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

[Martha Wilkinson]

I'm a patient at Christie and went on Medicaid after I lost my
insurance coverage. The main reason why my daughter and I can get
treatment is due to the fact that I was an established patient under
my former insurance plan.

Clinics and insurance companies are 'for profit' institutions and
until we have a national standard in place then corporations like
Carle and Christie are going to continue to engage in these practices.

As for the practice of 'overconsuming' medical care - I wouldn't be
surprised if that is an offshoot of the current practices of
'preventive' medicine. The more stuff you can do for a patient the
more bills you can send to an insurance company.

Personally I think it's criminal that the United States refuses to
take care of its citizens through providing affordable and available
health care.



On Nov 21, 2007 5:48 PM, John W. <jbw292002 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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
> briandolinar at gmail.com
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