As part of its investigation, The Times obtained complete medical records for half a dozen county patients, including Lainez. It’s impossible to know how many people have died while waiting for an appointment with a specialist in Los Angeles County’s public health system. Before the pandemic, county health officials publicly touted their appointment scheduling as a success — despite the long waits. AdvertisementShe went to a specialist outside the county health system who said Duong needed urgent surgery, but her Medi-Cal insurance wouldn’t cover the $130,000 out-of-network cost. Messages to specialists sometimes go unanswered for weeks, said three county doctors who spoke on the condition that their names not be used for fear of retaliation.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 30, 2020 12:05 UTC