TEHACHAPI, Calif. (KERO) — Cornerstone in Tehachapi gains relief for clients in the form of insurance coverage; new challenges are expected, Cornerstone president says.
- Cornerstone recently won hearings for eight clients to gain insurance coverage, says Cornerstone president.
- A graduation is scheduled next month for clients who have been through the program for more than 10 months.
- Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services declines to comment.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Joshua Pierce prefers to work with his clients here in Tehachapi.
I’m Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
But for the past few months he’s been in downtown Bakersfield at Board of Supervisors meetings advocating for his clients who are struggling with addiction.
The victories have made for a pleasant holiday, but more work lies ahead.
“I haven’t been able to work individually or teach as many groups as I had before. Because that’s where my passion really lies. Not with the administration side, but with actually working with boots on the ground," Pierce says.
As president of Cornerstone Center for Counseling and Discipleship, Joshua Pierce says he’d much rather be in front of his clients than the numerous legal video calls to grant their insurance coverage.
Eight clients recently won their hearings to receive coverage that had been denied since August, Pierce says.
“It was kind of a wave of relief. We weren’t expecting the hearings to take so long, Pierce says.
I reported in June that Cornerstone was in danger of closing because too many of their clients were being denied full insurance coverage. Pierce says it’s because Cornerstone is out of the county’s network and that Kern Behavioral and Health Services won’t clear them.
“It really hasn’t changed how we’re treating the clients. We treat them the same way no matter if they can pay for it or not. And we worry about the rest whenever it comes.” says Jon Hickman, a substance abuse counseling intern for Cornerstone.
We have repeatedly asked Kern Behavioral Recovery Services why it won't grant coverage to Cornerstone. And their answer is......no comment.
“We try to always provide quality care, but whenever you add more stress on top of it sometimes it’s harder," Hickman says.
“Since that first time we went in front of the board of supervisors in July, seven people have overdosed in Tehachapi. When we look at those numbers we see that there is a desperate need for this kind of help and to let people know that it’s there and available,” Pierce says.
Cornerstone has scheduled a graduation next month for clients who have made it through their program 10 or more months. In Tehachapi, I’m Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
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