My message go all Rep/Cons cruising this board

[Stargazer99]

I'm one of those seniors under Medicare Part D. I'm past 65 and last spring I broke my arm and it was a bad break as far as breaks go. My clinic doctor told me I had to have physical therapy or my arm would freeze. Well, I could not pay my 20% for the physical therapy fast enough so I am in collections now. I've tried to apply for Section 8 to get some help with the rent. Section 8 is NOT EVEN TAKING APPLICATIONS. I've tried to apply to a State program for employment for one past 65 years old. THEY ARE NOT TAKING APPLICATIONS. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to pay my heating bill. It seems if you are 65 yrs old no one wants to employ you. I know I've tried with State Employment. I'm depressed, and damn it, it is NOT because I have a mental disorder. It is because of my life situation tearing my heart out. Anyone who is at peace that is faced with losses and/or no avenue to fix the problems they are facing is out of their mind or they have learned to adjust to human hell and not let it get to them. I've thought of selling drugs to pay the bills. But that isn't really practical because I've followed the law most of my life and wouldn't have the experience not to get caught. Normally, that thought would never have passed my mind expect for the stress now. I was thinking this morning I hear how wonderful our country is...what a farce! I'm not the only soul living in financial hell because of the policies of this nation. The Right to Lifers are against abortion...but totally gutless when it comes to supporting those lifes with basic and decent support of life's needs much less anything else. We need fewer workers but one part of your idiot group says we need more babies to do the employment thing. If this country can't or won't give employment to those who need it because they are NOT YOUNG ENOUGH to make corp American happy, they something is rotten in this nation. I suspect this is why business is incorporating more and fore foreign workers along with the lesser wages. And you who are comfortable do not raise hell about what is going on in this country because it doesn't directly affect you or your family...but more and more of you are being affected. Remember that saying "first they came for my neightbor and I did nothing, then they came for me" wake up! For the first time in my life I am beinging to despise those with wealth and power. Europe has this country beat by a mile when it comes to compassion. The gap between the poor and rich is getting wider and wider. Killing unions has fueled this situation. I come from a generation that had unions and I can see the difference in lives in this nation. Labor could bust any large corporation just by withdrawing buying their product, but you'd need to twist the arm of those who would support the anti-union businesses and how many of you would do it as long as it doesn't affect you?

[pooja]

1. Are we or are we not a community here at DU.... Let's work it out.

There are haves and have nots on this board... let's get it together and help one another. How many more posts do I have to read that look like this. Let's help one another like a community should.

[NMDemDist2]

2. how? n/t

[Nikki Stone1]

9. I'll second that "how"? ...........It seems to me

that she first needs some help getting out of collections. We could find out how much that is and make a collection to pay off her debt. That way, the leg breakers that are now authorized to collect middle class debt would be fed and could slink away.

[OzarkDem]

10. There are hundreds of thousands of others in the same place

GoP control of government has cut funding for so many programs that our social safety net is in tatters. The system is nearly broken.

While its commendable to try to help one person at a time, the smart solution is to work for systemic change and encourage our elected leaders to begin funding programs again and make them work better for more people.

[Nikki Stone1]

11. Dear heart, of course there are other in the same position!

And we vote and we write Congress and we donate to causes to change things.

But this is one opportunity to alleviate the suffering of someone close to home. I think that's just as worthy of a cause for a Sunday afternoon, don't you?

