For some Californians, a difficult transition into managed care

California is looking to save hundreds of millions of dollars this year by transferring some medical patients into a managed-care system.

However, similar transitions have been fraught with difficulty, reported Anna Gorman in Monday's Los Angeles Times.

So far the state has shifted about 333,000 people, and officials say they will get better attention in a managed-care system. But advocates and some patients say the disruptive transition has made it harder to get much-needed medical care.

"I don't know who made up this system, but it has no heart in it," said Maria Blancarte, 61, who has rheumatoid arthritis and uses a wheelchair.

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Photo: Maria Blancarte, 61, being helped into bed by her husband at their home in Eagle Rock. She applied for an exemption from California's managed healthcare system with a letter from her doctor, but her request was denied. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times