If you’ve been reading anything I put out into the stratosphere of late then you will notice a special emphasis on one corporation, Centene. Yes, it is intentional and yes I hope people are paying attention, if not I tried. Why are these my hopes, and why Centene?
Long story short, I spent about 13 yrs of my life reporting on a small rural area in south central Wisconsin. During that time I was pretty damn sick and in a lot of pain, but I was also trying to keep a roof over our head, food on the table, and be a present parent for my children. Was I perfect, absolutely not- but we were also going through healing from exiting domestic violence. The last attack was quite horrific for all of us. This all occurring as we entered the Great Recession — it was extremely tough.
I saw a lot and heard even more. I was also volunteering 6 days a week in manning the phones and working intake of those experiencing homelessness, including placement, at an organization I started, Lend a Hand — Circle of Hope. It kept me grounded, reminding myself of the abundance I did have and then as a survivor of child sexual assault I knew volunteering would reach those still stuck in cycles. For me it helped to make sense out of my life.
I did all of that, raising my two kids, on my own. I did my best and pushed myself every day, in spite how much pain I was in and as someone who spent a lot of their years in a hospital as a kid, I know how to handle pain. It was when it got to the point I wanted out more than an in, it was time to get back in the maze known as healthcare in America. One I’ve maneuvered my entire life.
I was prepared for Social Security Disability to be a battle. I’ve watched too many people lose everything during those battles, heck, I’ve placed them in motels when they became homeless. And FYI, you can win an SSDI claim WITHOUT an attorney, I did.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the hassle I would get in getting insurance, one in which we ended up moving to another state because of it and then the absolute circus it was for anyone with any medical condition that needed routine testing and treatments, let alone someone like me a lifetime of being a walking mystery, one that started with an ever enlarging spleen as a child and which had to be removed so I wouldn’t rupture with the slightest jolt. A ten year adventure from hell.
Almost immediately, prior authorizations were being denied left and right — no to MRIs, no to a spinal injection, no to medication an opthamologist prescribed when I ended needing both eyes having extensive cataract surgery and only in my mid 50s. I had doctors cautioning me that they knew I required surgery on my spine, BUT FIRST we had to jump hoops for their, insurance, tier approach at managing patients they’ve never seen.
Mind you, I am allergic to NSAIDs, Tylenol doesn’t touch inflammation, autoimmune conditions cause inflammation. We currently live in a country where getting pain relief is near to impossible, no matter the type of pain you’re in, now, they up your gabapentin, they might give you a muscle relaxer, but nothing stronger, especially if you’re poor and on Medicaid.
Every day that went by my pain grew — every denial they issued, caused delays. No one was thinking about the patient, in my opinion and least not at my insurance company, Meridian of Illinois. It was because of all of this I started researching and once I figured it out, I realized no one knows who Centene is, at least it is not a company known by the general public, rather the public knows them by the many different subsidiaries they have: Meridian of many states-Ambetter-Wellcare-Arizona Complete Health-Care1st Health Plan Arizona-Arkansas Total Care-Healthnet-MHN-California Health & Wellness-Delaware First Health-Children’s Medical Services Health Plan — sunshine health- Peach State Health Plan — ‘Ohana Health Plan -YouthCare HealthChoice Illinois — mhs — Iowa total care -Sunflower Health Plan -Louisiana Healthcare Connections-Meridian complete — Magnolia Health -Home State Health Plan-SilverSummit Healthplan — NH Healthy Families — Fidelis Care — Western Sky Community Care-Carolina Complete Health — Buckeye Health Plan-Oklahoma Complete Health-Trillium Community Health Plan-PA Health & Wellness -Absolute Total Care- Superior HealthPlan- Coordinated Care-MHS Health Wisconsin-*this list is as of 1/18/2024 and taken from their website, but with the way they get dropped or merge with others this list will change.
Did you know that Centene is the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the country. And, that their CEO — Sarah London takes home over 13 million for running a corporation existing on government contracts for the purpose of ensuring healthcare to our most vulnerable population.
Now imagine being someone in insurmountable pain, dealing with denials and realizing this — absorbing it all and then reading this:
And then this..
Then….
Oh, there’s more….
And so so much more. Too much to layout here. Too much to take in all at once and no wonder people didn’t know who Centene was when I started discussing issue, now, do you see? Everyone needs to know. Everyone. I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on, these are our tax dollars and it is all impacting our most vulnerable populations — those in poverty — the elderly — the disabled and the one that gets under my skin the most, children.
Why are we even paying a middle man to just suck up these funds and spit them out for investors and their million dollar wallets?
Why are states still playing ball with them?
Why?
Why is no one talking about this — why is not all over national news, MSNBC? FOX?
Why did this happen…?
Centene has both sides in their pocket book —
It is a lot, huh?
Well I am not the only out here throwing pebbles hoping others will start paying attention. A simple search told me that — given my disability and currently I am healing from an extensive spine surgery I had to fight for, right now all I can do is journal about my experiences and what I find and then store the articles and information on a Facebook page called Centene Watch.
That’s why… Centene .
People need to know.
I am not a perfect person (excuse typos please) but but wowza, this is just beyond obvious and no way I could live with myself staying silent about.
