I've been doing everything I can to qualify for any sort of financial aid following Husband's long hospital stay.
I swear to you, signing up for help is like putting your name on a list to be treated like an idiot with every incoming/follow up phone call.
Last week I submitted an application for Medicaid.
Tuesday morning I had a phone interview wherein they re-asked all the questions I'd already answered on my application.
At the end of the call the lady said, "I have no idea why you even bothered to apply for Medicaid. Medicaid really isn't for people like you."
Come to find out that to qualify for traditional Medicaid, you have to be:
1. A single mother
2. A pregnant, unwed female
3. Make less than $206/month.
Wait a sec.
WHAT?
So basically what you're telling me is that while my Husband and I have worked and paid taxes for years, Husband, regardless of medical and financial needs will never qualify for the programs we're paying to support?
And that the government won't help people who need costly emergency surgery, but they'll pay for women to continue to pop out babies that they can't even support while making $206/month?
Something about that sounds messed up to me, man.
Who made these ridiculous rules?
Looks like we're back to the drawing board.
And I'm going to start writing nasty letters to Congress.
6 comments:
Erin, Write the letters. The system rots.
Isn't that what kids in sweatshops in India make? $206 a month?!?!
Have you seen Stranger Than Fiction? I think we should all figure out the percentages that go to certain programs we don't want to support and deduct them from what we pay in taxes. Take that Congressman over-inflated pension! Destroy Obama's retirement fund! Let's see how you like having to pay for health insurance out of your own pocket, Senator! Militant poor men and women UNITE!
Kristina, I'm pretty sure the kids in India make $206.50/month and therefore, wouldn't qualify for Medicaid either. Unless, of course, they were migrant workers in the US and then they qualify automatically.
While you write your letters, let them know that I don't appreciate paying $870/month for a high deductible insurance plan with a 2500 single/5000 family deductible. So if they want to reform health care, lets talk about why people like me are paying $10,500/year for the LUXERY of having insurance at all and the LUXERY to pay another 2500-5000/year if I use my insurance.
If I could smack down all the people who raved against the public option in the health care bill, I would. I would do ANYTHING to buy into a public option. Especially a public option that would definitely cost way less than the $15,000 I pay out of pocket if I want to use my insurance to do something like have a baby. Or have emergency surgery. Or you know, go to the doctor ever.
My dad tried to argue about this with my lawyer sister. Who was medically uninsured until Monday of this week when she started her first real job. She couldn't get insurance at all- private, group- it didn't matter. And because of her school loans, she didn't qualify for government insurance.
I have several friends who have been on medicaid... let's not assume all people who need help are worthless society sucking parasites. 50% of this country controls a few percentage points of the wealth (something like 2%). That means HALF of the citizens of this country control a pittance of the total money available. And the bottom of that group can qualify for government help...
It is frankly embarrassing- we are cutting programs to help those who are truly needy. And not closing tax hole loopholes for people who make A LOT of money because the people who aren't in that tax bracket (aka all of us) are either delusional in thinking we will someday be in that tax bracket or so focused on the bottom earners and the fact that they don't pay taxes (or both) that we are missing the point.
le sigh.
Make an appointment with the hospital and talk about what programs are available to bring the bill down. Negotiate a payment plan and cheaper costs. They can afford to do it if they think you will pay some of the bill. All costs at a hospital are negotiable.
Also, I am an idiot- Luxury.
Kings is teething and it has been a long week.
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