One Fail for Medi-cal

I'm really frustrated right now. Actually, that doesn't come close to how I feel. I'm sad, disappointed in my country, and angry. A woman whom I know needs hip surgery- so that she can take care of her children and have a job. She receives Medi-cal. She's been waiting for months to get permission for the surgery. Until then, she's supposed to be on her feet as little as possible, but as a widow with young children, this isn't feasible. She was recently informed that her consultation has finally been set... for November, 2011. It is currently August, 2010, so she only has to wait 15 months. The consultation will plan out the actual surgery, which, she has been told, she will have some time in 2012.
What kind of world do we live in? Isn't there anything we can do? If I were the one needing hip surgery, I'd be going in to ER regularly, just to make it as inconvenient for the hospital and for Medi-cal as possible with the hopes that they'd schedule it sooner. But she still has kids to take care of, so that would be rather hard... And even if she gets the help she needs, the system is still putting others through this same horrendous situation. How do we change this system?