I am hoping that this will not become a political hot potato. Please refrain, I am posting this because it may be of value to some creekers.
Many states have long had health care assistance for the badly injured, or indigent. In California, this program is called Medi-Cal. It was always fairly hard to qualify for.
With recent changes in health care laws, the qualifying process has been modified. (Please, no political remarks)
My adult daughter, and her two adult daughters, 18 and 22, live with us. The 22 year old, special needs, has been on Medical since she turned 18. She will have to live with us for the duration. She qualified under the old rules, and it has been a blessing because of the cost of her special meds. The 18 year old is perfectly healthy. Mom's former plan was dropped, and she has tried to find a new health plan that would take them both for an affordable rate, without success. She can afford a plan for herself, but when you add the kid, they go up substantially.
Thanks for hanging in with me. Here is the meat of the post:
The new rules for applying to Medical have changed, and are now pretty much determined by income. Mom was advised to check on Medical for the 18 year old. She qualified.
18 years old is adult. Doesn't matter that she lives at home, and is entering her Sophomore year at college in Phoenix. She is adult, and makes very little with a summer job, and her work in the food court at the college. She was automatically rubber stamped and got her Medical card. Then she was accepted back into Kaiser Medical plan, where she has been all her life.....same doctor as before.
A few days ago, she dislocated her hip, which has happened before. She popped it back in, but has been having spasms, and pain, so after a couple days we went to the doctor. She got a visit with a PA, a steroid shot, an X ray, and was given three prescriptions for steroids and pain killer. We got the meds at the pharmacy downstairs.
Final price for everything............$0.00.
This is the way it is now done in California. There is some connection to Federal health care laws, and some states decided to do it this way, while others did not, I am told. Your state may vary.
ONE FINAL PLEA. No rants please. I posted this because it is an actual case, and I hope it may help some creekers who find themselves in health care limbo with all the changes. It may be something you should look at. Yes, I know a lot more than I am saying, and yes, I have opinions, but this may be helpful to some who are unaware of the situation.
Rick Potter