[nashville_brook]

21. my fantasy guerrila strategy for healthcare haves and have-nots : ethical warning

warning:
many will find this horribly unethical. the pain and anger i've endured in the healthcare system allows me to revel in it's dirtiness. i've been screwed royally by the system and any way i could get revenge would make me one happy camper.

backstory:
i have chronic health issues and have been on both sides of the insurance fence. never had healthcare as a kid... had some briefly when some relatives took me in before college... and finally got some real job-related insurance when i was 30-something... now that i'm 40, divorced and unemployed, i'm soon to be uninsured (and uninsurable) with my chronic situation.

i've had lots of time (on my back) and reason to let the gerbils in my brain spin their wheel on this and here's my little guerrilla dream:

A HEALTHCARE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

those of us who ephemerally enjoy f'n insurance NEED TO set about to help our brothers and sisters without. we could do this thru the buddy system.

it's fun and easy.

commit to at least one extra doctor appointment a month to complain of systems that your healthcare buddy without insurance has.
procure and fill the scripts for their conditions on your co-pay.

voila. you've done something concrete that will make a life and death difference for someone and have set in motion a means by which YOU MAY later use to procure care when you lose YOUR job and insurance.

it's the paying-it-forward approach to provide justice and solidarity in the healthcare system.

[L0oniX]

24. 350 billion to help Iraq while we sh*t on our grandparents.

What a cruel and sick and mean country we live in. Remember (V).

[Divernan]

23. If we start taking up collections for individual DUers, the board will be

flooded with requests. First of all, we don't have the financial capacity to help all those in dire need; secondly, there is no practical way to tell who is really in desperate financial straits and who is running a con. We have to fix the system, and we can also individually help
out those in our immediate area, because if we open our eyes, it's unfortunately a frequent situation. If nothing else, start donating every week to your local food bank, or volunteering to help them in collection and distribution.

[pooja]

29. First, if their is immediate need send support...

Then help find help out in suggestions or offers for a position that would leave her benefits intact, but allow some extra income. Its time to stop hiding behind our screen names and band together. Its time to become progressive.

[dmosh42]

3. Well said, Stargazer!

I'm coming up next May for my Medicare, and have wondered about all the misinformation put out by this corporation-loving administration. I'm hearing things from gov't spokesmen about their wonderful prescription plan. But when I hear from people our age, most are clueless about how it works, but again, we won't have to worry. The pharmacy corporations wrote the bill! I'm a life member of a major labor union in this country, and can remember many strikes and job actions to get our benefits from these well off companies. But before I left for retirement, I can remember many in my group who now were well off, so they became Reagan republicans, and naturally stopped fighting for anything. The company started new pay scales, with limited benefits, and now those Repubs are grumbling. The point being the corporations through all their efforts have manipulated everything to their favor, and put all the burdens on the working class people in this country. When you have a CNN newsguy, Lou Dobbs, who for years was a big Republican backer, writing a book, "War on the middle class", then something is really screwed up. I believe the Democratic controlled congress will rectify some of these Medicare and prescription ripoffs, but we need to constantly remind them. And the people need to start realizing that these giant corporations need to be checked, and to stop thinking of them as 'American' companies. They have no allegiance to anyone, only to their own survival, at any cost.

[Divernan]

4. K&R. I see a cold heartlessness in 20-something GOP youth.

Had dinner last night with a very liberal friend and his 23 year old son. I knew the kid was conservative, but never realized how shriveled up his heart and soul were. He is a chilling mix of simperingly devout Catholic, self-interest (bitter that he hasn't gotten an increase in pay in his part-time, minimum wage job at a BP), sarcastic humor at the expense of poor people, contempt for poor laborers in China and Mexico (two examples he gave), ridicule of his classmates at Penn State who are upset about Walmart & slave labor in China; etc. I've known him for a couple of years and hoped that his attitude was the result of immaturity. After last night, I've written him off as unlikely to ever develop compassion. An odd fact is that his one brother is a very well informed and aggressive liberal (as is his widowed Dad).

[Leftisalwaysright]

5. Very Sad to Hear...

But I wouldn't give up on him. That age is often an age of rebellion for rebellion's sake and little thinking goes into their beliefs. Especially if he has a smart family guiding him it's not too late. (Hopefully.)

[Warpy]

6. Some people are born without the capacity for empathy

but we call them sociopaths. They're the ones who kill without remorse, who coldly torture. They simply have no concept of the feelings other people possess. It's like being born with a peculiar form of blindness. They often act out in extreme ways, just trying to make themselves feel something, anything. They can be charming on the surface, but that's all there is.

