‘They Were Judging Me’: Many Medi-Cal Patients Feel Providers Discriminate Against Them
Data from a new grievance category backs up anecdotal evidence that Medi-Cal patients are unsatisfied with the way they're treated by staff and doctors when trying to get care.
The California Health Report:
Thousands Of Medi-Cal Patients Report Poor Treatment By Doctors, Staff
Data released in June by California’s Department of Health Care Services show that nearly 7,000 Medi-Cal patients filed official grievances about “poor provider/staff attitude” in the last three months of 2017, the most recent data available, making it the top quality of care complaint. Anthony Cava, a spokesperson for the health care agency, said that because this grievance category is new, the department can’t yet assess which direction this dissatisfaction is trending.But advocates say that issues of stigma, cultural competence and language barriers have long been problems for Medi-Cal patients in their interactions with providers. (Kandil, 8/16)