No Doctors in Paradise

It was so exciting to finally retire and get the “benefit” of Medicare. But then I tried to find a gynecologist who accepts Medicare. I have spent the morning trying to find a female doctor who will give me an appointment.

I have been told that they are only taking pre-natal patients (age discrimination) and that they are not taking new patients, not “contracted” with Medicare, or flatly, that they don’t accept Medicare!

Is this unique to Santa Barbara or all of California? UCLA’s medical center has no problem with Medicare.

Why is this federal medical insurance program, Medicare for older adults, so unusable here in Santa Barbara?

I have bought both the supplemental AARP plan F insurance, as well as pharmacy coverage, but I can’t get a doctor’s appointment, except at Sansum next mid-February 2019!

One wonders about the Hippocratic Oath doctors take. Did it include discarding the old living on a fixed income? I fail to remember that part. Maybe I have a memory problem. Or is it greed? I’ve heard that in most religions it’s considered a sin, as well as a violation of the doctors’ oath?

This might be worthy of investigative reporting: Doctors refusing Medicare, an epidemic here in paradise.