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Very interesting reading. I've been trying to decide if it's worth my while to apply for disability. Your story makes me not even want to bother. The thing that kills me is my husband makes a good living. We live modestly (in a mobile home), don't go out to movies, maybe eat out once a month, only have 1 car payment, etc. yet our medical expenses are drowning us. This last time I went to the ER, I put off going because all I could think about was how much it was going to cost.
The comment about kids not be able to go to the doc...been there. I just had to cancel my daughter's appt with her pediatric gastroenterologist because of the cost. It's a $20 co-pay and then because his regular office is at Duke Hospital, I get a "doctor bill" for $169 and a "hospital bill" for $180. Why?! We didn't even use the hospital. I can't help where his office is located! I was able to fight the charges the first 2 times, but not anymore. Now we just have to hope our regular pediatrician can keep everything under control. That makes me feel like the worst parent ever
Mychickens-
It can be very frustrating. I so get where everyone is coming from, trust me. We lost EVERYTHING (and I do mean everything) 12 years ago because I became disabled - so I do get it when people say "my hubby is about to get laid off and works for...". I worked for the fed gov't and they forced me to resign and we lost it all. It sucked, had a baby, a house, you name it, we lost it. Sold all our possessions except the baby's and had to move back in with my parents. Credit? HA what credit? It was shot by that point. Went from 70K a year to 31K with all the same bills (minus the house as the bank took it back kind of - we actually had someone purchase it for the bank price..so does that count as foreclosure??
I dont think it does, but we fell wayyyyy behind in our payments on everything....) fought with Social Security for 2 years before I was finally approved for disability and I still have to fight for it every 3 years when they review me - so yes - I do understand when others say "you dont understand." I'm so sorry you're going through this - what I will say is APPLY for disability - it may take you a while (years in fact) but if you are truely disabled and have your doctors behind you and supporting you - then apply.
I guess this is part of the reason I'm so very passionate about this entire bailout thing going on right now - we had it all - lost it all - and although it took years...we regained it all again without any help other than from my parents and ourselves - and it was all due to medical. We had to "rob peter to pay paul" most days, absolutely, we used credit cards to buy groceries, baby formula - just to live. We didnt go out to dinner (and still dont - very very rarely, maybe twice a year if that). And....we rebuilt it all (no bankruptcy - we had to repay every single dime we borrowed - no one bailed us out). We now own our own home (again) - our credit is stellar - we know what we can afford and what we cannot....however... - this too can all be taken in the blink of an eye I realize - if my husband loses his job.
There just isnt an easy answer no matter which option people choose. Healthcare is outrageous yet we must have it, RX's are outrageous, yet we must have those, housing - ugh! Gas, food, schooling for our kids, clothing - everything is just ridiculously priced - how are we supposed to live when the gov't takes so much in taxes? If you make 30K a year, you actually only make apprx 19K if that after all the taxes - then deduct your healthcare costs and what are you left with? Approx 15K to live on - its disgusting through and through.... unless you make over 200K a year, forget those tax breaks because I'm not seeing it in our household and we dont even make not even half of that 200K a year!
sad ...
Very interesting reading. I've been trying to decide if it's worth my while to apply for disability. Your story makes me not even want to bother. The thing that kills me is my husband makes a good living. We live modestly (in a mobile home), don't go out to movies, maybe eat out once a month, only have 1 car payment, etc. yet our medical expenses are drowning us. This last time I went to the ER, I put off going because all I could think about was how much it was going to cost.
The comment about kids not be able to go to the doc...been there. I just had to cancel my daughter's appt with her pediatric gastroenterologist because of the cost. It's a $20 co-pay and then because his regular office is at Duke Hospital, I get a "doctor bill" for $169 and a "hospital bill" for $180. Why?! We didn't even use the hospital. I can't help where his office is located! I was able to fight the charges the first 2 times, but not anymore. Now we just have to hope our regular pediatrician can keep everything under control. That makes me feel like the worst parent ever
Mychickens-
It can be very frustrating. I so get where everyone is coming from, trust me. We lost EVERYTHING (and I do mean everything) 12 years ago because I became disabled - so I do get it when people say "my hubby is about to get laid off and works for...". I worked for the fed gov't and they forced me to resign and we lost it all. It sucked, had a baby, a house, you name it, we lost it. Sold all our possessions except the baby's and had to move back in with my parents. Credit? HA what credit? It was shot by that point. Went from 70K a year to 31K with all the same bills (minus the house as the bank took it back kind of - we actually had someone purchase it for the bank price..so does that count as foreclosure??
I guess this is part of the reason I'm so very passionate about this entire bailout thing going on right now - we had it all - lost it all - and although it took years...we regained it all again without any help other than from my parents and ourselves - and it was all due to medical. We had to "rob peter to pay paul" most days, absolutely, we used credit cards to buy groceries, baby formula - just to live. We didnt go out to dinner (and still dont - very very rarely, maybe twice a year if that). And....we rebuilt it all (no bankruptcy - we had to repay every single dime we borrowed - no one bailed us out). We now own our own home (again) - our credit is stellar - we know what we can afford and what we cannot....however... - this too can all be taken in the blink of an eye I realize - if my husband loses his job.
There just isnt an easy answer no matter which option people choose. Healthcare is outrageous yet we must have it, RX's are outrageous, yet we must have those, housing - ugh! Gas, food, schooling for our kids, clothing - everything is just ridiculously priced - how are we supposed to live when the gov't takes so much in taxes? If you make 30K a year, you actually only make apprx 19K if that after all the taxes - then deduct your healthcare costs and what are you left with? Approx 15K to live on - its disgusting through and through.... unless you make over 200K a year, forget those tax breaks because I'm not seeing it in our household and we dont even make not even half of that 200K a year!
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