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["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>]

> As far as Medicaid is concerned, Good Luck finding a doc that takes it.
> Clinics will but most private practiioners won't.  Medicaid pays very 
> little
> for services rendered and it can take upwards to 6-9 months to get paid.
> Specialist will rarely take Medicaid.

When I signed up, I picked a primary care physician (from a list, but it 
included every doctor that I know of in town). There aren't many private 
practitioners here; they are all associated with Laurel Health, who runs the 
local hospital, several clinics and all the specialists. Once you are 'in 
the system', you can see any specialist (with a referral). For my mother, 
there's no paperwork or anything; the whole system is computerized and her 
history and all test results are available online to any doctor in the 
system.. As far as I know, the Medicaid card (it's the PA version called 
Access) is also accepted anywhere in the Laurel Health system. I've never 
liked Western medicine, but I must say that the system runs very smoothly 
here; my mother has gotten every test, every surgery, and  seen every 
specialist she's needed very quickly (usually within days). I've fought with 
individual doctors over diagnoses and treatments for my mother, but I've 
never had to fight with the system. I hope Medicaid works as well if I ever 
need it.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Tioga Co. PA