Sunday, March 9, 2014

Being #broke as a #joke (or the #SSDI "blues")

I went on disability at a very young age, 29, to be exact. My date of disability (according to the government) is October 2002. Because of my young age, I didn't have a lot of money in my Social Security "account." Usually, if that is not deemed a "suitable" amount of money (whatever that means) they suppliment with SSI, or Social Security "supplemental" Income (don't ask me where the 3rd S went, I have no clue). Anyway, because I was so young, the Government in all their glorious wisdom called me "retired" at 29. This special category means I'm not permanently disabled (so they won't forgive my student loans) but I'm also not expected to return to the workforce ...EVER. Yeah, #government logic. Makes no sense to me either...

Oh!! And since "everyone" gets "Affordable Care" thes days (har har) that means people like me on the bottom? We get screwed first. The Medicare fund, how I NORMLLY afford my medications, is bankrupt, so now drugs that USED to be free ... Drugs with no patent, no fancy BioTech Pharmecutical name, generics the lot, are all costing me money. And do you think they give me more money to afford those medications? Hell no! Have you SEEN the economy? There's a New Global Depression going on. No one has any money, not even people who used to be considered "rich" like my father.

For the FIRST time ever in American History, kids are worse off today than there parents were.

I never though this would be my country...

So for the past few weeks, ever since I had to part ways with my former roommate, I have only been able to afford the cheapest of my medications, the ones that keep me alive. I've been white-knuckling opioid withdrawals (it's not as bad as the junkies claim... It's like a stomach flu, nothing I can't handle by now, I've been through SO much worse...) and today was the first day I was able to affor two more meds: methadone for my small fiber neuropathy, phenergan so I don't throw up pills if I get a migraine. (If I can't keep my medication down, that's a $750 ambulance ride and I don't know how many thousands for the ER visit... More money I *don't* have....)

Ugh.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for a hand-out. Never was. I don't believe in government welfare, never have. But when you've already sold everything of value and have nothing left.... When it's cold, you have no heat, and the wolves are at your door.... What else can you do? I'm a 40 year-old-woman! Not some college graduate. I should have my life together by now! I mean, really! What's a girl supposed to do?

I guess it goes back to the old Sting song: "When the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around."

But you know, it's not wrong to dream for better. I've had better, I remember better, I earned with my own two hands better, and if it weren't for my health issues, I would again! But that's not what pisses me off the most. Wanna know what pisses me off the most? My brother, also on disability, who was disabled at the SAME age I was, but who paid FAR LESS into his SSDI fund....

He gets more money than me for no other reason than his disability cleared at a later date than mine.

Yeah.... I don't trust the "Affordable" Care Act to make medical care affordable. It's already made it far, far, far worse. #epicfail #FML

3 comments:

  1. For someone who's been on SSDI for so long you don't seem to have all the basics down yet.

    SSI - this is Supplemental Security Income - it is NOT social security, it is a form of welfare, paid to some disabled if their SSDI doesn't reach $720 (for 2014 I believe that's the cap).

    SSDI is, in reality, early retirement. It is what you've paid into your retirement so far. Would you get more if you "retired" later? Of course, bc that means theoretically less years of you collecting.

    While the ACA has vastly improved Medicare - that donut hole is a killer, literally - you should be looking at either a supplement or an Advantage plan.

    Then apply for Extra Help. I get 100% extra help and my husband works.

    Between my Advantage plan ($8 to see the dr!) and Extra Help ($50 out of pocket per YEAR on $25,000+ retail meds), most of my check goes to pay bills.

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    1. I've never been able to qualify for welfare because I always "made too much money" on SSDI.... If you want to help me do the work, GREAT!!! Otherwise, thanks for the attempt, I know what I 'm doing.

      I would have MUCH loved to retire later, ya wanna know why? My last salary was $36/hr. I could get paid ---these days --- $76.88/hr. So you tell me what I'd like to do, huh?

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  2. Honey, my father is a social security lawyer and I wrote his law office's guide to SSDI. If I made mistakes! it was purely for the purposes of this post? I don't need a lecture from a stranger. THANKS!!!

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