Welfare and Healthcare


NrrdGrrl! Discussion Forum: Just Plain Talk: Welfare and Healthcare
By
Shannon on Monday, June 15, 1998 - 07:59 pm:

I just had a totally disgusting experience this morning. My stepfather has just lost his job, and therefore his health insurance, so I went down to my local health department to apply for Medicaid. (I don't really believe in living off the government, but I have MS and my medical bills can get up over $1,000 a month sometimes. So I felt like I had a reason). So, I go down to DHS and the first thing they ask is, how many kids do I have. Well, I don't have kids. Am I pregnant? No. Well, they tell me that I can't get free or reduced cost healthcare unless I have children or am pregnant. Now, if I can't afford my own medical bills, what is the point of a system that encourages me to have children who I probably couldn't support? The social security office told me that if I had a job, they wouldn't help me. Anyone who can work obviously isn't sick. (Hello, that medicine is what lets me be well enough to work! I couldn't make enough money to pay my medical bills alone if I wanted to!). So, this is what I was told today - unless I want to have an illegitimate child or stop working, I can't have healthcare. Don't get my wrong, some people really need welfare and I don't begrudge them that. But why do I have to become a welfare mother to get the help that I need? And people wonder what our country's problem is!


By Lee on Monday, June 15, 1998 - 10:01 pm:

It's not just the healthcare aspect. My step-mom was on welfare & dedided to go to college to get a nursing degree. She had to meet w/a case worker on a regular basis. One of her case workers insisted on meeting during the time when my step-mom had a class & told her she'd never make it off welfare.

At least her story has a happy ending. She had a professor who was understanding & was willing to work around that w/her. Then her case got transferred to a case worker who was more flexible. She graduated & she's been working for almost a decade now.


By Anonymous on Tuesday, June 16, 1998 - 07:21 pm:

I feel sorry for you people..... In the UNITED KINGDOM the healthcare just isn't like this.


By Shannon on Wednesday, June 17, 1998 - 10:35 pm:

Yeah... I've often made jokes about moving to a country with socialized medicine. But, two things - first of all, if they're smart, they have a mechanism for keeping out sickly Americans looking for a free ride, second, no matter what critisisms it might recieve, I love America, in all it's tackiness. :)


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