AN ECONOMICALLY IRRATIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WHICH TORTURES THE POOR

June 17, 2009

PRESS RELEASE

From Neil Shulman MD

AN ECONOMICALLY IRRATIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WHICH TORTURES THE POOR

The State of Georgia and the US Government are operating a Medicaid program in Georgia which often results in psychological and physical torture of low income American citizens. When a Georgian discovers that they have an early stage cancer–for example kidney cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer—they often will apply for Medicaid coverage in order to get the cancer removed before it spreads. The Medicaid rules specifically state that one has to not only be poor but also disabled to be eligible for Medicaid coverage. For example, if a financially eligible person’s cancer has not spread or metastasized throughout their body, then they are not considered to be disabled. They and their family must go through the psychologically torturous state of knowing that they have a curable cancer and being forced to wait months or a couple of years for the cancer to spread before they can get treatment. The second phase of “the torture” is physical in nature. In many cases, during this phase the patient has become eligible for Medicaid and then for chemotherapy. Well meaning doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are often cornered by the state of the patient’s illness. Their only choice of therapy to extend the patient’s life is to bombard them with drugs which cause hair loss, nausea, weakness, high susceptibility to infection, etc.

The irony is that these insane Medicaid regulations often cost tax payers more money. Early stage removal of the cancer often costs much less than extensive hospitalizations necessary when very disabled patients require toxic treatments…treatments which may only extend their life a few months or a year or two.

Is Georgia’s Medicaid program unique? On many fronts Georgia is unique. The residents of many other states need only be “poor” to be eligible for Medicaid coverage. Also, Georgia is near the top of the list in rejecting Medicaid coverage among the states requiring that the resident be “disabled.”

Unfortunately, the segment of our population who experience this torture often do not speak out because of limited resources, a lack of understanding of how to access the media, and/or physical disadvantages. Of course, there are many Georgia doctors who can share the sad stories about these patients. Also, the Georgia-based national office of the American Cancer Society has been an outspoken advocate for these people.

Sadly, the current state of the economy is increasing the number of folks who slip into needing Medicaid coverage.

CONTACT:

Neil Shulman MD

Associate Professor,

Emory University School of Medicine

Author: Your Body’s Red Light Warning Signals, Random House

nshulma@emory.edu

404-321-0126