How to navigate MEDI-CAL in LOS ANGELES for follow up care

LoveandLightinLA

Hello,

Due to the pandemic my husband got laid off and we lost our excellent health care. We couldn't qualify for Covered California, they assigned us to no cost Medi-Cal.

Unfortunately I can't even get through on the phone to make an initial appointment to see my assigned primary care provider.

Is there anyone in Los Angeles who has navigated Medi-Cal for breast cancer care? Any recommendations for doctors or where I can get a mammogram?

I wish I could see my trusted team of doctors that have taken care of me since I was diagnosed and treated 3 years ago.

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions!

Trishyla

I went through something similar when I was first diagnosed in 2016. The production company my husband and I worked for closed their doors with no warning, leaving us completely uninsured.

Fortunately, my husband was able to scrape together enough work to come out to the minimum required to qualify for Covered California insurance. I'm so glad we did, because, unlike MediCal, it's amazingly good insurance. It saved me about $90,000 in copays and deductibles.

Even in the months we didn't quite have the income, we didn't contact them them to change our status because we knew we would make it up before the end of the year. And we did.

Is there any way you or your husband can do some sort of work, like delivery for Uber Eats or Instacart, or something else on a temporary basis, just to earn enough to get off of MediCal? The $200 to $300 you pay each month in premiums is well worth the dramatic difference in care.

Good luck to you. Having to deal with that on top of your cancer and a Pandemic has to be so frustrating. Hope all goes as well as possible for you.

Trish

WC3

LoveandLightinLA:

Do you know where your primary is located? You might have better luck if you just walk in to the office.

I would also dig around and see if you can find an alternate phone number for them.

LoveandLightinLA

Thank you for your helpful advice! Much appreciated!