California Medicaid Expansion Deemed Insufficient As Patients Still Struggle To Find Medical Help

The California Medicaid expansion is still not enough as residents still find it hard to find doctors.

Despite the California Medicaid expansion, there is still an ongoing healthcare crisis. (Photo: Los Angeles Times)

The California Medicaid Expansion Is Not Enough

Hunter Morgan purchased an optometry practice in Southern California and began serving Medicaid patients, but had to discontinue due to inadequate compensation despite the California Medicaid expansion.

Despite the significant California Medicaid expansion, doctors are not receiving sufficient payment.

The insufficient California Medicaid expansion has caused rural hospitals to struggle and patients to struggle to find medical professionals.

The insufficient California Medicaid expansion and the low reimbursement rates for Medicaid patients are causing many doctors to opt out of treating them, resulting in a shortage of healthcare providers in certain regions.

As a result of the insufficient California Medicaid expansion, the lack of access to healthcare is disproportionately affecting low-income and rural communities, worsening existing healthcare disparities.

According to a published article by SmartNews, healthcare providers in California are financially struggling due to inadequate compensation despite the Medicaid expansion, leading to lower-quality care for patients needing medical attention and care.

California’s Medicaid

In a published article by KTVZ, California is looking to increase doctor payments to accommodate more Medicaid patients.

Medicaid is a health insurance program funded by the government for those with low income and disabilities.

Despite expanding Medicaid eligibility, doctor reimbursement rates in California have not risen accordingly despite the Medicaid expansion.

To address this issue, California raised taxes on managed care providers to secure additional federal funding, which will be used to boost payments for doctors.

However, the raised taxes are seen as only a temporary fix for the problem.

READ ALSO: Summer EBT Program: Michigan’s Plans Of Participating To Help Low-Income Families