General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I've always been a single-payer advocate but I must admit... [View all]Shandris
(3,447 posts)We also need to add at least two things that I know are missing from current Medicare: coverage for all health-related procedures (that includes mental health, thus preventing them from excluding SRS and associated procedures for transfolk) and an expansion of Medicaid or some other type of low-income coverage that Medicare alone doesn't provide. For instance, were it not for the kindness of the Catholic hospital* I go to, I would be sunk even with full Medicare and disability. I have a simple outpatient procedure every 6 weeks that costs, -after- all adjustments for Medicare, ~$500. That's just under 5 months disposable income for me. I suppose I could ditch my internet and WoW subscription if absolutely necessary and do it in 2.8 months, then off myself from having absolutely no entertainment whatsoever while being mostly housebound. But otherwise, yah...that's 4.8 months to pay off something I have to have every 6 weeks. That math doesn't work out for long. There has to be a way to expand Medicaid (or something similar) that the Rethuglicans can't crush by dissent.
There also needs to be systematic reform for nursing homes and such. Watching my grandparents fight with one of them going to a nursing home (something I had to see with my great grandparents as well) has been heartbreaking. They shouldn't be forced into destitution just to appease some arcane rule that a person who actually -had- money would be able to avoid in a matter of moments to begin with.
*I have no connection with the Catholic church and am not meaning to give the hint that I do, or convince others they should. I am giving credit where credit is due, and these people helped me when I was in a very bad way.