Sheared Again

I hacked off my hair in protest. I recently shared that after being flipped from SSI to Social Security at minimum age 62 (by law), my SNAP benefits were reduced to $112 a month and I was waiting to hear if I qualify for medical coverage.

Well, I don’t.  I’ll have to pay the $134 a month for Plan B myself.

“Whaa…whaa..wait…is it possible to file an appeal?”

“The Pickle Amendment qualifications are quite clear, but sure, come on downtown, pick up a form and take it to Social Security.”  Good luck to me and the Mets, her unspoken implication.

I decided to look online for a loophole, then Googled getting out of coverage for religious reasons.  I learned we don’t HAVE to have Plan B (doctors visits) or D (medications), which until the other day I didn’t understand the categories.  I can always change my mind down the road at a 10% increase per year, but it’s my gamble after all.  They WILL still cover me for Plan A (hospitalization), so at least they’ll scrape me off the road after an accident.

“Everybody’s entitled to that,” pal-Lea informed me.  And I thought they were being nice.

After my innumerable questions to the man on the phone he said that if I want to turn down the deduction from September's check, I’d better skedaddle over to the Social Security Office before end-of-day, when checks are cut.

“I’ve been collecting my regular Social Security payment for months, after I turned 62; so what tipped (you) off to start collecting for Plan B?  Did the Disability Office send up a flare? Can you look and see if a deduction will be taken out, before I race down there just to be told nothing's been changed? He asked a few personal questions to get into my file (which I thought he already was viewing) then said,

“You’re not even eligible for Medicare so we’re not taking anything out. You don’t have to do anything if you don't want coverage.”  Ahh…Oregon is no longer covering me (under their version of Medicaid). I just spoke to the wrong translator at Disability.

Good.  I’ll just cancel the office procedure scheduled for the end of the month.  It’s not life threatening, after all.  Besides, as a Christian Scientist, it’s time to put my money where my mouth is.

I know: I ended that sentence with a preposition, but in that context I think it inappropriate to add, "a….hole.”  Glad you've been reading, thanks!

So the purpose of sharing this information is to demonstrate how poorly our government prioritizes the plight of its citizens.  We STILL do not have Universal Health Care…why the hell not? Rather than spending millions on propaganda we need to feed our own people, and give everyone a place to live in safety.

That’s really not much.