MEDICAID - Can Not Even See A Doctor And Pay Cash - Can Not Get Into Doctor Until May

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 7510

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Mar 27 2018 3:34 PM

DOTHAN:      Someone came to me and needed to go to the doctor. They are a Medicaid Patient.

They contacted the Medicaid Doctor who can not see the patient until May 2018. So I asked the question why can't you just pay cash. They said they will not let you pay the cash if you are a Medicaid patient.

So I called the doctor office and asked the question, if I am a Medicaid patient and the doctor who receives Medicaid can not see me until May can I pay cash. This was a "doc in the box". They said NO.

So I asked again, wish I had taped it, you mean if I need to see a doctor and can not get into the Medicaid doctor, I can not pay cash. They said no. Said I can go to the Emergency Room.

This line of thinking is why the Medical Center is ALWAYS on diversion. I might have to apologize to SAMC CEO Rick Sutton. WAIT - I can not because he is above returning phone calls and no Board Member has backbone at SAMC.

Back to my point, healthcare and government are so screwed up. 

I then asked the "doc in the box", I guess I need to send the person by the funeral home and pay for a funeral since the person can not see a doctor. It is like the chicken pox, not something for the Emergency Room.

I personally had that issue with a doctor. They had to have a "referral" before the doctor would see one of my family members. The family member had been in Flowers CCU and was diagnosed as a diabetic. The doctor's office said they only see patients in the hospital at SAMC. I said the patient was in Flowers because SAMC is always on diversion.

Well, we only see patients in the hospital at SAMC. Again, SAMC is always on diversion. Finally after ring around the roses, the family member was carried to a general physician and an appointment made with the specialist. But it was from February until May before they could get in.

Finally last week through persistence I go them in to see the specialist.

MEDICAL CARE is going to hell in a handbasket. We have no leaders because no one is working to fix it.

Chester Sowell is in charge of SAMC as Chairman of the Board ( 334-798-3601 ) and Rick Sutton from Mississippi came via Colorado to Dothan as CEO of SAMC. He thinks he is to important to call anyone back. And to important to speak.

And not one of the 13 members of the Hospital Board for SAMC has backbone to make Sutton do anything. He runs them. Yes, I am calling Chester Sowell and the members of SAMC Board spineless.

But if you have a problem at SAMC, Chester Sowell, former Mayor of Dothan is in charge as Chairman of the Board. He said he never gets any complaints. 334-798-3601 is his number.

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