Few Orthopedists Accept Medi-Cal Coverage
There are "very few" orthopedists who will treat Medi-Cal beneficiaries because they say reimbursement rates are too low, according to Peter Warren of the California Medical Association, the Daily Press reports.
Doctors typically are paid about $18 to $20 per visit for treating a Medi-Cal beneficiary. Warren said the payments mean "Medi-Cal has basically become charity care for physicians."
The Daily Press profiles the case of a family covered through a Medi-Cal plan called the Inland Empire Health Plan. The family was unable to find an orthopedic specialist for a six-year-old girl who fractured her arm (Prophet, Daily Press, 4/15).