RX'S and medicaid

[high maintenence]

This is what just happened to me. I pay my pdoc personally b/c when I retained her, I had insurance, and after I was on disability and didn't work anymore, I only have medicaid. My pdoc doesn't take medicaid but I stayed with her due to the fact that I was just comfortable and didn't want to lose her.

As of April 1st, my medicaid will only pay for RX's from medicaid doctors.

Anyway, My pdoc is moving to Florida, so I have to find another one anyway. I guess I best be looking for one that takes medicaid. I've started looking, but the only one in my city is the county mental health center, and I wouldn't take my dog there. We've called medicaid and they have said that they will allow us to look outside of our county, but we still haven't found a medicaid accepted pdoc yet.

I just thought that you all might want to know this info...may not be that way in your state...I don't know.

[Phyllis]

I don't know about medicaid and MI here in Ohio, but I do know in general it is difficult to find a Doc who will accept it out here. The reason being, Medicade takes FOREVER to pay the physcians. Usually if you have a family doc and you had insurance and have been with the practice long enough, they will take Medicade. But I guess the new plans have a list of places that will accept medicade. The government sucks when it comes to health care - there seems to be so much red tape.

[clayton]

Finding a doc who will take medicaid is a big goddamed problem, High. It no to nly takes forever to pay, but it doesnt pay very much, so docs dont like it unless they are working on volume or, I guess, are charitably inclined to the poor. I had the devil's own time finding my pdoc and a GP--you will succeed, but beggars can't be choosers. Hopefully you'll fi nd somebody pretty good. We call it Medical out here, and there are no urologists in this part of California who accept it--I had to go through the County hospital, which happens to be a very good hospital--otherwise I would have to rely on naturopathy--fresh air and sunshine!  Good luck with it!

[francie]

High,

i had medicaid in michigan, and i went to the county mental health center. i thought the psychiatrist there was a nutbag, but i did manage to get a good therapist -- and i didn't stick with the first one they gave me, because she was goofier than sh*t.  I let the psychiatrist know i wanted to switch therapists, and he asked me why... so i told him the truth "she comes to the reception area to get me and stares at the carpet while calling my name, never takes her eyes off the carpet all the way back to her office, and during our session, just sits there and stares at me, so we sit in silence." (and it was true!  lol).

you probably have the right to "interview" a couple of therapists if you decide to try the county mental health center. 

when i was in ohio, i went to the county mental health center, also, but they seemed to have a good staff... oddly enough.  i wasn't on medicaid, but the business office people applied for a state grant in my behalf.  i was just thinking that, if your state has grants available, maybe another mental health center of your choice has the option to apply for help for you too?  just a wandering thought.

i wish you all the best ~~francie

[Brian]

when i was in ohio, i went to the county mental health center, also, but they seemed to have a good staff... oddly enough.

They're shutting down a bunch of the mental health centers now to help balance the budget.

[high maintenence]

Francie, gosh, I'm so happy to know that you care so much about what I say, as to actually respond to what I said even after a few weeks has gone by. I still have not found how I will be recieving my care. I have enough meds to do me for about another month. Our mental health center is not fit for anyone anywhere for anything. They only have one psychiatrist, and she is Indian. She's been there for about twenty years. There's only three therapists and I have met one that I wanted to kill, but haven't met the others because my husband said he wasn't taking me back there, but we may not have an option.  We contacted medicaid and they told us that we could go outside of our county to find a dr. since we did not find decent care here. We have contacted the center beside our county in Decatur and it is 3months before I will be able to see a psychiatrist. You have to see the therapist three times before they will put you on meds. We asked about them just continuing the meds I am on and they said that they still cannot write the scripts until I have seen the therapist three times. I think I'm in a shitter and I hope noone flushes...hehe...We have a list of dr.s from medicaid that they say take medicaid in our area and areas within 50miles, but so far, every number we have called is either disconnected, wrong number, or they say they do not take medicaid...ugh..I have a good general dr. I wonder if she will write the scripts for me while I'm continuing to get in somewhere.

[clayton]

High: In some places they have what's called a Mental Health Advocate--their business is to cut through red tape for you so you can get what you need. I suggest see if they have one in your county.

[k]

high, my heart goes out to you as well. i can't imagine being in your shoes right now and looking for an appropriate pdoc and therapist. i bet you're a little scared. clayton makes a good point about mental health advocates. i don't know if it's just CA but look into it cause they really will help you (if they have the manpower.)  you're right about checking with your gen'l doc. he should be willing to write for you until you can get to someone else.  unbelieveable that you have to see a therapist 3x before they'll let you see the pdoc that's awful.  anyway, i'm sorry for you and i hope you find someone.
ps i thought i had responded to you but i guess all i did was tell my husband about what a horrible position you were in. i'm sorry i meant to tell you.

[high maintenence]

It's alright K...I do that a lot, besides, I don't expect you to reply to everything I post... ;)although it does make me feel special..hehe

[nordicnicki]

its got to be really hard for you8 guys over there having to find the money and then the docs that will accept it for your care.....i guess we are lucky here to not have to pay for it......but it does take forever to get them to listen to you in the first place....

[high maintenence]

Well, Nicki, if we can qualify as being "disabled", which I have, then you get medicaid, which is free insurance, but you aren't allowed to work if you are on medicaid. I do get a disability check for being disabled and then I get medicaid. The problem with medicaid is that doctors don't take it, or at least it is very hard to find a doc to take it. Medicaid doesn't pay the doc as much as they would like to be paid, so they mostly don't want to take it. It's usually a crappy doc, when you find one that does take medicaid, but in all fairness, I would have to say that it seems that we actually have more to choose from and more help than those of you in other countries.

[francie]

Hello again, High!

Do you have an advocate or social worker?  maybe you can ask your medicaid caseworker about getting someone to give you direction regarding these issues.

and i think it's a good idea to talk with your GP about meds, yes!

take care