However, there's still hope for this kid. He sounds like he's parroting a bunch of shit from a group headed by some sociopathic bully, a group that's given him a sense of belonging, of not being a misfit.

He still has time to grow out of it. If he sounds like this at 30, though, you know it's pretty hopeless. He's one of the blind.

[Patiod]

20. I've believe a con is a liberal who hasn't been muggeed by life

A few setbacks, and maybe he will realize the need for compassion.

Although maybe not - my brother has been beaten about, and now he thinks the world is just stacked against White Males and it's just hopeless to fight The Government/Big Corporations.

[raccoon]

32. Maybe if he develops a disability he'll acquire some compassion.

Disabilities do that. Makes people realize that yes, it can happen to them too.

[HockeyMom]

7. You are right about the Unions

My Dad was ILA and I saw how he could live comfortably after he retired. Even after he passed away, his Union health benefits went to my Mom. She never lacked for health care in her old age. Yes, I do worry where I will be in about 10 years from now.

Some of the towns where I live have started programs to match up Seniors, who need extra money, with young people who cannot find affordable housing. They screen and match them up, whereby Seniors, who own their homes, rent out rooms at lower than market value rents to young people struggling with first jobs. I don't know your situation. Could this be an option to make some extra money?

The Holiday season is now here. I know retail doesn't pay very much, but they do hire "older" workers. COSCO is a good place to work and they hire Seniors. I have seen them. Most supermarkets also hire Seniors. You could try Temp work. If they like you, they might just hire permanently. Just a little hint from my own experience. Never put anything in a resume or on a job appliction which shows your age. If you have to leave out years of your experience, do it. I started doing that myself (in my 50s) when a friend, who is a Corporate HR Director, told me to do so. She was right, it works. They will not be able to outright dismiss you before you even get an interview. Once you get there, then you can convince them to hire you.

Good luck. We all here wish you the best.

[Saturday]

13. Please put a "T" in COSTCO.....

because COSCO is that Chinese company that has all the shipping boxes on a junk pile littering our landscape because it is less expensive to just leave them in the USA than ship them back to China. COSTCO is a good company. Not the same as COSCO.

[HockeyMom]

15. thanks

[gulliver]

8. Medicare Part D is going to bring down the GOP.

It is the Iraq and Katrina of health policy. The Bush Administration deliberately kept the true cost of the program from the Congress. Then the GOP Congress under Tom DeLay twisted arms, held open the vote for extra hours, and effectively bribed members to eke out a win on the bill. Billy Tauzin, a GOP Congressman who led the charge took a multi-million dollar "job" with Big Pharma fresh out of the gate after the vote.

It's a feeding frenzy for Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance, and you, Stargazer, are far from alone. My Mom is just about to turn 65, and she is already looking at the maze of decisions they have forced on her. It's an insult. The Bushies and their contributors successfully de-focused the debate, dividing health care customers into distinct, confused, powerless individuals.

It looks like the first thing the Dems are going to do is allow the government to negotiate drug prices. The result could be a truly entertaining example of short-sighted lobbying backfiring on the guilty. I think Big Pharma and Big Healthcare may have erred in letting the Bushies and GOP Congress put this plan in place. The plan is there now, and the Dems can simply take out the "bad parts."

And that's ignoring what could happen if we investigate the chicanery that lead to the bill in the first place!

[HockeyMom]

18. My daughter has to apply for Medicare

She was laid off from her job and her new job doesn't give benefits for the first year. She is BiPolar and has to see her doctor and take her meds. If she doesn't take her meds, she will not be able to work. Been there, done that. With her old company insurance, it cost her around $100 a month just for her two scripts and doctor visits. I seriously doubt she would be able to pay full cost out of her own pocket for her doctor visits and meds. She doesn't make that much money.

