguyen said the newly insured patients checked the physicians’ lists they were provided and were told they weren’t accepting new patients or they did not participate in the plan.
And Nguyen says – while the free clinic isn’t technically supposed to be treating former patents they signed up for insurance, they can’t in good faith turn them away.
Dr. Kevin Grumbach of UCSF called the phenomenon “medical homelessness,” where patients are caught adrift in a system woefully short of primary care doctors.
Those who can’t find a doctor are supposed to lodge a complaint with state regulators, who have been denying the existence of a doctor shortage for months.
Meanwhile, the sick and insured can’t get appointments.
“What good is coverage if you can’t use it?” Nguyen said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com ...
... and they shall call it ZEROCARE.
Isn’t Vietnam chock full of doctors? There you go!
That’s the other Jeff Chandler.
The Willie Green Of Health Plans.
Bump
This is so sad, but yet another prediction coming true. Health "coverage" and "care" are not the same thing. The goal of any serious health reform is not to get people "coverage" but ultimately increase access to quality to actual CARE. That means more facilities, not fewer. Obamacare does the exact opposite. Fewer new facilities will be built, existing facilities will not expand or even scale back because of the law.
However, since this person is "covered" - they count as a success story.
That $200 a month would pay for a lot of doctors visits and prescriptions.
Well put.
BUSH’S FAULT! Omg,, Damn you Bush!
As with liberalism in general, celebrate the symbolism and ignore the problems.
Oh, the “coverage” does indeed exist. It’s the “care” that doesn’t actually come along with the “coverage.” Sort of like...well...Europe and Canada - everyone has “coverage” - they may get no actual medical treatment, but at least everyone is “covered.”
This is being setup to promote single payer.
Free Obamaphones soon to be followed by free health care.
Ha! Thanks!
Yes, but it's MUCH more important as "campaign contributions" funneled to Democrats.
Or lose their license to practice.
That might have been the plan at first, but like many ganja-fueled plans of the '60s and '70s "activists" now in power, things are so incredibly screwed up by now that most Americans want the government COMPLETELY out of "health care," not running the whole show.
Good. Let them get bled dry, let them die of neglect, and once they’re all gone we’ll be able to vote their guys out and get our guys in to repeal it.
That’s funny until you become a Senior trying to find a Doctor that takes Medicare!
thank you Sir... it seemed like a logical comparison anyway
That's because it's not coverage. It's government extortion under color of law.
Welcome to the consequences of this so-called Liberalism!
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