Pregnant on Medi-cal and can’t see a doctor. What you don’t know and why you should not switch health coverage if you don’t need to(2023)

I am pregnant with my first child. Originally I was on Covered California paying a monthly premium of about $160/month including $15 copay and $10 prescription. The plan I had was good but my partner encouraged me to switch to Medi-cal. He told me that I wouldn’t have to pay a monthly premium and would help us save money while being pregnant. I ended up calling covered CA who switched me to Medi-cal. I did the switch the week of Jan 23rd and got a letter Jan 31 that my Medi-Cal was approved, including the physical card and that coverage will begin Feb 1st.

I had a prenatal appointment for Feb 1st with Kaiser and they cancelled my appointment because I “no longer have coverage”. I called them and said I switched to Medi-Cal and they said nothing went through on their end and if I am to use their service I will bear the full cost. I reached out to Medi-Cal and upon entering my card number it says I’m not found in a system. I gave them last for of SSN and phone number but I’m still not showing up in their system. Because I’m not showing up I cannot talk to a real person to find out what’s going on.

Knowing that my Medi-Cal coverage was approved via the County I reached out to my social worker T. Whittaker who not only won’t return my calls but leaves his phone off so no one can get through to him. I left a voicemail that the medical coverage isn’t going through and that I don’t know what to do and I need help. Of course now that I am one of many people getting medical through the county I am not important enough to these people and they won’t even bother to call back.

My partner found a number for Alameda alliance for health and I told them the situation and they said that the California department of health care services was going to have to send me a packet and then I was gonna have to fill the information out and send it back. The packet did not come until February 17. I filled it out and sent it back and contacted Alameda alliance for health to see if it was approved. Alameda alliance did not recognize my Medi-Cal info, SSN, or phone number, therefore I am not in their system and cannot even speak to a real person.

Out of desperation I looked up the department of health care services office so that I can go in only to find out that it is in Sacramento which is over 100 miles away and there is no local office for me to go into. Since switching to Medi-Cal I have not seen a doctor in over a month and have no idea where my coverage lies and cannot even get a real human being to talk to me. The stress has made me depressed and has taken a serious toll on my mental and emotional health. It has even made me consider having an abortion because I don’t know what to do or who to even talk to. It is February 22 and I have no idea if or when I will be able to see a doctor and not have to worry about paying $1500 medical bill.

My advice to pregnant women if you are on Covered California and you can actually afford your monthly premium I would strongly recommend that you stay on and that you DO NOT SWITCH TO Medi-Cal. You may be saving yourself a little over $100 a month but The stress is not worth it. As of now I have a Medi-Cal card but I have no way to use the service and I’m constantly being told that I have no health coverage and that I have to pay for my medical bills out of pocket. Do yourself and your baby a favor and stay away from Medi-Cal. I regret even considering switching because I am three months pregnant, can’t see a doctor, can’t get any blood work done and I can’t even find out the sex of my baby.

submitted by /u/Patient_Summer6808
[comments]