Looking for ACA help

[Sedona]

My 28 year old daughter is a single, childless nursing student and under the poverty line. She’s TOTALLY eligible and been approved for Medicaid expansion in Arizona. It is called Health E Arizona.

I don’t want to waste your time with a long history so we can suffice it to say we have been trying to get her on the Arizona Medicaid expansion since Oct 1 and have been hitting road blocks at every turn. Six months of web site troubles, 2-3 hour waits on hold on the phone are getting us nowhere. Even the wait at the rural area, in person center for ACA help has a line formed an hour before they open and a 2-3 hour her wait to see someone. They don’t accept appointments. Her school and work schedule do not allow this kind of wait for help. It seems as you say, the red states that actually took Medicaid expansion are deliberately gumming up the works. It is like voter suppression for health care!

Now she’s sick. She needs treatment NOW. She has no money for a doctor or prescriptions. Do you know anyone we can contact directly at Health E Arizona that can fast track her to get an ID card without endless waits on hold or in a predawn line at the office? Anyone in Arizona at all that might be able to help?

Thanks for reading.

[Voice for Peace]

1. kick for visibility

Maybe try online application again.

I only started my application, for the medicaid expansion
in New Mexico. I never finished it, but somehow it went
through anyway, and was granted. The card arrived in
the mail as a complete surprise, with the private insurer
contacting me the next day with all kinds of helpful
information.

If her application is submitted, when the Medicaid
comes through it should be retroactive, which maybe
will reimburse her for healthcare & medicines.

It doesn't help in the immediate situation -- and hopefully
somebody else here knows more. Good luck to her.

[irisblue]

2. my only guess

AND it is a guess....go to either 1-MARIPOSA COMM HLTH CTR 1852 NORTH MASTIC WAY NOGALES 85621 520-281-1550 Outpatient Facility or 2- EL RIO SANTA CRUZ HC 839 WEST CONGRESS ST TUCSON 85745 502-792-9890 Outpatient Facility. Both of these centers are required to see for free or reduced cost any patient under the Hill Barton Act. from http://www.hrsa.gov/gethealthcare/affordable/hillburton/facilities.html. I will bet there are social workers and reimbursement specialists in those health centers who are very knowledgeable about getting their patients onto assistance so the Health Center gets reimbursed.
Sadly, those are the only 2 locations in Arizona, I hope you are near to one.
And , from my experience as an X Ray technologist, those ERs will be backed up, bring magazines, maybe her nursing homework or textbooks and some snacks and a sweater or cape to keep warm, go Saturday or Sunday early am, like 8, 8:30. I really hope she can get her health needs met.
*** Information about Hill Barton act from Wikipedia***

[irisblue]

3. K&R for visability

The two centers I posted are the only ones listed for Arizona, and that sucks. Here's hoping she finds the help she needs.

[Zorra]

4. I have helped 3 people get on Medicaid through ACA expansion in AZ.

You have to be persistent and play the game, and close it out, there does not seem to be any way around it, and I firmly believe that the State of Arizona does everything it possibly can to discourage people in every way possible in order to prevent them from getting Medicaid. One of the people I helped had to wait six hours one day, and finally gave up and put the process on hold, even though he is in serious need of medical services; he is signed up also, but like you he is being deliberately tortured through this process that is totally designed to make you give up and go away

I believe it's total republican bullshit, like almost everything else in Arizona, and the Feds need to step in and investigate the process (Feds? Hello?) here, IMO. If I were in Congress, I would definitely investigate to see if AZ republicans are skimming Federal funds earmarked for Medicaid and ACA services.

If you live in a district that has a Dem representative, you might be able to get some help there, but If you have a republican rep, forget about them doing anything for you.

I'm very sorry for your trouble, and believe me, I totally understand, empathize, and sympathize; it's a deranged, frustrating nightmarish maze of a process that can reduce you to tears. I wish you blessings and the best of luck.

Oh, and BTW, it personally took me 63 days of frustrating misery just to get my ACA health insurance here in Arizona. I have no doubt that there is some really dark fascism at work here. Nothing could be as incredibly perfectly stupid as this process if it wasn't planned this way through corporate/state collusion.