CalOPTIMA in Success Spotlight

* Re “O.C. Largely Healing Service to Poor Patients,” Oct. 25:

I am glad to see that CalOPTIMA is at last getting the recognition it deserves for accomplishing what the old Medi-Cal system could not: providing the poor with access to comprehensive health care services and fine physicians.

Several years ago, Medi-Cal patients had great difficulty finding physicians who would treat them; it was nearly impossible to find a specialist.

Today, for the first time, Medi-Cal patients have a real choice among doctors and no longer have to use emergency rooms for routine care. Further, CalOPTIMA members have a wide range of qualified primary and specialty physicians from which to choose, resulting in better care that emphasizes prevention.

CalOPTIMA’s willingness to be responsive to members’ concerns--and I speak as someone who is the chair of its member advisory committee and a longtime Orange County AIDS advocate--has made an enormous difference in quality of care and service for even the most medically fragile Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

Of course, there is always more work to be done as we seek better ways to care for the needs of the poor and disabled. Nevertheless, CalOPTIMA is certainly to be commended for successfully launching one of the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care plans, while always keeping the members’ needs in the forefront.

PRISCILLA MUNRO

Irvine

* The Times is to be commended for its efforts in presenting a balanced article discussing CalOPTIMA.

Your efforts to understand the many difficult and complex issues and challenges which the organization has and will continue to face are certainly praiseworthy.

While we are pleased with our progress, CalOPTIMA owes much of its success to our private medical community. They not only preserve the health care safety net for all Orange County residents; they have also provided CalOPTIMA with critical leadership and support.

We sought and received their advice and input in CalOPTIMA’s development, implementation and operation. This unprecedented level of commitment is as unique as CalOPTIMA’s design. Now community-based physician-hospital networks compete with HMOs to provide high quality medical care to Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

As CalOPTIMA strives to improve, Orange County should not forget to take pride in this innovative public-private partnership. After all, when we try to improve the health of our community, we all benefit.

PETER G. ANDERSON, M.D.

Chair, CalOPTIMA

Board of Directors

Director of Emergency Services, Fountain Valley Hospital