Medi-Cal, and Medicaid in general, are in place to help those that do not have the financial resources to pay for more expensive private insurance or Medicare supplements. Even though they might not be able to pay for insurance out of pocket, they still have a right to quality healthcare. In fact, it is also beneficial to communities as a whole to pay for Medicaid services because it helps reduce the burden placed on hospitals when people come in for treatment and then do not pay their bills. Because doctors are legally obligated to help everyone that comes to them for services, this could be a catastrophic blow to an organization if these bills were left unpaid.
Medicaid has come under a lot of fire recently because of claims that the money funding Medicaid care–whether through senior care or for the general care of others–is not being used efficiently. In some cases, there have been instances where Medicaid dollars are being given to organizations that have blatantly abused the trust that’s been given to them, even after investigations have confirmed the same.
For example, a senior care home in California was still receiving Medi-Cal funding even after the owner of that home cheated employees out of almost $200,000 in back ages and instructed his employees to lie to investigators about it. The owner pled guilty to charges stating that this occurred and was convicted of a misdemeanor.
California is not the only place where this has happened. Similar charges have been brought to care home owners in Florida and Wisconsin. Despite these scenarios, these care homes are still receiving money for Medicaid.
The issue is trust. We don’t want to punish the seniors that need this assistance. But at the same time, this is a population that can be vulnerable, and to continue to see homes that have been abusive of finances continue to receive funding even after those abuses have been found to be criminal is putting the people that we care about in a bad position. Our loved ones deserve care where they don’t need to worry about being taken advantage of or abused in any way.
The insurance system here in the United States isn’t perfect. It’s not perfect anywhere, honestly. However, there have been vast improvements made over the years, with Medicaid being one of the big leaps forward that have helped those around us. There’s still a lot of room for progress, though. Politicians spend a lot of time arguing over what’s best for us, and while change at the political level can be quite good, there are also changes that you and I can implement at the family level that can help those closest to us. Personal, compassionate care is one of those changes.
We can help your family to make those positive changes a reality. Give us a call today to learn more about care and how in-home care might be exactly what you’ve been looking for to help your elderly loved one receive the care and attention that they deserve.
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