by Gianna Campos
Ever heard of the Medi-Cal Assistance Program? It’s basically an insurance for low income individuals such as: families, seniors, children in the foster care system, etc. And I guess they’re trying to do a good thing since they’re “making an effort” to help out low income people, but they barely do anything. They cover next to nothing for your appointments, even though you are low income, and you have to wait forever to just get your name called.
People on Medi-Cal will always go last since people with real insurance are considered “priority.” I always thought it should be the other way around though. Since people on Medi-Cal can’t afford actual insurance, they should be seen first. But that’s just not the way it works. Even if your appointment is scheduled at an earlier time than someone with real insurance, they will choose them to go first. And if another person with real insurance walks in? They go before you as well. People on Medi-Cal will always have to wait the longest.
Now being a young child and going to these appointments, I didn’t understand why all these other people got to go before I did, even if I was waiting for an hour (or longer). There was countless times my mom and I would just leave and come back another day because we got fed up with waiting. I was little, so even when my mom did explain it to me, it still never made sense. All I could really understand from what she told me was that she hated us having to be on Medi-Cal. All I ever thought was, “but I need to get checked too, what makes them so much more special than me?” For the longest time, I thought there was something wrong with me because I didn’t get that same prioritization as other kids.
So yes, even though Medi-Cal has some sort of good intention, they really don’t do all that much to help.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve been thinking a lot about going to business school and learning what I need to know to open my own business of a doctor’s office, dentist office, and eye doctor strictly for Medi-Cal patients only. So, no kid will have to wait because another kid with better insurance walks in. It would all be by scheduled timings.
People on Medi-Cal will always go last since people with real insurance are considered “priority.” I always thought it should be the other way around though. Since people on Medi-Cal can’t afford actual insurance, they should be seen first. But that’s just not the way it works. Even if your appointment is scheduled at an earlier time than someone with real insurance, they will choose them to go first. And if another person with real insurance walks in? They go before you as well. People on Medi-Cal will always have to wait the longest.
Now being a young child and going to these appointments, I didn’t understand why all these other people got to go before I did, even if I was waiting for an hour (or longer). There was countless times my mom and I would just leave and come back another day because we got fed up with waiting. I was little, so even when my mom did explain it to me, it still never made sense. All I could really understand from what she told me was that she hated us having to be on Medi-Cal. All I ever thought was, “but I need to get checked too, what makes them so much more special than me?” For the longest time, I thought there was something wrong with me because I didn’t get that same prioritization as other kids.
So yes, even though Medi-Cal has some sort of good intention, they really don’t do all that much to help.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve been thinking a lot about going to business school and learning what I need to know to open my own business of a doctor’s office, dentist office, and eye doctor strictly for Medi-Cal patients only. So, no kid will have to wait because another kid with better insurance walks in. It would all be by scheduled timings.