Monterey, CA Medi-Cal Doctors Few And Far Between

View From A Nonprofit Serving Senior Citizens In Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

President Barack Obama's health care reform law has millions of Americans getting access to Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California).   However, California Governor Jerry Brown's new budget has many asking the question, how will these new Medi-Cal recipients get access to care?  Although Governor Brown did fund the additional money to add the new recipients, he also left in place a 10% cut to most doctors, dentist and other health care professionals who take the insurance.  This will almost surely cause more doctors to stop taking the insurance which already has extremely low reimbursement rates.  Finding a doctor on the Monterey Peninsula who takes Medicare is extremely difficult.  Finding one that takes new Medi-Cal recipients is next to impossible.  If we are serious about giving the poor access to health care, there need to be more doctors willing to take the government insurance, not less.

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.