Re: Our 'system'~((((((Kathy in IL))))))

[Guest guest]

i understand tess and that is what i was trying to put across. i know you

are struggling much harder than i am, but right now i am in the same boat. if i

make more money, i will just loose it anyway, so why bother.

Kathy in IL

[Guest guest]

I totally can relate and understand.

My dh became disabled with severe combat PTSD at first and then he went into

catatonic fuges. Our kids were babies. I was a stay at home mom after having

been a waitress for 18 years. We had private disability insurance we had bought

on our own and he had some at work, but neither would pay out, at his work they

said " mental illness " was not covered and the priv ins went bankrupt and did not

pay out. He had been working in computer field.

It took quite awhile for us to get him under soc sec etc...and I went back to

work. It was hard cuz not only did our kids need care while I worked, but my

husband did, too. My pay did not even cover health insurance and care for dh

and kids. I managed to get myself in for more schooling and that was going to

help- as we struggled thru. That was such an awful time, 3 kids, 2 of them

disabled, could not afford the health insurance at work, but could not get state

insurance becuz of my job.....

and then RA hit me right smack in the face so hard.

What saved us was that my husband finally, after 10 years got VA

compensation.and with that, 2 years later followed ChampVA coverage for me and

the kids, so then I finally had health coverage to get my RA under treatment and

my Medicare also kicked in.

Thru it all, the tiny little starter home we bought when the kids were babies

was in foreclousre twice, a car was repo'ed.....dentist and eye doc appts became

a " luxury " (becuz we do not have dental or vision coverage)

Our home is crowded to the max with 5 of us in this itty bitty house.....

Hardest for me even still now is when the school comes up with expensive field

trips with very little notice home for parents to be able to budget the field

trip money....or when they send home fundraisers where the kids get incentive

awards for selling, and well, me and dh no longer work, his family is all

deceased and mine is now estranged.and who are we going to sell fundraiser stuff

to?

BUT starting out at a job and TRYING to work is ...um, well dangerous. I am too

sacred to risk Rx coverage, steady income, and where will I find care for my dh

or kids and how would I afford it?

Worse " friends " talk about me not working like it is a choice, and how lucky for

me I can choose not to work. I LOVED working so much, but hard to be a direct

patient care nurse when you first need someone to come dress you so you can go

to work. Hard to dress someone else when you cannot dress yourself, hard to

ambulate people when you are using a walker or scooter. And now that I finally

am no longer quite that ill, it is way way too risky to even consider changing

things now that we do have coverage etc.

- In , " Grammi B " <grammi_love@...> wrote:

>

> Before the " Medicare " drug program was initiated, I paid $6. a month in

co-pays. My monthly income is $612. total. Now, I pay between $20-$60. per

month in co-pays(depending on the meds I need.) I still have it better than

many in that way. If I get a job, I will get to keep the $179. I get from SSDI,

but for the SSI and VA portions they take out dollar for dollar (excluding a

$65. pass-through allowed by SSI). I have to report ANY income immediately, and

it is then taken out the next month. It is such a catch 22. You have to have

some money to start working...clothing, transportation. If I work, I would

essentially have to save every single penny because the next month I would lose

some of my benefits. Darned if I do, darned if I don't.

>

> This is such a sad shame. I have a lot I believe I could give if i could find

a job that I could keep with my disabilities. But...it is also frightening

because how in the world can I get ahead when the government is just waiting to

grasp whatever I do make. When I have to report my income and I say " $612 " the

general question is, " A week? " When I have to say a month, they look at me like

I have to be kidding. I raised four children (all adopted and 2 disabled), but

in our country, that counts for nothing, so I do not receive the amount of SS

that folks who worked outside the home do. My kid's love for me means more than

any amount of money, but it hurts them too to see their Mom struggling.

>

> Just because we have disabilities, we do not lose our dreams, our hopes, our

needs for a little fun here and there, even if it is meager and not often. We

don't lose our humanity because we are sick. But even when you are willing to

try, and try hard, there is not much help. Voc-rehab will help with a few

classes, but finding a job is entirely up to you ( at least in my state). A

voc-rehab counselor once told me that 95% of people who go on SSI do not ever

try to get off of it. Well, no wonder? If you try, then find you cannot

continue, you are going to receive a lower check so the powers that be can

recover the pittance you made when you tried so very hard to have a job.

>

> This entire situation stinks. But I am not ready to throw in the towel.

Brings tears to my eyes to think of how many people in THIS country of ours with

all of it's excesses have to go through this crud.

>

> Thanks for listening, my friends.

>

> Love...

> Tess

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well said, Tess! It is a shame that we do have to put up with all the

exclusions and degredation even though the US is the most powerul country in

the world. I've been in a number of countries and most of them don't have to

worry about health and welfare. Maybe Canada has changed its policies, but

20 years ago, those that wanted to be doctors could go to University free.

All they had to do was to serve in out of the way towns for a few years. If

the other countries can take care of it's people medically, why can't ours?

It's simply a matter of not wanting to raise taxes, pay more for gas and

food, etc, but can't work for lower wages because we can't afford to eat,

drink, and be merry, and don't want to pay for it if we could.

Dennis

[ ] Our 'system'~((((((Kathy in IL))))))

> Before the " Medicare " drug program was initiated, I paid $6. a month in

> co-pays. My monthly income is $612. total. Now, I pay between $20-$60.

> per month in co-pays(depending on the meds I need.) I still have it

> better than many in that way. If I get a job, I will get to keep the

> $179. I get from SSDI, but for the SSI and VA portions they take out

> dollar for dollar (excluding a $65. pass-through allowed by SSI). I have

> to report ANY income immediately, and it is then taken out the next month.

> It is such a catch 22. You have to have some money to start

> working...clothing, transportation. If I work, I would essentially have

> to save every single penny because the next month I would lose some of my

> benefits. Darned if I do, darned if I don't.

>

> This is such a sad shame. I have a lot I believe I could give if i could

> find a job that I could keep with my disabilities. But...it is also

> frightening because how in the world can I get ahead when the government

> is just waiting to grasp whatever I do make. When I have to report my

> income and I say " $612 " the general question is, " A week? " When I have to

> say a month, they look at me like I have to be kidding. I raised four

> children (all adopted and 2 disabled), but in our country, that counts for

> nothing, so I do not receive the amount of SS that folks who worked

> outside the home do. My kid's love for me means more than any amount of

> money, but it hurts them too to see their Mom struggling.

>

> Just because we have disabilities, we do not lose our dreams, our hopes,

> our needs for a little fun here and there, even if it is meager and not

> often. We don't lose our humanity because we are sick. But even when you

> are willing to try, and try hard, there is not much help. Voc-rehab will

> help with a few classes, but finding a job is entirely up to you ( at

> least in my state). A voc-rehab counselor once told me that 95% of people

> who go on SSI do not ever try to get off of it. Well, no wonder? If you

> try, then find you cannot continue, you are going to receive a lower check

> so the powers that be can recover the pittance you made when you tried so

> very hard to have a job.

>

> This entire situation stinks. But I am not ready to throw in the towel.

> Brings tears to my eyes to think of how many people in THIS country of

> ours with all of it's excesses have to go through this crud.

>

> Thanks for listening, my friends.

>

> Love...

> Tess