Re: Medical Coverage

[Guest guest]

After my husband retired, he volunteered at a free clinic in the area

where he once practiced. Unless you live in an area where they have a

large teaching hospital, the services for health care at free clinics,

are very limited. At our local clinic, most patients that were treated

had uncomplicated problems that required simple procedures that most

any general practitioner could handle. The hours were limited to

Monday through Thursday. The doctors who donated their time were a few

general practitioners, a cardiologist and a gynecologist, I think a

couple of dentists.

There was, nor is there now, a Rheumatologist or an Internist. The

hours were limited to week days, have now been shortened to Mon-Thurs.

Patients who get sick on the weekend, or over holidays, will likely

get no response to their phone calls, horrible, but true. To get an

appointment usually takes at least a week (usually more) and the

patient needs a document showing that they are not eligible for

medicaid. This is where people drop through the cracks.

To fit into the disability category, a person generally must show that

his or her medical condition either will last for at least 12 months

and/or prevent the person from working, or is likely to result in the

person's death. A person who has several broken limbs and other

severe injuries and cannot work, but who expects to recover within 12

months, is not eligible for Medicaid. Also, as so many of us in this

group have found, a person who has chronic UC or ankylosing

spondylitis or ReA, will find it takes a few years to get their

disability and medicaid card. Most patients, have to apply at least

twice, before they are accepted. Many have to get a lawyer to help them.

These Medicaid categories leave out many individuals who do not have

access to affordable health coverage on their own — particularly poor

adults under 65 who do not have dependent children, including people

with medical conditions that are quite serious but not sufficiently

severe or debilitating to meet the Medicaid disability criteria

described above.

With that said, my question is this:

Where does one go to see a specialist (a Rheumatologist (or gastro

doctor) when you are out of work, uninsured, no money, no medicaid, no

qualifications yet for disability, and no large Medical teaching

center in your area? Unless you have a medical emergency, even the

doctors in the emergency room know little of treating a bad case of AS/

UC or Crohn's disease .

Most small free clinics do not have the availability or the staff to

treat UC or a disabling chronic spondyloarthropathy.

=

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I was able to get a list of all federally qualified community health centers in

the country (i used to work for the federal govt). There are MANY in Oregon,

mostly in portland but also elsewhere. These clinics are required to provide

care regarldess of ability to pay. They also have social workers onsite who may

be able to help with Medicaid application. Would Portland area work. I spot

checked a few and there are no rheumatologists but almost all have internal med

docs....which seems better than what your són is currently working with. Please

advise and i can give you a couple of name and numbers from the list.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

medical coverage

Hi everyone,I hope you are all feeling the best you can at this time.

I have medical coverage with SSI,because I am totally disabled,but my

24 year old son,who was working full time at a good job with

insuranc,was fired from that job because he took off 8 days sick with

active ulcerative colitis, and ankylosing spondilitis.He called in

everyday for 5 days, then his boss told him to bring in a drs note

when he comes back.He went back in a total of 8 days with a drs

note.The boss fired him because he didn't call those last 3 days.He

says he abandon the job. So,now he has no way to pay for drs and

meds.I don't know what to do for him, and he sure doesn't either.He

applied for unemployment and social security and medicaid.All

denied.I know it isn't supposed to be done,but I have shared some of

my meds that I know are the same that he takes.But since I have had

my colon removed,I don't have to have the meds for the ulcerative

colitis.He is so skinny and needs to be seen by a dr, but he hasn't

got the money to pay for it.He has huge bills already from the

hospital and dr visits.Does anyone out there know of a way he can get

any help for this? It is crazy that they don't consider a young male

as having health problems that somehow would be covered.Especially

from getting fired after working almost 3 years at this one job, and

not taking any other time off from work.He will be loosing his

housing at the end of this month,so he will be homeless too.Were I

live is like an assisted living complex,so he can't move in with me.

I don't know where to turn, and he is too sick to go out and search

himself.I am getting more sick myself from worry.Being sick and

disabled and trying to help my son that is so sick too is really a

difficult thing for me,as well as for him.He has no idea what he is

in for,especially without medical care.If anyone can head us in the

right direction,I know there is a way out there somewhere.We really

need prayer as well as a hint of how to get him to get medical care.

Thank you everybody,I sure am glad you are out there and that I can

reach out to those who know the delima and the disease. D.

in Oregon

[Guest guest]

Thank you Connie for your information, it helps a lot. And I just got a

notice that they are opening the Oregon Health Plan for a few weeks, and

taking more applications. I am up now waiting for 7am so I can call.I just

pray that he gets picked up on it this time. But I will keep your info just

in case he has got to try that way still. It is good somebody knows about

some of this stuff, because I had no idea.Take care, and God bless you.

D. In OR

-- Re: medical coverage

After my husband retired, he volunteered at a free clinic in the area

where he once practiced. Unless you live in an area where they have a

large teaching hospital, the services for health care at free clinics,

are very limited. At our local clinic, most patients that were treated

had uncomplicated problems that required simple procedures that most

any general practitioner could handle. The hours were limited to

Monday through Thursday. The doctors who donated their time were a few

general practitioners, a cardiologist and a gynecologist, I think a

couple of dentists.

There was, nor is there now, a Rheumatologist or an Internist. The

hours were limited to week days, have now been shortened to Mon-Thurs.

Patients who get sick on the weekend, or over holidays, will likely

get no response to their phone calls, horrible, but true. To get an

appointment usually takes at least a week (usually more) and the

patient needs a document showing that they are not eligible for

medicaid. This is where people drop through the cracks.

To fit into the disability category, a person generally must show that

his or her medical condition either will last for at least 12 months

and/or prevent the person from working, or is likely to result in the

person's death. A person who has several broken limbs and other

severe injuries and cannot work, but who expects to recover within 12

months, is not eligible for Medicaid. Also, as so many of us in this

group have found, a person who has chronic UC or ankylosing

spondylitis or ReA, will find it takes a few years to get their

disability and medicaid card. Most patients, have to apply at least

twice, before they are accepted. Many have to get a lawyer to help them.

These Medicaid categories leave out many individuals who do not have

access to affordable health coverage on their own — particularly poor

adults under 65 who do not have dependent children, including people

with medical conditions that are quite serious but not sufficiently

severe or debilitating to meet the Medicaid disability criteria

described above.

With that said, my question is this:

Where does one go to see a specialist (a Rheumatologist (or gastro

doctor) when you are out of work, uninsured, no money, no medicaid, no

qualifications yet for disability, and no large Medical teaching

center in your area? Unless you have a medical emergency, even the

doctors in the emergency room know little of treating a bad case of AS/

UC or Crohn's disease .

Most small free clinics do not have the availability or the staff to

treat UC or a disabling chronic spondyloarthropathy.

=

[Guest guest]

Oh yes, I would love any info on those health centers in Oregon, especially

Eugene,Roseburg,Portland,Ashland,and any in that area.Thank you so much.

Maybe he will be able to hook up with a great dr. And if they have social

workers onsite that is also great.Thank you again so much. D. in

Oregon