Letter to the Editor

Your view: Medicaid is abuser

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

In response to Mike's Feb. 3 and 15 editorials, you are right on both. It's not a health crisis; it's a Medicaid problem. I call it neglect. I've worked all my life, but because of falling into the wrong quarter, I only qualified for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

There are people on these in-home programs who don't, in my opinion, qualify. They are waiting for a judge to approve them for SSI. Some have already been denied and have appealed again. They get a real small rent fee, max on energy assistance and the full amount of food stamps. These people get their house cleaned and then go and get paid to clean other people's houses. They also have a nurse come to fix their meds once a week. that's a waste of money. Whose fault is this? Ours or Medicaid? It's like Medicaid is finding a way to keep these people on the programs. Medicaid had to receive a letter that these people were denied.

Doctor's visits? There are too many of them. What happened to yearly check-

ups? You go to a doctor and he automatically says to come back in a month. Why not six months, unless you are sick?

I've had three back surgeries. I don't know what the doctor did. When I had the first two surgeries, it sure wasn't what he put in his surgical procedures. He got around $80,000. As time and years (eight of them) passed, I finally got the real job done and also cost in the $50,000 range and I'll live in pain as well as fear of one day not being able to walk even to my mailbox. I feel used.

Medicaid abuses Medicaid. Pure and simple.

Name withheld