She will be applying for Medicare for Working People with Disabilities. She has to see a case worker, get approved, and go through all the "channels". I really, really hope this doesn't take too long. She only has one month's supply of her meds on hand.

We need universal health coverage in this country. Desperately. For ALL.

[Nikki Stone1]

12. kick

:kick:

[Stargazer99]

14. Thank you for all the ideas and suggestions- from Stargazer99

The problem with helping individually is that there are so many more in the same situation. It is a system problem. It is the way the administration has handled matters. Europe has high taxes but their people do not suffer for basic needs. I've personally seen the fear of a company owner anticipating probable union organization coming to its company. This owner had three houses, expensive cars, etc. If the powers that control and profit from this system cannot form it in the manner to keep the common man from suffering from that very system then you have cruelty. Even as a low income person I dread the carnage taking place on the middle income folks because they are the backbone of our nation. They are the one's that foot the bill for those in need, not the wealthy. We need to fight the system and get back our middle income people for the sake of our nation. When you weakend its peoples, you weaken the nation. That is why education should come to those who are capable of using it to make a better world other than just those that can afford it. But education by the masses would challange the system and those who profit by it and guess who is in control?
The comment from the union person makes me feel like some people understand when I tell them about unions. Aside from government the common man has no power against the system and the system has more power than in the days of my parents. My step-father was able to have medical coverage, dental, life insurance. He was able to buy a home with acreage and a vehicle. They had retirement funds along with their social security with medical and dental coverage. The common man unless he is very intellegent or educated most likely will never see those benefits. One thing business forgets is that this nation belongs to all of us. Most of all I wanted those conservatives to understand what their support of this administration has done to the most vunerable in this society.
They need to clean up the mess they've made. I see some of them are "getting" it, but apparently 30% either don't see what is happening or really don't give a damn about anyone but themselves.

[yy4me]

16. Hi Stargazer99, I can relate to your situation. Will be 65 on my

next birthday. Have worked all my life and was recently laid off from a very nice 4 day a week job with a small local company that has its back against the wall dealing with the high cost of doing business in this economic environment. For the first time in my life, I am collecting unemployment insurance and even that makes me very nervous. I am looking for a job each week but I lack the skills necessary to compete in todays world. I am not interested in going back to school to retrain, I'm just too tired to face that. When will the powers that be realize that there has to be a cut off point in the "retrain" mentality, anyway.

Over the years,I worked my way to a fair pay, but have now have downsized my job expectations. Health insurance?. I am lucky enough to be able to pick up COBRA while unemployed but when that runs out, I'm sunk. I have nightmares that I will face a situation like yours. I would go without food before going without health insurance. I'm sure Blue Cross cares not if any of us looses our house because of medical bills.
I can only hope that the Democrats will bring this issue up ASAP, we need help at home. It is time for our government to look inward and take care of its own. We have supported the world for years, have make countless trillions of dollars for corporations and individuals by our hard work. We do not want charity, we want a fair and reasonable way to sustain our well being.

[Vinca]

25. Before you go without food, think about this.

Most bankruptcies filed for medical expenses were by people WITH insurance. Most insurance policies - especially ones you buy on your own - have large deductibles and only cover, on average, 80% of the bills. We finally decided to drop the insurance when it reached the stratosphere, figuring we'd drain all our funds keeping it and if a major illness hit we would end up declaring bankruptcy anyway trying to pay all the uncovered expenses. It's a lose lose situation all the way around. What puzzles me is that Republicans aren't clamoring for universal coverage in order to keep their business expenses down. I guess that's why they're shipping all the jobs to countries that have health care. Let's hope the new year brings a more compassionate Washington.

[Laelth]

17. Our social safety net is a joke, and a bad one at that.

What strikes me as odd is that some people seem genuinely surprised to learn how bad it really is. Many people care only when it affects them directly. Let's hope we can do something to rectify this state of affairs.

-Laelth

[mitchtv]

19. Give collections $5.00/mo

that should do it. That's what I did when med bills got out of hand. There is nothing they can do. Also order them not to call you.

