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Riverrun221 OP t1_iwfjp2z wrote

Reply to comment by ask_the_fisherman in What is the healthcare system like here for those with Medicaid ? And how are mental health services? by Riverrun221

I hope this is true. However, I feel like I’ve been spoiled in California. My health care coverage is universal and the care is amazing. All within 20 minutes of my house. No wait times. And I’ve always gotten free gyno care through planned parenthood. I feel like California is really good and easy to navigate and I am nervous that Pennsylvania will be hard. A lot of people mentioned month long wait times for mental health appointments. And that you can’t get psych meds at a urgent care. These are scary to me because Im bipolar and For the first time in a decade i am really healthy mentally. This is because of my medication. If there is ever a lapse in time where I have to go off my meds, it could be super bad for me. And if an emergency happened I would want to see my psychiatrist or therapist right away. These are things I am worried about but I have to make the move.

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ask_the_fisherman t1_iwhozt5 wrote

Bring your records. It will help you get your meds and services fast. In Pa. a lot of family doctors will write meds if you have the records to prove you take them. This will give you time to secure specialists in the field of health. My wife needed psych care. It took her 10-14 days to get to see a doctor, the counseling took about 3 weeks.

In cities, you will find a larger pool of providers. In rural areas, there are fewer but they tend to be less overburdened with a large number of clients. In either case, it takes about 2 weeks.

I suggest getting your provider to give you a 2-3 month supply of medications to be safe. In Pa, someone leaving for an extended period can get a 3-month supply. Plus having a script with refills is an option. I had meds refilled out of state while traveling. It does take a day or two but can be done.

I can see similarities between Pa and Cali in healthcare. Both states have a lot of universities with medical specialties. I live in the suburbs and doctors and other healthcare services have taken over strip malls or shopping centers. Some have taken over former grocery stores or bowling lanes.

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