[Peace] Re: [Announce] Locked Out: Health Care Consumers Protest Outside Carle Clinic

[John W.]

Dr. Bruce Wellman is a lying sack of shit.

Last time I checked, foster children were covered by Medicaid.  I presume 
they're not welcome at Carle either?



At 05:12 PM 11/21/2007, Brian Dolinar wrote:

>After reports that Carle Clinic was sending out rejection letters to 
>expecting mothers who were on Medicaid, Champaign County Health Care 
>Consumers organized a protest and attempted to deliver a Thanksgiving Day 
>card to Carle executives. The event took place November 20, 2007. It 
>attracted approximately 50 people who stood outside Carle along University 
>Avenue, holding signs and chanting slogans like, "Carle Clinic: rich and 
>rude! We don't like your attitude!"
>
>Champaign County Health Care Consumers has documented the health care 
>crisis locally. They say that 40%, or 75,000, Champaign County residents 
>are locked out of the health care system. Carle Clinic and Christie Clinic 
>employ over 90% of the doctors, and both of the clinics deny services to 
>55,000 of the uninsured and 20,000 patients with Medicaid insurance. As 
>has been recently discovered, some of those denied are expecting mothers.
>
>At a press conference, Jeff Scott spoke about receiving a letter denying 
>his wife health care during her pregnancy. Jeff and his wife were 
>expecting their second child and inquired with Carle about their coverage. 
>They received a letter from Patient's Accounts and Financial Services 
>Division in October. It read:
>
>"Please be aware that Carle Clinic is unable to accept new Illinois 
>Department of Health Care and Family Services' All Kids. If you have no 
>insurance and are planning on applying for IDHFS Medicaid through the Moms 
>and Babies Program and are not currently a patient with the OB department 
>in Urbana, you will need to contact either Planned Parenthood or Frances 
>Nelson Health Care for pre-natal services [...].
>
>"You have 30 days after the birth of your baby to let Carle Clinic know 
>the baby's coverage. Carle Clinic is no longer able to accept primary 
>IDHFS coverage of new patients. And if IDHFS or All Kids will be your 
>primary coverage for your baby you will need to contact either the 
>Department of Public Health of Frances Nelson Health Care for well baby 
>check ups."
>
>Carle responded to these charges by saying that they are no longer sending 
>out these letters and have a new letter stating that they accept Medicaid 
>patients. Scott applauded this decision, but said they need to publicize 
>this to the community, otherwise people will continue to stay away due to 
>past experiences.
>
>Paulette Colemon talked about how three generations of her family have 
>been discriminated against by Carle Clinic. She was there with her 
>daughter Brittany and her grandson Brennan [see picture attached]. 
>Paulette said that she was denied oral care three years ago because she 
>was a Medicaid patient. When her daughter Brittany found out that she was 
>pregnant she tried to get an appointment at Carle, but she was told in 
>order to have her baby at Carle she would have to get her pre-natal care 
>at Planned Parenthood or Frances Nelson. Although her grandson Brennan was 
>born at Carle, he was never considered to be a patient of Carle Clinic 
>doctors. He was not able to come to the clinic for well baby check ups. As 
>Paulette said, "He experienced discrimination before he was born. That's 
>why Brennan's sign says, 'Born 12/27/06. Banned 12/28/06.' When he was 
>discharged after his birth, he was not allowed to come back to Carle 
>Clinic. How can you be born here, but not be a patient here?" She ended by 
>saying, "I don't want to see one more generation of my family be denied care."
>
>Lastly, a group of health care consumers attempted to take a Thanksgiving 
>Day card, signed by Jeff, Paulette, and other protesters, up to the 
>executive offices of Carle. They did not make it past the front door. 
>Doors around the building were locked and guarded by Carle security. Only 
>the main entrance was open and it was guarded by at least three security 
>officers. "They're keeping us away from health care," said Claudia 
>Lenhoff, CCHCC director.
>
>Carle made several efforts to preempt the protest, beginning a propaganda 
>campaign saying that they were no longer sending out the letters denying 
>care to mothers. They distributed out a mass email to Carle employees 
>stating that a story would be on WCIA TV, Channel 3, interviewing Dr. 
>Timothy Meneely who was speaking about their acceptance of patients under 
>the Illinois Health Connect program.
>
>Carle's chief executive Dr. Bruce Wellman claimed the hospital could not 
>provide care to everybody. He was quoted in the News-Gazette saying, "all 
>this still wouldn't result in care for everybody, because America is 
>overconsuming medical services at an alarming rate - both by wanting every 
>little thing done for their bodies and by those making themselves sick by 
>gaining too much weight and smoking."
>
>Of course, Jeff or Brittany were not "overconsuming" health services, but 
>just looking for basic care. What will it take for mothers to gain access 
>to the right to give birth in Champaign County?
>--
>Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
>303 W. Locust St.
>Urbana, IL 61801
><mailto:briandolinar at gmail.com>briandolinar at gmail.com
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