Cal-OPTIMA Is Able to Help Itself

The Times’ recent editorial regarding the Cal-OPTIMA program was accurate in several key areas--the Medi-Cal program has long suffered in Orange County from lack of access to convenient, low-cost, high quality out-patient health care. Cal-OPTIMA’s principal goal was to address this problem. As of March 1, through Cal-OPTIMA, 225,000 individuals now have access to health care and now have a primary care doctor who has contractually agreed to provide care.

At the Feb. 28 Cal-OPTIMA board meeting, extensive public testimony was received from the major providers of care and advocates for the Medi-Cal community, including the leaders of special needs health care communities, such as people with AIDS. The testimony recognized the positive impact Cal-OPTIMA has had on preserving Orange County’s safety net providers, improving access to care and in being sensitive to the special needs of many Cal-OPTIMA enrollees.

The Times was also accurate in pointing out that Cal-OPTIMA’s start-up issues in the provider community are curable. Cal-OPTIMA is barely 5 months old and the largest undertaking of its kind in the country. It’s not surprising that confusion and frustrations exist. Yet one of Cal-OPTIMA’s most valuable assets is that the program is locally controlled so we can make adjustments and refinements. The program is will continue to evolve as we hear the input and suggestions the Orange County community has to offer.

JOHN R. COCHRAN

Chairman

Cal-OPTIMA Board of Directors

* Re your Feb. 25 editorial,”OPTIMA’s Growing Pains Are Critical but Curable”:

The transition from fee-for-service to managed care is often painful, with problems faced by patient and provider alike. The reality, however, is that managed care is here to stay, and patients and providers must learn how to make the system work. I’ve worked with Cal-OPTIMA over the past year to advocate for the HIV-infected population of Orange County. Through concentrated efforts on both our parts, we have established a good working relationship. I am concerned that providers have complained that they are unable or ill-prepared to care for persons with AIDS, and I hope that patient referrals could be made to physicians who specialize in this care. I know education for all providers regarding HIV and how to provide effective care has been offered through Cal-OPTIMA or the UC Irvine AIDS Education and Training Center. This is a great start. Since Cal-OPTIMA is a locally controlled program, the community has the best opportunity to make it a model program.

PEARL JEMISON-SMITH

Garden Grove