This post at Monkey Girl got me going.
I think there are too many people who don't have anything to do every day but sit and think about their problems. When you have nothing to take your mind off your real or imagined ills they start to grow in your mind until they are so huge that they obscure everything else. It's like when you wake up at 2 am and start worrying about something. Awake alone in the dare, the problem becomes monumental when in reality, and in the light of day, it is not nearly as bad.
In our society there are too many people who do not work. There is a huge group of people on welfare as well as a surprisingly large contingent of young, able bodied adults who are on disability for such things as 'back pain' and 'fibromyalgia' among others. First of all don't get me going on how they get their disability approved when there are people with real disabilities and serious medical issues get denied.
When you don't work you really don't have anything to do all day but sit around and think about how you don't have any money, your apartment is crap, your clothes are old, you don't every have any money to go anywhere, your car is breaking down. Before you know it you are depressed, often without realizing it. People who are depressed often develop somatic symptoms such as......headaches and back pain. Imagine it, a friend suggests they go to the ER for their pain and they get the magic shot that takes away their physical and mental pain, makes them relaxed and floaty and all their problems magically go away. That's a pretty powerful thing. When the drug wears off their are some pills that do close to the same thing but after a couple of days they are gone and your problems are all back again. It is easy to imagine how people get caught up in this.
I think our society is making a big error in not making people work for their money. Years ago, welfare was time limited and mostly given to people with small children, young able bodied adults were only able to get the dole for a few months. Why did it change? How did an eighteen year old male get to be declared permanently disabled for chronic back pain? Unless it was from some kind of serious accident it just cannot be.
Our society needs to make people work, there is something every one can do. No one should get something for nothing. No one should be allowed to be on welfare for generations, they should have to be in work training or do some kind of work in return for their benefits. All disabled people should be reviewed every three months to determine that they still are truly disabled. Their needs to be more scrutiny of the doctors that are saying these people are disabled.
Before you say what a horrible person I am and how I 'Just don't understand what it's like'..... I have rheumatoid arthritis, I hurt all the time. Funny though, as soon as I get to work and get busy, I don't even think about it. Work makes me feel good, it gives me a sense of self worth. If I was sitting home all I'd be doing is thinking about poor, pitiful me.
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- ERnursey
- A hardworking ER nurse trying to survive until retirement and if I can have little fun or have a positive impact on someone's life, all the better!
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23 comments:
I thought there were strict limitations on how long you could be on state aid. Has that changed in recent years?
I do notice one trend - the medical assistance moms that I take care of will have a baby every ~2 years (presumably to keep the state aid).
I just don't get it sometimes. Why keep having babies so you can stay in the poverty zone?
Years ago, I was on welfare, but I was also working a lousy $7/hr job too. I quickly realized I was going no where in that job with my 2 young children at home, and had to do something. So I went to nursing school. I pulled myself OUT of the welfare trap and low income job and actually did something about it. I also made sure I didn't bring more children into the poverty situation we were in. I knew I couldn't burden another child with living like that.
"All disabled people should be reviewed every three months to determine that they still are truly disabled. Their needs to be more scrutiny of the doctors that are saying these people are disabled."
I understand what you are saying here, but I am not sure that this is the best solution. How about having case workers for disability who actually have some kind of medical background. My son was born with Spina Bifida. He is 5 yrs old, has been hospitalized 15 times and has had 12 operations. He has a VP shunt and a syringo-pleural shunt. It took almost 3 years to get him disability. Do I want that check every month? Actually, no. What I feel I want to protect and care for him the best I can is the Medicaid. He is covered under my commercial insurance, Medicaid simply picks up what my insurance doesn't cover. You'd be surprised the funny looks we get when registering at the hospital when we tell them his primary insurance is Humana, but he has Medicaid as a secondary. I did find out the issue. Medicaid has their reimbursement rates that are usually lower than what my insurance actually pays. Having Medicaid simply makes it so the hospital cannot collect the copays, sometimes in the $1000's. Our first denial from Medicaid was "there is no conclusive proof that the condition will be disabling for 12 continuous months". Had they ever heard of Spina Bifida? Do the think the spinal cord regenerates? Then, as part of the appeal, they required us to take him for an exam. Fine, but they sent him for a cognitive evaluation. Hmmmm, last I knew, Spina Bifida doesn't affect the mind in any way. There ought to be certain conditions that qualify you automatically for SSI. Things that are easily diagnosed and always disabling. The things like chronic back pain should have to be reevaluated. It is NOT easily diagnosed beyond a shadow of a doubt. It always frustrated me that "those people" could get SSI on the first try.
So, yes I agree. But, there should also be a distinction made between those things that can heal vs. those things that are well known to be disabling for life. Also, why if I make a certain amount of money is my child suddenly no longer disabled? I am an RN and if I work 2 extra shifts over my 3-12's a week, I make too much money. I guess now I can suddenly afford those thousands of dollars in co-pays.
