Medicaid working requirements for work age adults?!

[cricket246]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/11/news/economy/trump-medicaid-work-requirements/index.html

 

 This concerns me a bit as I'm in this age category... My question is, if a person isn't able to work to buy insurance how are they supposed to be able to care for children or the elderly?...... And the days go from bad to worse as Satan's system spirals out of control...

[Joey]

It's only for the non-disabled.Those who are able  may be required to work if their State approves it.

 

[Joey]

This topic made me think about the food stamp program.You used to have to purchase food stamps.I think it was something like for $5.00 you got $10.00 worth of food stamps.

 

[cricket246]

Yep in our state it will be anyone between 19-64 who they deem as being able to work, regardless of whether or not their health problems actually impact their ability to do so... Will  just have to wait and see what happens...

[Brandon]

This is actually a relatively small push of the larger change which began in 1996, following a series of scare tactics via the mass media which convinced the American population that "welfare queens" were dragging down their whole society:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9lfuqqNA_g

 

I have personal experience with this even though I'm not American, because after this major welfare reform* happened in the US (under the clinton administration), the Ontario government decided to copy it--overnight and without warning, millions of disadvantaged single parents, including my mother and a sister I've reconnected with and been discussing this historic event with, all had their basic needs money chopped by an order of two thirds.

 

*I might just add that the type of welfare that was instituted in the US and Canada is called "means tested welfare," which is a term that essentially means that the full onus is on each individual in need to prove to the government (often by being forced to jump through many hoops/red tape) before receiving assistance, and, once on assistance, continually report their income and constantly prove each month that they are still in need.

 

It lead my mother, who had to leave my father due to his not willing to accept treatment for schizophrenia, to herself become very depressed and wound up in hospital. Fortunately, we had moved near her mother (my grandma) who was able to help us financially. I was fairly young and don't even remember most of this but my mom told me years later about her brief hospitalization, entirely due to the sudden added stress of losing most of the income she needed to feed me and my brother.

 

The sister I mentioned (with whom I pioneered for a few years) has told me that when the 1996 (1997 in Ontario) welfare changes happened, the social workers knew that it would not be enough for mothers with children to live on, but their hands were tied as lowly case workers. They were forced to print literature to offer in the welfare offices such as "how to save money by eating less."  Yes, literally, they were "teaching" the poor how to survive on fewer calories (and in a wealthy country where this never needs to happen!)

 

 

Well, bill clinton's desire to get single mothers off welfare and back to work did what he wanted--he clawed back the small amount of help that millions of needy persons were using just to live on: the economy of the US skyrocketed throughout the 90s. Instead of actual help, the american poor now have TANF (which is a complete joke).  In many communities, the poor actually hate other poor people rather than naturally empathizing with their similar situation!  And people who need real help often feel guilt that they are "not deserving enough" and maybe shouldn't ask the state for assistance.

 

Interestingly, almost 20 years later, Bill Clinton has admitted that his reforms were not all good. He said in 2014:

I did not foresee this wave... believing that poor people are the problem. It did more good than harm, but, now given the changed climate and aftermath of the [2008] crash, the poorest welfare families are worse off and we should do something for them. And we should all admit that."

 

But it's a bit too late now,  and republicans continue to proclaim the "blessings" of the 90s welfare reforms, and Trump wants to take it even further! It makes me so sad, especially after listening to this story of a working mom from Cleveland with a sick baby whose husband left her, but who felt she shouldn't "need help" but should just work harder.  She routinely sells her blood plasma, to buy bus tickets, to take her to work, while caring for her aged mother and sick newborn.  (this story is just one episode of this five part podcast series entitled "Busted: America's Poverty Myths.")

 

 

In Canada the situation has changed (a little). Prior to 9/11 our politicians tended to imitate whatever the US did, but since 2001 our politics have gone further and further in a different direction. Now we have increased our social safety net, and are even testing an unconditional "Basic Income" for all citizens. I talked about this a bit just yesterday on another user's forum post:

 

[Allabord4Jah]

SS has a program out and it's for people who are disabled but need to work to make it by as long as they don't go over SS quota.  Well the sister did not go over quota, but SS dropped her like a hot potatoes.   She had an emergency, and had to see a doctor due to her disability illness.  That's when she found out that Medicare stopped any payments, SS (after she called them) SS advised the sister, Sorry, you have gone over the limit set out in our program, therefore, you are no longer eligible for disability.  Jehovah didn't leave her in the lurch with these morons, it took a while, but she got help from a brother who is a doctor in our hall.  And then later she got a full time job working for 2 doctors who helped children out.   The doctors she works for know that she is ill, and therefore, are paying her full time wages even though at times she cannot work her 8 hours.  If that isn't an answer to prayers!    When I see her at the hall, she you can tell when she is in pain, but she deals with it the best she can.  She has medication through the insurance company from the new job, but like all medications it just masks over the pain and there is no cure, not till the Kingdom comes!  But she smiles, and has zeal and joy.  That's it.  What is the end of this story, don't trust Satan's system.  It is not made to work for you.  It's made to stop you and giving up, and or killing yourself.  

[cricket246]

I am just gonna do what I can and rely on  Jehovah... I have a feeling I'll probably lose my Medicaid when they see I'm not even 30 (I have a loooong list of diseases/disorders), but all I can do is pray and see what happens.

Edited January 17, 2018 by cricket246

[Brandon]

It took me two years to get on disability here. Contrary to what some americans might think, Canada is not an "easy" frictionless place to live. It is very difficult to get on disability in Ontario. But, I didn't give up and eventually, with Jehovah's help, I was able to get on it. And once I did, I was able to regular pioneer for five years.

 

You may not be able to pioneer since you have children but Jehovah still wants you to have enough food and shelter to live! You should explore every avenue to receive assistance. I'm not sure about Kentucky but in many countries there are free legal clinics. I used one to assist me in filling out paperwork and it made it so much easier. I don't know how I would have known which 'hoops' to jump through or in what order.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Brandon