I just want to digest some of this. Having a disability is difficult not matter what country you live in. I like to think we are better than this as a whole. I would like to answer responses that this woman received on Twitter. Most are very hateful so hang in there with me.
- “Because you don’t qualify for OUR tax $$ anymore.. it’s NOT something you EARNED & was never yours. “
Ok- Medicaid is a state program paid through tax dollars. How quickly could you go through $2,000? Think medication, healthcare (specialists that are not covered by Medicaid), car repairs, care givers, or what ever it is that you need to keep you out of an institution. It would cost tax payers more in the long run on all things listed above if people could save and pay for it themselves.
“I remember my outrage first hearing about when a family couldn’t get a better car bc any car valued over 4 grand counted as an asset, and being like “so the rule is you have to have an unreliable vehicle, that makes perfect sense.”
2. “All I see is obese people. Hardly anyone is actually disabled, they just need a diet.”
There are so many things to unpack here and directions to go in. I was recently thinking about this. Weight loss programs are a privilege. Let’s take something like Noom or WW (formally Weight Watchers). There is a monthly fee. Most on a fixed income would not pay it. And speaking of fixed income, most can not afford basic foods that are healthy. Then you throw in medications that may have weight gain as a side affect.
“I can’t get any assistance cuz i’m disabled but not disabled enough to be on disability. My new meds to get the pain and tremors out of my legs is $510 a month. Lucky for me my doctor had a card to get them for free for 30 days.”
3. “Also, we are all one medical emergency or unlucky incident away from becoming disabled. It can happen to literally anyone, in the blink of an eye. Being disabled does not make a person less valuable in any way.”
Just wanted to add food for thought. I look at health insurance plans all day. Some working parents with a child with a disability have $20,000 deductible. That would bankrupt most anyone in the middle class in this country.
4. “Because they can REALLY work.. very few can do NOTHING or they’re married & on spouses insurance Receiving medicaid IS OUR $$.. bud. They should ONLY receive same pay if SAME capability to do all aspects of the job and SAME hours as they DO, otherwise it would be discrimination”
Ok. My brother falls in the “very few can do nothing” category I guess. Once again, so many things here. Disability is a broad category. I live in the land of developmental disabilities which is different that medical disability, disability caused by accidents, cancer, etc. There are always going to be examples of how someone cheated the system or lied to get disability.
I could keep going but I will stop here mainly because my head just hurts. I just want the same civil rights as I have for my brother. That is it.
