Copy of letter sent earlier today.
2/24/2012
Margaret Wolfe, MPH
Assistant Secretary
Family Health, Integrated
Services and Health Promotion
Puerto Rico Department of Health
Dear Margaret Wolfe,
On 2/7/2012, some members and representatives of PSPS and APPIA met with the PR-DoH Sec. Lorenzo Gonzalez, Frank Diaz Exec Dir of ASES, along with officials of Triple S, and you, regarding several very serious SHIP issues, for the last time, with no restart date.
Since 1/12/2012 we agreed on weekly meetings to discuss complaints brought to Sec Gonzalez’ and this groups attention, understanding this to be the forum for solutions.
For the most part, these are barriers to HIV treatment and care under the current SHIP, “mi-salud” particularly to our community, aprx- 20,000 within hospital and other clinical settings, where we are not properly care for, abused, and left to die or terminally discharged. To which the Sec responded “We are working on a couple of things with them (Hospital Ass. Of PR), I will handle it.”
While specialized AIDS Service Organizations with clinics providing primary care, have been waiting over a year for certifications and contracts from SHIP, in order to get paid for care like other Community Health Centers (330).
But, even more alarming is the primary health care in general, of 1.5 million federally indigent recipients.
Beneficiaries of the state’s Medicaid program with previous eligibility and how after the states petition to expand coverage to include an additional 100,000 with cost sharing measures, approved by CMS, effective since 11/1/2011, have negatively impacted care deliverables, at the local level data is being wrongfully interpreted between Medicaid and the Insurance Company generating co-pays for this population.
The Secretary responded “We can have a Medicaid-Tech, re-evaluate each case individually, because I doubt that there will 1,000 persons that will qualify for co-pay exemption”.
The jurisdiction has become an obstacle in accessing care to the chronically ill, elderly, and poor population.
On the 2/7/2012 meeting, Dr. Lorenzo Gonzalez was not present due to a suppose duty of “reviewing a piece of legislation”, in fact, he sneaked out of the building.
Even without his presence, I stated towards the ridiculous re-evaluations “This is not an acceptable solution, you guys created a systematic problem that requires a systematic solution, we do not need to decide whether to take our blood pressure, mental health, diabetes or HIV medicines nor the added stress this causes.”
I also questioned “how many more patients needed to die before something gets done?” regarding hospital care. I also stated that “At the very latest on our next weekly meeting, we expected to have copy of an administrative order from the PR-DoH Sec to the members of the of Hospital Association in Puerto Rico, stating that they have to ensure compliance with state licensing and federal guidelines.”
We are still waiting for your prompt response to these issues, some of the points were aired in the local media since before the 11/1/2011 and the commencement of the meetings, if in fact HIV is a priority for this administration, as we know this is but the tip of the iceberg.
As I send you this, I got word of the Sec. making time to speak at an activity of the SJ EMA, were he is pretending to do great things for our community regarding our rights.
Sincerely,
Anselmo Fonseca
VP / Co-Founder
Pacientes de SIDA pro Politica Sana
787-948-8890
propoliticasana@gmail.com
"Celebrando 13 años sirviendo a la comunidad"
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