But this year, the state determined that the $819 a month she draws in disability payments exceed the allowable limit. By the federal government’s reckoning, her $9,800 annual income made her officially poor. But under
But this year, the state determined that the $819 a month she draws in disability payments exceed the allowable limit. By the federal government’s reckoning, her $9,800 annual income made her officially poor. But under the standards set by Louisiana, she was too well off to receive Medicaid.
This is how Johnson, 57, finds herself back amid the roughly 49 million Americans who lack health insurance.
via GOP Governors Deny The Poor Health Care In Opposing Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion.
I don’t know why our Government thinks this is ok? People living way below the poverty line still don’t and will not have access to health care even under the Healthcare “Reforms”! I checked to see what my premium would be as a self-employed, self-pay insurance purchaser….$600 a month! I will get penalized if I don’t purchase insurance but I still can’t afford it on my own! Corporations who are cutting their employees hours to circumvent the new “reforms” disgust me and I will be doing a personal boycott of these brands (ex. Olive Garden). Where is the reform? I personally don’t see any! But what I do see is a lot of abuse of people who have no voice from so-called health providers. Case in point is my best friend who suffers from Lupus and all the complications that entails. She went into the hospital 2 weeks prior to Thanksgiving for routine test and follow-up and ending up in the ICU because of incompetent people who are supposedly sworn to do no harm! They ignored multiple cries for help and she nearly died! I can’t go into major detail yet because of possible litigation but suffice it to say, this is what millions face everyday because they cannot afford to go to a hospital or doctor who isn’t just drawing a paycheck from the insurance companies not to treat people! Like Laura Johnson, my best friend also lost her ability to work because of her illness. She didn’t want to give up her livelihood but her body had other ideas. She too was denied and continues to be denied Medicaid because they claim she makes too much in SSDI. The amount she makes is commiserate with the earnings she made for a lifetime of putting up with stupid people and situations on a daily basis which isn’t very much. She, by definition, is the poorest of the poor also. I take care of her because she cannot afford a home health aid to assist her. She doesn’t pay me because her meager SSDI barely covers rent, utilities, food, and her medications. We were born and raised in Texas and we used to be proud to say that but now in light of all the heartless decisions being made by our richy-rich Governor, we don’t shout it from the roof-tops any longer. It’s a sad fact that hard-working Americans, who have always been able to make their way, are now finding themselves on the losing end of political machinations that are only harming this great nation of ours! Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is threatened because NO ONE has money anymore due to loss of jobs and other income (retirement eaten by greed). One can’t have a LIFE (which includes health, shelter, food) without money. LIBERTY is null when the people are no longer represented by those who care about them. PURSUING HAPPINESS has a direct correlation to LIFE which again, one can’t have WITHOUT MONEY! Some might say, “SHE MUST BE A DEMOCRAT”. I say I am an American FED UP with all the fighting between the “two-party system” we supposedly still have! I don’t think we do anymore. It’s no longer about Democrat versus Republican. It’s about America and how we are failing in the basic rights guaranteed to us by the U.S. Constitution. Until the folks in charge figure this out, no one will have access to anything they need and The United States of America will fall into 3rd World status at the rate we are going now!
Related articles
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- A Cleared Bill of Health (prospect.org)
- Upcoming Health Care Taxes Could Cripple Medicaid Recipients (medicaidlawnc.wordpress.com)
- 2013: How health care will affect you (cnn.com)
- Nevada Republicans Back Their Governor On Medicaid Expansion (thinkprogress.org)
- Not Poor Enough For Medicaid: Walmart Workers (huffingtonpost.com)
- GOP govs ignore base, follow through on ‘Obamacare’ implementation (maddowblog.msnbc.com)
- Medicaid Expansion: States Must Meet Obamacare Standards To Get Full Federal Funding (huffingtonpost.com)
- Another governor rejects Medicaid expansion (susiemadrak.com)
- Physician, hospital groups support Medicaid expansion in Wyoming (trib.com)