Got fired as a self-pay patient because I’m on Medi-cal (CA’s version of Medicaid) – is that common / legal?

I was going to Carbon Health (awful) for a few months as a self-pay patient (even though I’m on Medi-cal, as no one seems to accept Medí-cal).

They recently sent in a Rx that required a prior authorization, which I asked them to do, which understandingly is annoying extra work. After that, they said they can no longer see me as a self-pay patient according to Medi-cal policy.

It seems unlikely that Medi-cal prevents practices from treating self-pay Medi-cal patients and some google / ChatGPT said as much.

I think they just don’t want to have to mess around with the occasional prior authorization.

Is my assumption that their reason is bullshit valid, and is this type of thing common / legal? I feel like it’s probably legal, but I also feel there are occasionally protections for the poor, so was just curious.

Carbon Health has been awful in pretty much every aspect, except that they have an app for making appointments. Unorganized, providers don’t seem to be that sharp, try to get you to make multiple appointments for small things (eg refill an Rx and look at this thing by my eye). My provider was also a drone who just followed rules without thinking through an issue. Definitely avoid. Seems like a company run by a private equity firm that’s taking advantage of patients.

submitted by /u/gt456
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