[L0oniX]

22. Come to our food line for the homeless every Saturday at 2pm

in Clearwater Florida, right across the street from the police station, down town. For my retirement, I plan to live in a park close to where the food lines are. There will be many retired people showing up soon because property insurance has gone up so much that everyone on fixed income can't afford it and are losing their homes. God bless America ....yea right!

:wtf:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

26. yep, we're turning into Mexico

No middle class, just rich and poor.

I fell outta the middle class, and looked for a job for a year and gave up. Got one interview with a law firm as an overqualified legal assistant, and they didn't have the decency to call me back and say I didn't get the job.

You hit fifty years old, you're on the scrap heap. Couldn't find anything, even temporary secretarial work, and have three degrees including a doctorate, and am probably the best legal secretary around. Lost my health insurance because my SO got canned from his crappy job that he was completely overqualified for (BS & MS Math/Physics), and basically being destroyed physically and mentally by. So we decided to call it "early retirement". The COBRA law is very badly written. Makes it sound like if you're married you can continue it, if not you can't, which is not what the law is.

Fortunately I can sell my house to finance my retirement.

America is scary as hell, has been for about 15 years economically, and the Dems better attack the lack of universal healthcare and the destruction of the middle class.

[raccoon]

33. You know that's right.

"You hit fifty years old, you're on the scrap heap."

In my 50's, for about 6 years I've been in a part-time no benefits job.
If I lost it for any reason, I figure I'd have to start my own business.

[nashville_brook]

27. my heart goes out to you, Stargazer

thank you for sharing this and please keep talking about because people with insurance NEED to HEAR these stories. this is our most crucial domestic issue right now as a country. if we don't have the humanity to provide MEDICINE and CARE to our people, then we don't deserve to be regarded as a country. if our leaders can't set policy to reel in corporate healthcare, then we might as well call this system what it is: medical fascism.

i'm terrified for where we are as 'civilization' with this issue.

[greiner3]

28. I agree with you on all your points;

Except for the line 'NOT because I have a mental disorder.' I have had major depression my whole life and 20 years ago was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. I am on 5 psychotropics and a pill for blood pressure. I just finished the process for Medicare part D and now know I have to pay $260 a month for the entire year for meds. These same meds 3 years ago would have cost this much without the US government footing the bill. Now, without the Medicare, these meds cost $600 a month if paying cash. That is legal thievery. I feel for you and your plight. I see it happening to me in a few years, except I am one of the lucky ones. The new meds I am on triggered something in me that allowed me to go back to school. I will not have long to make enough money for retirement, however it will allow me to have just a little something to fall back on. There are jobs you can do. Work in schools as a crossing guard, or teacher's aide. Data entry, while repetitive, pays well. Customer Service Representative, a fancy word for people who make and receive phone calls all day pays reasonably well. Delivery work is honest, but a well working vehicle is a must. Janitor work is well paying. I always said that I would have to be starving before I did this and I have not been there yet, bill collector. I have done all these, except the last one. In fact, I have had nearly 50 jobs in my life. It's been 22 years since I've been able to have a credit card. I live on SSDI now, since my last mental hospital stay. I get $1313 a month and it does not go far. I have lived in some bad neighborhoods but again, with my new meds I have a new outlook on life. In another year I will have a Bachelors Degree in Evolutionary Biology and am researching the possibility of post-graduate. I am only writing this because of your statement which I highlighted earlier. If you are against mental health stigmas, workers, the system and pills, talk to your doctor. MDs are prescribing more and more cross over drugs and yours may have just the right pill for you. 65? Shoot, I figure I need to work until 75-80 to make up for these years I am 'taking it easy.'

[calmblueocean]

30. I know what you're going through.

Look up the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act online. If the collection agency pursuing you violates this act in any way -- calling too early or too late, insulting you, not identifying themselves as a debt collector on your answering machine, threatening you with actions they can't take, etc. -- you can sue them in small claims court for $1000. It's not much, but it's $1000 less you'll have to pay on your debt.

