Medi-Cal patients to lose dental, vision, other services

Why not stop providing services to illegals first??

Will this close the doors on the clinics that mostly have medi-cal patients? Can you see a dental clinic with only children seen?

What about my 80 year old neighbor, worked until she was 72, she is a diabetic who needs her eyes check, her teeth checked and her feet checked regularly?

I can only say "boo hoo". My family has private group health care coverage, through an employer. Our benefits have always been much less than what Medi-Cal provides. AND, we pay $750 per month out of our pocket. In addition, we pay a $25 copay for each office visit to a non-specialist and still only allowed 3 per year! Medi-Cal has always been unlimited and in most cases has been highly overused, which has run the system into the ground. It's about time that the freebies are getting cut as well. I pity those who will genuinely suffer and who have used their benefits wisely. However, running to emergency because of head lice to get free medicine, going to the doc everytime anybody has the sniffles, calling an ambulance to be taken to the hospital in order to be seen on priority...these are things that need to stop! These are the very reasons that the old programs did not work and are currently being cutback. Unfortunately, there are those legitimately who will suffer, those who use the benefits as they were meant to be, that will primarily notice the changes. Fortunately, our tax dollars may not be stretched as thin as they once were.
The employees who are seeing these changes have some very legitimate concerns. However, the examples given in the article, those are the minority. The majority are healthy people, who could work, who could provide for their family. For whatever reason, they don't....that's their problem. Join the working class, folks! I don't go to the dentist because I can't afford the copay and I can't afford what isn't covered under my insurance. I don't feel sorry for adults who will now have to PAY for their dental work. I do!!! And we have jobs!!!!!!!

onepene wrote:

I can only say "boo hoo". My family has private group health care coverage, through an employer. Our benefits have always been much less than what Medi-Cal provides. AND, we pay $750 per month out of our pocket. In addition, we pay a $25 copay for each office visit to a non-specialist and still only allowed 3 per year! Medi-Cal has always been unlimited and in most cases has been highly overused, which has run the system into the ground. It's about time that the freebies are getting cut as well. I pity those who will genuinely suffer and who have used their benefits wisely. However, running to emergency because of head lice to get free medicine, going to the doc everytime anybody has the sniffles, calling an ambulance to be taken to the hospital in order to be seen on priority...these are things that need to stop! These are the very reasons that the old programs did not work and are currently being cutback. Unfortunately, there are those legitimately who will suffer, those who use the benefits as they were meant to be, that will primarily notice the changes. Fortunately, our tax dollars may not be stretched as thin as they once were.
The employees who are seeing these changes have some very legitimate concerns. However, the examples given in the article, those are the minority. The majority are healthy people, who could work, who could provide for their family. For whatever reason, they don't....that's their problem. Join the working class, folks! I don't go to the dentist because I can't afford the copay and I can't afford what isn't covered under my insurance. I don't feel sorry for adults who will now have to PAY for their dental work. I do!!! And we have jobs!!!!!!!

it blows my mind how not once in your post do you mention the abuse of our medi-cal system by all of the illegals coming here and getting free medical and food stamps to boot. i was raised you take care of your own, and if after there is some to spare then good for you. this is not how we have been here. we have been helping all these illegals and continue to do so to this day, even with all the budget cuts. you can go to mexico and for a really good price get teeth work done etc but it does not come free as they do get it here! this is where we need to start first and foremost. our schools that have to cater to bilingual when potter valley schools are getting cut back to 4 days a week. if your going to move here, you should have to learn our language at the very least.

This shouldn't apply to the elderly or physically disabled adults on SSI, or does it? Hopefully it doesn't apply to mentally disabled adults on SSI with Medi-Cal either. These folks are dependant on the Medi-Cal they receive for such care. Does anyone know whether these groups of adults will retain or lose their medi-cal coverage for dental and vision? That would be totally uncalled for!

I know the resolution to all this!!!!! Grow marijuana and you can pay your bills. Isn't that the answer to everything in Mendocino or I shuld say in the state of California.

Here is "change" we can depend on. Everything just gets better and better.

I hear the clinics are working on saturdays now to try and get every last penny before it goes into effect.

Don't tread on me!

No taxation without representation!

WHO CARES wrote:

I know the resolution to all this!!!!! Grow marijuana and you can pay your bills. Isn't that the answer to everything in Mendocino or I shuld say in the state of California.

A good majority of those who do grow also collect on whatever freebees are out there for the needy.. Would kill me to see a parent refuse a medication for their child because it wasn't covered but had the money for their necessities... cigs, booze, candy..
Pregnacy would have been another one to cut... see how many illegals are breeding legals...

