My wife Valerie is on Community Medicaid. We get supplies from a local Medical Supply Store. They were only giving us one box of disposable gloves. Valerie is bed-bound and needs to be washed up and cleaned several times a day.
So I went over the invoice and saw that we were getting 300 Disposable under-pads. (the blue chucks.) We don't need that many, so I called in the order and asked if they could reduce then 300 blue chucks to 150, and give us a 2nd box of gloves. I reasoned that I would be saving the system money and getting the supplies that my wife actually needed.
The answer I got was "No, Medicaid only allows you to have 1 box of gloves." But they did reduce the number of blue chucks to 150. Now the blue chucks under-pads protect furniture, the bed, etc...which we have to wash and clean anyway. Disposable gloves are used as protection against pathogens from the client entering the home care aide. So, what is more important? If you said the gloves, you're right.
Not only is Medicaid not being fiscally responsible in regards to this, but they are also promoting the pathogens to run wild, unless of course, the patient's family pays out of pocket. Now, this is a small thing, a 2nd box of gloves. But I was STILL SAVING MONEY by requesting a change in the order to the medical supply company and I was getting the supplies that are actually needed and go to the core of what medical systems are supposed to do!
Now this is one small example of the system that needs repair, multiply that by the tens of thousands of people who have to deal with other issues more monumental. And I'm not even going to bring up the fraud that wastes money, I'm talking about every day, mundane stuff, that should not even be something anyone needs to worry about, but here I am, stunned by the inane rule that is simply driving me nuts!!!
I've written to my representatives about this, and if I have to, I will make them change this rule and any other rule that wastes money and does not meet the needs of the patient.
So in the mean time, I'm getting help from friends to help me get gloves and I am also spending more out of pocket for things Medicaid, Medicare and our private insurance policy do not cover. It seems they do not understand that preventive care is cheaper than waiting for someone to get sick!! It is a slap in the face and a baseball bat to the head especially when it comes to people with Alzheimer's Disease as so many things are NOT COVERED! So you go broke, which is where I am now, paying out of pocket for things my wife needs. So it isn't simply government and private health insurance services, it is the whole culture of Health Care that we have to change. I'm going to do my part, you should do yours before you are in my situation!
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