Well where to start?
In march of 2007 I found myself to be 2 months pregnant. I had just been taken off my parents insurance, and I had plans to get my own through my employer. I spent 4 months trying to convince a private insurance company to cover me because I jnew what would happen if I went to medicaid.
Mind you that I am a very mature 19 year old woman, with a corporate job, a good fiancee, and a wonderful baby girl (now). Even my fiancee's insurance wouldn't allow me to be added onto his plan!
Fast forward to July, I am 6 months pregnant. I bury my tail and go in to apply for medicaid. The women in the office wouldn't give me the time of day. It took my mother going with me and raising a scene, in order for me to get my paperwork.
1st off, they said that I quallified for expidited medicaid and that I should have my answer in 24 hours. And that I should just go right upstairs and go to the prenatal clinic. This was not my proudest moment, but it was best for my baby. Now don't get me wrong, the women, nurses, and doctors in the clinic were the nicest to me through this whole exprince. But back to my complaint
2nd of all, while I has having all this done, it took 2 months to get my medicaid card. My caseworker had 'forgotten' to get her mail. Thank god that the go back 6 months and take care of the bills for those months.
3rd: Everytime I went in to the hospital to get something checked out, my level of care dropped as suddently as they found out I was a medicaid patient. I was cathorized with the wrong size tube, they tore my urethra, I bleed for 24 hours! The next day, I went to my OBGYN and he was like 'why the hell did they cathorize you?' Later I came to find out, because they thought I was stung out and needed a drug test.
This entire time that I am pregnant, I am constantly trying to contact my caseworker, because i am getting these nasty little letters saying that my medicaid has been denied, that i have no coverge. I called once a week, starting at 7 months, twice a week during 8 months, and once it came time for me to have the baby, it was EVRY OTHER DAY!!! Finally I called her supervisor, and she made me aware of the fact that my caseworker had been on vacation and no one else had been scheduled to cover her case load. I tried to call the 1-800 number for medicaid complaints, and found out that there was nothing I could do except speak to her supervisor.
While in the clinic one day, i would 6 other women in my situation with the same caseworker. All claimed that she was overworked, underpaid, and decided to take it out on her cases by being deliquent.
After my baby was born, I made sure to file everything they asked for 3 DAYS AFTER!!! I ge a letter two weeks later demanding everything I had previously turned in. I took all my reciepts for my documents up there and was like 'LOOK, i have turn ALL of this in. She just needs to check her Fckin mail!!!' Now usually I am a pretty calm person, but constantly worring about weither or not I had adiquate coverage for me and my little one, wore me thin.
I have requested a change in caseworker...DENIED! I have requested a formal complaint against her, in writing...DENIED! The only thing I have been able to do is sit and wait by the phone for a call back, because i am not even allowed to schedule an appointment with her.