Hang in there.

[toshirajo]

31. Contact local aid

Sg99 - Go to the senior center near you and explain your situation. Not knowing your community, I am hoping they would have the best insight where to get help. Ours does. Numerous people there in very similar situations to yours. Ask if there is a Lion's Club. We offer a rent assistance program, and because we distribute from our foundation (501c3), it does not count as income. It is tax free to you. They may be able to match you up with an employer as well.

Drawing upon my limited experience with local charitable groups, if DU members were to attempt passing the hat for Stargazer with no formal administration, it may eventually catch up to Sg as a tax burden.

My suggestion - as a first step - is for DU admin to create a forum for DU members to:

(1) Discuss the creation of a DU foundation that is a separate legal entity from the DU board itself merely borrowing it's name to show affiliation.

(2) Within that forum have a separate forum for DU members needing help to post their requests with basic city / state information. Those wishing to respond can do so privately through email.

[Liberal Lassie]

34. I LEARNED SOMETHING RECENTLY THAT MAY HELP EVERYONE IN COLLECTIONS!!!

Everytime you see a doctor anymore you have to sign HIPPA papers to protect your privacy. IF they send your information to collections, they are in VIOLATION of HIPPA rules that states the docs and hospitals cannot even ADMIT YOU ARE A PATIENT OF THEIRS!!! It's their damn law so let's use it against them. Start writing letters and complain of violation of your rights for sending your billing information to a public collections facility. Try it--you'll like it!! Heads will roll..

[mojowork_n]

36. Here's the link on how to make a HIPAA complaint... and a question

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacyhowtofile.htm

The acronym stands for the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act", I think, but the operative word is supposed to be "privacy". As in the insurance company's **right hand** is not supposed to let anyone know that the **left hand** has been writing checks, to cover your bills.

But I have no idea how the hell anyone is supposed to enforce that, since all the insurance company has to do is look "shocked, ...shocked..." and deny everything, and then what are you supposed to do?

Here's the basic information page:

http://www.hhs.gov/policies/index.shtml#hippa

I have a friend who went through 3 jobs after she had surgery and treatment for breast cancer. The original employer let her go, then she got three jobs in quick succession with three new employers. All three of those jobs ended as soon as the enrollment period for health coverage started. Not one of the 3 employers told her anything about the real reasons why she was being let go. They all acted very embarassed and ashamed, and made up b.s. reasons, but the bottom line was it took her almost a year to find an employer whose health plan would take her.

I have one question.... I think it would be helpful if there was a consumer information line on some of these outfits doing collections, and what exactly they can and can't get away with doing. Does anyone know of one?

[Dora]

35. Try applying to Modest Needs for assistance.

http://www.modestneeds.org/

:hug:

[vanboggie]

37. You're right on target, Stargazer

My 22 year old daughter had emergency surgery with an overnight stay. She's now in debt $20,000. She was working a minimal pay job 10 hours a week at the time and without insurance, but could not get any state assistance because she WAS working. The hospital would not accept the payments she could afford (though I think she should have sent at least $25 mo. regardless) and she was sued as soon as the hospital could do it. Now 25% of her wages are being garnisheed. She quit college in her 3rd year, but planned to go back. That will be put off for quite some time now.

I know it is tough, but hang in there my friend.

[butterfly77]

38. I agree with you on all of your points,,,

I heard last year that they passed a bill where if you are on some type of aid they can garnish your payments also...

[Nimrod2005]

39. Have you tried getting Medicaid?

[dflprincess]

40. Medicaid income limits tend to be insanely low

Generally, for a family of four it's a gross income of between $23,000 and $24,000 and assets of no more than $2,000. This can vary from state to state, but I think they're all out of touch with reality when it comes to setting the limits.

[Nimrod2005]

41. Yes, there are ways around it....nt