Best in the world

[Dave's Not Here Man]

Lord help you if you ever have to navigate the social security system, any of it's programs, benefits like ssi, ssdi, medicare, etc AND the state programs like medicaid and snap, AND housing assistance through HUD

ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

I had a tooth pulled yesterday and will take that pain for a month of Sundays over having to deal with all this other shit. The forms forms and more forms sitting on my lap.... UFB. And the questions are sometimes completely nonsensical and impossible for anyone flying in the dark to decipher. There has got to be a better way than "best in the world" especially when it comes to this medicaid and medicare bullshit.

[minx]

As I've said before - you shouldn't have to be or hire an attorney to get these applications completed.

And every single person who says that tons of people are mooching off the system, should be forced to apply for aid and live off the income that would be required to qualify for it.
And they can keep their shit in the meantime - freeze assets like bank accounts so they can't be used during the time period for example.
And make sure that any financial gifts from friends and relatives are counted against their assets. So no having someone 'give' you $5000 grand to cover your time of 'need', as that would be income and delay you from qualifying.

See how much they like visiting the food bank in their new Lexus to beg for some generic pasta and green beans. And see how far they get living off their measly $2500 in savings while waiting 90 days (minimum) to qualify for SSI or SSDI. And see their amazement when it finally comes through and they realize that they would have to spend the rest of their lives living on $30,000 a year (if they had a decent job beforehand and had paid into the system for decades).

Oh, and perhaps we could randomly deny a few applications and make them re-apply.
While fending off the bank or landlord, trying to keep the lights on, look for a job, go to doctor's appointments, fill out form after form, try and get 5 year old bank records and paystubs and fend off calls from bill collectors.

Wonder if their tune would change....

[Dave's Not Here Man]

The sad reality of living large on "MY" taxes.

I've been in favor of a single payer, UHC, NHS, or socialized health care system for a while now but actually being in the current system, I'm more convinced than ever. My disability is 1500 a month and I may be needing to decide on whether or not to get Medicare Part B which in all likelihood will cost me 10% of that monthly check. Still trying to find out if Medicaid will cover that or a portion of it before deciding what to do. And if I am not on Medicaid anymore, then what? What happens to her coverage? Jee Zuss Fuhh King Kee Riced!

[minx]

I can double-check with my friend, but I think that if you qualify for Medicaid, you don't pay for part B. But don't quote me on that at all - I'm very unsure on that one.

I can understand having a means test for receiving things like Medicaid, SNAP and the like, but why it has to be so fricken comprehensive and difficult is beyond me.

SNAP simply doesn't give you enough money to really make it through the month - look at someone's income and expenses for the past 6 months, ask for 2 months of bank statements and be done with it.
Work it like unemployment - you have to report your household income each week and where it came from, and if you're still needing assistance 6 months later you have to submit a new set of paperwork.

Same with Medicaid, with one exception
If you need Medicaid to pay for long-term care (which is the largest group of Medicaid recipients by far), then you have a more stringent means test
- verification of income
- listing of all available assets within the past three years

Everyone else goes by the 6 month requirement

Given the stingy income limits that most states have in place now, I can't see a lot of people running to dump their houses and bank accounts to qualify for these programs. Why don't we give the people who need them at least a small break?

[Dave's Not Here Man]

Talked to my social worker yesterday. Of course she couldn't tell me much until I filled out some more forms.....

[bobathon]

It's just too bad we aren't all in this nation thing together.

[minx]

Jesus H Christ! How many forms does one person need to complete?

[Dave's Not Here Man]

Right now I'm working on our "recertification" for HUD assistance. About 50 pages and we have to fill out a set EACH. Every year. Because paperwork reduction act....


I'm freaking out because there's a form that reads "$5000 asset limit". I have quite a bit more than that in checking because of my 1)back payment lump sum from disability 2)the stimulus checks and 3)my monthly handout. She said all that would be dealt with somehow, something about percentages of this, that, or the other.... fuck if I know. Just like everything else, I just can't rest easy for one minute knowing something isn't about to step on my crank.

[bobathon]

Mar 5, 2021 11:52:21 GMT -5 minx said:

Jesus H Christ! How many forms does one person need to complete?

This is why doctor offices have scads of admin support.

[minx]

I made my living for over a decade in medical billing. Keeping track of the rules of 20 different insurance companies and the required paperwork that was needed for each one so we could get paid prepared me for children.

You think you have everything lined up, then company A says they changed the code for shot Y, and company B says form 1 is no longer valid - you need form 5 and it has to be dated twenty days into the future. Meanwhile company C no longer will no longer pay for that code at all.

Kid 1 will eat peaches, but kid 2 refuses them. Meanwhile kid 3 will only eat waffles.
Kid 1 never sleeps, kid 2 does nothing but sleep and kid 3 is in between.

Keep it all straight!