A California activist says the war on poverty has shifted medical care from charitable action to government-run programs tied with regulations.
As a physician and political candidate, Marilyn Singleton says she is on a mission to address failed social programs. She says the war on poverty has in fact created more poverty and has shifted the focus from charitable action to government action.
Singleton says government-run programs have reduced charitable action, especially in healthcare.
"Doctors have always been at the forefront of doing things for free, but the whole Medicaid system makes it where if somebody is on Medicaid, you have to take Medicaid and you have to follow the Medicaid rules," she points out.
"You can't say, 'Oh, I'll treat you for free.' So it takes away from that personal sense and that great sense you get from giving."
Singleton says when her father worked as a practitioner, he was often paid in tamales. When MediCal was introduced, he was forced to turn away patients due to high costs.
"Certainly everybody doesn't want to be paid in tamales, but that was certainly his patient population where we were in San Diego; so again it meant something and we certainly didn't mind," Singleton recalls.
"Once you enter the MediCal system, you need to get patient authorization forms and be on the telephone with the various folks to make sure the treatment you want to give will be paid for and the usual paperwork of bureaucracy."
Singleton says poverty programs should not treat people like victims, and they must be community programs, not government-run plans.