LETTERS: MEDICAID RECIPIENTS ARE ENTITLED TO COMPARABLE MEDICAL CARE

To the editor:

Concerning the Aug. 14 editorial about the escalating costs of the Medicaid program, I can certainly sympathize. However, there is another part of the issue the general public may or does not know.

Any Medicaid recipient who does not have doctor and needs medical treatment, their primary alternative is to seek treatment at a hospital emergency room. Why? The majority of Cape County private practitioners refuse to see any new Medicaid patients. There are medical situations that occur and an individual simply cannot wait four weeks to get an appointment at the County Health Department. Since I personally know this occurs here, in Cape County, I am reasonably sure this occurs in other counties statewide.

Anytime a Medicaid patient is seen in a hospital emergency room, they are given a referral to an outside doctor should their symptoms continue or become worse. If a follow up visit is necessary, the doctor's appointment secretary will quickly inform the Medicaid patient they will be seen one time and one time only.

I realize there are many doctors who simply do not want the hassle of having to process the required paperwork as well as be forced to receive reduced payment for their services from Medicaid. I understand that doctors feel they are entitled to be reimbursed according to their set fee scale. However, this situation appears to be rather discriminatory to me. Additionally, on the surface, it seems that doctors are more concerned with the "almighty dollar" than their Hippocratic oath.

Furthermore, I realize that there are some Medicaid recipients who have abused the privileges Medicaid provides just as there have been doctors who have abused the Medicaid system. I believe that a Medicaid recipient is entitled to same medical treatment available to any other individual who has outside insurance coverage.

I am quite sure that many people will be upset with this issue. However, I am equally sure there is a better answer but it has not yet been discovered.

RAMONA H. WILLIAMS

Cape Girardeau