The biggest question I have been asked - why I decided to go public, besides the obvious of needing short term financial help. People need to see that,,,
1] Our current systems (primarily medical care as a whole with impetus from the insurance industry) really do suck, we have put company profits above our humanity to fellow man; the so-called "War on the Poor". I am hoping, in some small way, to put another face to that issue.
- 2 Thessolonians
- the slash and burn politics of the extreme right leaning, ideologues
- 54 votes on repealing the ACA,
- the attacks on Social Security and Medicare (that are so prevalent during election season)
- the so-called "junk food bans" where in WI, you can't even buy ketchup with WIC (see p3)
What I experienced in the ER, when the hospital found out I had no insurance, definitely has short term ramifications. Not only do I feel that they dropped the ball medically, but also from a social aspect. From a humanitarian aspect, I feel that my care changed. Yes I do understand that the hospital ONLY has to "stabilize" my health crisis but IMO, that didn't even transpire (but that is a whole other issue I am dealing with).
The hospital has a responsibility (they really do) to get the ball rolling as far as indigent care is concerned. It is their responsibility to provide initial guidance in navigating the morass of paperwork; and there is good reason for that. Depending on the final outcome, that initial contact "locks in" the date of service of said care. When one applies for let say Medicaid (as in my specific case), there is a 90 day window from the date of the application until approval where costs incurred will be covered in some manner. So I may not have had Medicaid at the time of hospitalization but my eventual approval will be "back dated" and costs will be covered (it's kind of like applying for SSDI, going through an appeal, and being awarded monies dating from the time of the original application). In essence they would not only be helping themselves but the patient as well. My return to health would expedite my return to work which would lessen my burden on the system.
Somewhere in the last 25-30 years, that point has been lost.
2] People need to see that humanity (albeit within the confines of the US border) as a whole is being harmed and I am only but one example. Let me explain,,,
From my understanding my immediate care at the hospital was lacking, yes some standard testing was done minus one due to no insurance. Although I presented with the classic signs of a stroke, "caused" by HBP that aspect was ignored. I was given 2 pills and released 4 1/2 hrs later. As Deb can attest, the first week was hell. Now keep in mind I was in no better shape than when I entered the ER.
Normal care just for HBP is hospitalization. Normal care for stroke is the same. Whether that initial lack of care will exacerbate my current deficits remains to be seen. (Normally aftercare such as therapies begin immediately in the hospital setting for good reason, long term prognosis improves ie I don't become a burden on the system as a whole,,, or in the words of the Reich, I won't become a slacker or mooch or a freeloader.)
This scenario also crosses over into the care I receive from my GP who is also hamstrung by my lack of insurance. Basically I am being medicated and that is it. There are tests that my doctor would like to perform but can't due to cost. These test would dictate my future care, the prevention of further issues and determine when or if I can return to work.
Oh,,,didn't you know I was a "real" member of society? Yes, I actually did work. Three weeks ago I was a fully functioning, tax paying member of society. But, because I was part of the "working poor",,,
I'll just leave it at that :)
And that brings me to reason number three of why I have gone public and the most important,,,
My issues ATM are being taken care of. Because of your generosity I have been given the time and means to hopefully get all the kinks out of my insurance issue; I don't have the pressure of "having" to return to work sooner than what may be medically safe just to keep a roof over my head. And as I have said, that helps, A LOT. But through all of this a realization hit, this is the type of shit I write about almost daily; the so-called "War on the Poor". I have become my own subject matter.
Now my overall situation is nuanced, my work life is and has been influenced by previous factors. I have a mental illness, bipolar disorder, which has impacted some of my life decisions; I can live with that and I was/am comfortable. What I am not comfortable with, there are individuals in worse situation than I and I find that to be deplorable.
So, somewhere down the line, when my health is better stabilized, I hope with your help to maybe expand on what has been started with my situation. I know there are many organizations out there that help in a variety of capacities. I know that these organizations have rules to follow. But sometimes those rules need to be bent and that is what I would like to endeavor upon in some way.
Your donations, your friendships, your kind notes have given me the time I needed to get the ball rolling without having the added pressure of "where will I go if,,,". But imagine someone in worse shape than I. I haven't lost any cognitive function, had my stroke been anywhere else in my brain, who knows what I may have lost (I am still learning about what a stroke is and what "damage" it may cause). Individuals in that category who don't have the network of support, who don't have the cognitive capacity to understand the red tape are falling through the same crack I have and need the same help. Hopefully together we can build on that.
Although I do not have a strong IRL network of support (OK,,I have none) I do have and excellent virtual system and for that I am thankful. ATM I am in a bit of a holding pattern as paperwork is processed etc. I am gaining strength daily but have set-backs as well. But y'all have made a difference even at a 1/4 of my goal. As I noted in a recent update, to those of you who feel what you have graciously given is "not enough" or "wish I could have given more". Every penny counts in my case!!
I don't know what my future may hold, I am taking it one day at a time; it is all I can do. I do know that I will much louder concerning matters of the heart.
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Just a we side note: I do receive SNAP assistance I have for a few years now and hence why I follow issues concerning SNAP as I do. I am grateful that I have that extra help and it does stretch my income. As I noted in my interview, I live in a very rural area, a one grocery-store town. Under normal circumstances I do try to go to a neighboring town to purchase my food stuffs but of late I haven't been able to and it does make a huge difference.
What makes my situation concerning SNAP as a whole, a bit different, I am also diabetic. So my diet is a bit more restrictive (and trust me I ain't perfect with my diet) than some. Oh, and I don't eat beef (maybe once or twice a year) and I eat pork very sparingly. So cutting items such as seafood (and no I don't buy lobster but I do use shrimp), spices, and various other products would limit my food choices even further.
I do cook from scratch and I am very good at it. In a pinch, I can "live" off of $25/week for groceries, but it would not be healthy in the long run. Taken on its own, issues with SNAP in my case are minor, but couple that with my other issues makes it a challenge.
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