Denis O'Leary
In a very short time, thousands of residents in the County of Ventura will be enrolled in a new Medi-Cal managed care program called the Gold Coast Health Plan. Many patients will be assigned to a doctor not necessarily of their choosing with the Health Plan also dictating rates, timelines and services offered by these medical providers.
As a School Board Trustee in the Oxnard School District, I serve approximately 15,500 children, their families and the community who demand greater success in our school system.
Many of my parents face an extremely difficult financial situation and can only hope their child will get better on his or her own. Fortunately, there is also Clinicas del Camino Real to help them, a non-profit medical provider they have trusted for more than 40 years, long before it was profitable for doctors, hospitals or clinics to serve this population.
For decades Clinicas del Camino Real has carefully managed the public’s resources while delivering the highest level of care. For example, Clinicas has a 100 percent immunization record among its patients compared to only 75 percent in the County’s health facilities and provides medical care at a fraction of the cost the County’s facilities charge the Federal Government.
Yet, when I recently attended a Gold Coast Health Plan Commission hearing, the attorney for the Ventura County organized health system wanted Roberto Juarez, CEO of Clinicas del Camino Real and a Commissioner of the Plan to recuse himself from voting on the new Medi-Cal managed care program citing a possible “conflict of interest”.
The alleged conflict is that his vote may impede aspects of the Plan passage that allow the Ventura County Health Care Agency (HCA) to re-direct patients away from Clinicas del Camino Real. No mention was made of conflicts by other Plan Commissioners who work directly for HCA and whose votes adversely impact Clinicas.
Also at the meeting were doctors, representatives from hospitals, insurance companies and medical billing companies who now see an opportunity for profit from Medi-Cal patients and demand to be joined with Clinicas del Camino Real as recognized “safety net providers” for their medical services, a designation for which they do not qualify.
Our Board of Supervisors has the responsibility to keep our County budget within its means. The County of Ventura as the Oxnard School District or any other governmental agency is not a for-profit business and must be prudent with taxpayers’ money. These branches of public government exist to serve, not to limit resources and unfairly compete with community non-profits like Clinicas.
I urge the Ventura County Supervisors to ensure access and choice by supporting all health care providers in our community, not only the County Health Care Agency or its affiliates.
Our community deserves to have the freedom and opportunity to choose Clinicas del Camino Real for its care. Directing families away from a trusted health provider is a disservice to my students, their families and Ventura County taxpayers.
— Denis O’Leary, school board member, Oxnard School District