I am amazed how many people are going off the main reason for this. It is not about the illegals! FYI the illegals get what they call emergency medi-cal which only covers their dental visit of a Tootache visit and to fix that problem only. If you really want to go there You should be thankful illegals come here and do the jobs that the citizens think they are to good to do themselves, with what little pay the illegals get!
I think the main focus here should be whats in the best interest of the patients who are on Medi-cal. And yes there are those who abuse the system, I have seen it myself. But for those who do not, this is not a good thing. I think maybe they should monitor the usage and put some caps on some specialtly services, but if you are sick from a tooth problem and you have an infection it goes into your body and makes you sick. The states is not looking at the whole picture.

last minute wrote:

I hear the clinics are working on saturdays now to try and get every last penny before it goes into effect.
Don't tread on me!
No taxation without representation!

No representation without taxation! Perhaps the clinics are working on saturday to help as many as they can before it goes into effect. Not to worry, Nobama will spread some magic fairy dust around and all will be right with the world. Hope in one hand and .....

We get an extra 1% sales tax and u F the people cut the government BS. The prison system first let them non-violent people go cut don't give the rich (banks) any money. If there is one thing i want my taxes to go to it is this. It may be abused but more so are the budgets on all levels of government. We don't need you. F U government good job angering the people again.

Maybe the doctors that travel to Africa and other foreign locales can stay here and take care of their own first.

I just want to know why they have braille at drive up ATM's.

Mendocino Mama wrote:

Will this close the doors on the clinics that mostly have medi-cal patients? Can you see a dental clinic with only children seen?
What about my 80 year old neighbor, worked until she was 72, she is a diabetic who needs her eyes check, her teeth checked and her feet checked regularly?

Does she have Medicare?

Irene wrote:

Why not stop providing services to illegals first??

And while they are checking out the illegals why not check out the thousands that are on medical and working while being paid in cash. It is very frustrating to go to the Doctor and know that the first $2,500.00 will be paid by me then I have to meet my co-pay while the person sitting next to me drives a very nice car and is collecting medical when I know they are as capable of working as I am. This goes on everyday and the people collecting are laughing all the way to the bank. Now, for those that are really in need of medical, this is a disaster. There has to be a better answer than cutting everyone. Why not do a little investigating and getting the losers off the medical rolls and let them pay their own bills for a change. Yes, many are illegal but many are your next door neighbors as well. Some people (mostly elderly) depend on medical and are being punished because of the "do nothings" collecting the benefits.

yes, end the fraud in the system and save many $$, but that involves the govt doing the right thing and we know how well they run any program or department

Works for a living wrote:

<quoted text>
Does she have Medicare?

Yes, but she is always asked for her Medi-cal card first.

"No representation without taxation" is on every Washington DC license plate and is not applicable here. I believe the DC folks are just now getting a rep in congress.

More Medi-cal/insurance fraud dollars are from clinics and doctors than the public. Take two friends in a car accident up north, one was told he had broken arm and had a cast, the other was told he broke his neck and received a neck brace. They went home to Oregon and seen by their own doctor, rexrayed, and were told they were fine... cast and brace removed. Must of been because the ER thought the insurance would cover it.

Mendocino Mama wrote:

<quoted text>
Yes, but she is always asked for her Medi-cal card first.
"No representation without taxation" is on every Washington DC license plate and is not applicable here. I believe the DC folks are just now getting a rep in congress.
More Medi-cal/insurance fraud dollars are from clinics and doctors than the public. Take two friends in a car accident up north, one was told he had broken arm and had a cast, the other was told he broke his neck and received a neck brace. They went home to Oregon and seen by their own doctor, rexrayed, and were told they were fine... cast and brace removed. Must of been because the ER thought the insurance would cover it.

You do not have to be on medical in order for your insurance to be used fraudulantly. Why do you think it is so expensive? Dr's bill procedures that haven't been done. Why throw stones at the clinics? Medical is not the only insurance taken there and NOT the only type of people seen either.
They accept Healthy Families, which is an insurance for kids for low income working families that don't have health insurance. You pay a whopping $5 per visit and $5 for prescriptions. Most private providers do not except this ins. but the clinics do. They also offer a sliding scale for families with no ins. which is based on income and number of family members. The clinic in Ukiah also has a Pharmacy and Walmart has $4 prescriptions.
What really kills me is the fact that we, the working class who have NO health care, or have to pay through the nose for family members, the elderly, who have already paid, the disabled and those that really deserve it will go without their health and dental care, while those that are locked up behinds bars get health and dental, not to mention and freaking education!!!! I guess if you get a tooth ache you can break the law, get it fixed in prison and get your masters in something... and they wonder why theres over crowding.... HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!