Comments on: CalOptima staff gets raises while cutting fees to doctors

By: strongsidejedi

strongsidejedi — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:09:19 +0000

According to the OSHPD website posted here on this blog…
Average Length of Stay is 6.5 Day(s) in CHOC versus 5.3 days average stay for California. So the CHOC people keep patients in the hospital about 10-15% longer than others.

Average Charge is $77,081 at CHOC vs. $34,392 average for California (OVER DOUBLE THE STATE AVERAGE CHARGE PER HOSPITALIZATION)

Average Charge per Day is $11,925 at CHOC vs. $6,486 average for California

Median Charge per admission is $51,194 at CHOC vs. $45,769 for California

By: strongsidejedi

strongsidejedi — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:11:51 +0000

That is an interesting link. Thank you for publishing it.

I note this line, “while a new state bond issue will make grants available to children’s hospitals across the state (see box below), officials at Children’s Hospital of Orange County are concerned about the ongoing costs of additional beds, given that half of the hospital’s patients are covered by Medi-Cal, on which the hospital loses money.”

The “hospital loses money”?

The executives are paying themselves millions of dollars. So, if the hospital is really losing money, how come their own pay is two times higher than Cal Optima’s upper management?

By: Manuel Perez-Pabon MD

Manuel Perez-Pabon MD — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:46:51 +0000

Cal Optima’s failure was foreseeable at the time of it’s inception in 1995. It failed to deliver care to the poor, it drove primary care physicians out of Orange County in search of a better place to practice patient centered medicine. Cal Optima is one of many failed managed care systems with an obscene waste of dollars in executive and administrative costs that choke patient care services. Now it is too late….

By: Strongsidejedi

Strongsidejedi — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:49:31 +0000

rpmc4425 - How is it that CalOptima is not receiving money from state?
The reality is that the state is receiving money from the fed.
So, how can the State of California just hold money that is meant for federal programs?

Isn’t that illegal?

By: rpmc4425

rpmc4425 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:35:03 +0000

CalOptima is not receiving any money from the State. They are dipping into a reserve they have saved for these types of instances. It is made from well planning and bank investments that help CalOptima in funding. It is a strong belief at CalOptima to make all payments without receiving funding. All invoices are being paid, and even though it says that a huge amount was paid in raises, it is no more than a cost of living increase for most of CalOptima’s 360 employees.

By: strongsidejedi

strongsidejedi — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:38:03 +0000

It appears that the state IS sending on the money.

So, can someone at County of Orange now please explain what the fuss at Cal Optima is about?

Why is the local agency pushing back against OCMA’s request?

It seems to me that if the doctor is helping me, then wouldn’t I want to make certain that the doctor is actually getting paid to help me?

By: ocdoc

ocdoc — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:39:25 +0000

Why are all you people getting on Moorlach?

As a doctor in OC, I feel that Moorlach should be asking these questions and is doing his job!

The more he asks questions, the more light comes to the situation.

After all, if this is the money which is supposed to care for all the seniors in Leisure World, shouldn’t we know that the funds are secure?

And, here is the crux of the issue… if Cal Optima is being paid, the state IS sending the money.

If Cal Optima is NOT being paid, where is the money being held?

I think the US Congress appropriates the Medi-Care and Medicaid money. The money goes from the federal government to state.

So, is State holding this money?

If so, under what law can the people in Sacramento withhold federal appropriations owed to the districts in this area?

John Campbell, where art thou John Campbell!

By: Nice Job!

Nice Job! — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:53:00 +0000

So is this what John Moorlach was hiding a few weeks ago when he fired a shot across OCMA’s bow and threatened to withhold their funding for filing a public records request into CalOptima’s finances, or does the rabbit hole go deeper?

By: gary

gary — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:19:28 +0000

its always entertaining to read the word non profit when describing many organizations that need tax payor funds to function. I think I will turn my operation into a non profit. after all I bet I can find a way to disburse all my revenue and justify the expenses.

By: TopViet

TopViet — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:40:48 +0000

LOL