Friday, July 29, 2011

Their Lifelines


I try to limit the number of posts I write on political issues. Politics divides people, and I don't want to perpetuate that divisiveness. But, August 2nd is just days away and our politicians can't seem to play nice. As a result, I am scared to death.

There are many things on the chopping block, but the two things of primary interest to me are Social Security and Medicaid. Those two programs are the lifelines for my children. Jessica's SSDI is her only income, and it is already too low to actually live on. Ashley, Jessica and Ronnie rely on Medicaid for their health insurance. They need the medicine that Medicaid pays for to continue to live. They need the surgeries, the interventions, the assistance. None of those things are a nicety or an extra - it is their life. Just one of Ashley's seizure meds costs $450 a week! If she misses one dose, a lifethreatening seizure is a real possibility.

So please, Politicians, get your acts together, but don't do it on the backs of our country's most vulnerable. I'll gladly pay increased taxes if you leave my children's benefits intact.

1 comment:

Krystle said...

Gah! Peyton's SSI is a joke. We filed an appeal 4 months ago, and it's still in process. They haven't updated our income since March, MARCH. And that was after it got dropped and I called crying so they had someone enter enough to get it active again. Her Medicaid was tied into her SSI for disabled children.

Now that we are in the process of the ECDC waiver (still...in...process) We dont' really need to worry about the SSI but they still need to get it together.

They've switched her medicaid over to long-term care. But the lady whose working at the resource center doing everything has me worried.

And I don't understand the whole process, etc.

Sigh. So far her surgery is over 50k and that doesn't inclue PICU fees or anesthesia!!

Can you please keep me updated on what they change, I don't know where to begin to look to find it out.