Marty I agree with you 100%, don't let decisions about medical need be made by non medical people - same as with insurance companies. And yes, there should be a category for cases that don't heal such as your son. And in your case I am sorry that such bureaucratic incompetence must have added to your stress in trying to get the best care for your child. I hope the idiots that made that decision were fired but in the well-demonstrated workings of bureaucratic institutions everywhere, they probably were promoted.
Amen, amen, and amen.
Welfare in its original form for women and children was a small monthly stipend usually payable after your husband was deceased. Everyone's family had someone who lived through the depression in severe poverty and lived to tell about it. Severe poverty with only you and/or your friends, family, and relatives to fix it, that is, with a horrible depression preventing employment for many.
Currently, severe poverty means cell phone, TV, apartment, free medical care, free bus passes, free rides to and from your medical care, free food, and you don't have to work despite a growing economy and numerous available jobs for all skill levels.
In today's society, there is no reason why you can't work and have children. If you can make the kids, you can make the money.
I'm sick of seeing patients younger than me with "umemployed" and "medicaid" on their demographic sheets. GET A JOB, PEOPLE.
And yes, unemployment=boredom=rumination=depression.
A lot of that back pain that young people are becoming "disabled" over could be alleviated simply by taking their X-Box or other computer games away and making them go outside and...dare I say it?...exercise!!!
Or, if they think they are entitled to some kind of compensation, then make them see a nutritionist, a physical therapist for regularly scheduled visits to not only teach them how to feed themselves properly, but make sure that those back problems are not caused by sitting around doing nothing all the time. If they haven't improved over a year's time, then, they have to go to the next level. Make it difficult to obtain disability and I'll bet we'd be seeing some modern day miracles!
I recently blogged about a family member and his addictions. Due to his poor decisions over the last 15years he can barely walk and is on disability. But enough about him, back to your post, I apologize.
I couldn't agree more with this entry. We live in a nation of people that are raised believing they are owed something. Gone are the days when children were taught to save money, have values and to make something of themselves.
It makes me fear for the future of my grandchildren.
I totally agree. I also see some of these do work "under the table". Wish someone would video them and send it to the people who let them be "disabled".
MY mom has RA too. She works. Her condition would prob be much worse if she didn't.
I can't tell you the number of times people have asked me to sign forms so that they can go on disability, not have to look for a job, not have to attend job-related programs, etc. all because they're 12 weeks pregnant.
Let me tell you, a normal pregnancy is not a disability! I want to yell at these women, "GET A JOB". And "TAKE A BATH". You touched on a couple of my pet peeves recently, I s'pose.
Long time reader, first time commenter, love your blog!
First off, my husband is a Workman's Comp Adjuster, and he told me that roughly 1/3 of his claims are legit, 1/3 are outright fraud and 1/3 start out legit and end up in fraud. I think that says a lot about our society as a whole!
Where I live (CA), there's a government assistance program I like a lot and wish they'd expand called WIC (it may be federal, but I think it's a state program), and it's for Women, Infants and Children. It gives them vouchers for food, like a jar of peanut butter, a dozen eggs, 2 gallons of milk, etc. Basic groceries, which is all government aid should be for.
While we were saving for our house, we lived in a tiny apartment in a not-so-great area of town where 80% of the tenants were on Section 8 (free/reduced price) housing. Our neighbors were incredibly rude and inconsiderate. Most of them had really nice, new flat screen tv's, they all, including the kids had cell phones, and not just the basic ones, nice, brand name clothes, etc.
The kicker was one night we were returning home at the same time as one of our neighbors. They were unloading groceries from a friends car, soda, chips and crap. The lady says to her friend, "Thank you so much for taking us, I just got my food stamps and welfare check and we had no food in our house, I really appreciate the ride" as her boyfriend pulls out two 24 packs of long neck Coors beer out of the trunk.
Anyway, my point is, we need to totally reform the Government aid system. Basic shelter and food. If you want something else, work for it!
Vote for me for President in 2016! (When I'm eligible to run!)
/rant
I could not agree more! I used to have a neighbor that infuriated me beyond belief. She would work for a week at a place, realize she could not drink beer all day and, either quit or get fired. She did this about twice a year over 6 years. She had someone else tell her to try to get disability. She actually found a doctor that declared her to be Bi-Polar and he helped her to get disability. She was not Bi-Polar, she was just lazy and a drunk. She would come over to my house and brag about getting free food and medical care. This was always when we had just gotten home after a long day at work. I came so close to telling her that I hoped she enjoyed all of those things because I was the one having to pay for it. She even got a check from the government for several thousand dollars as back pay. 3 weeks later she came over and asked to borrow $40 because she had already blown the money from the government. They lost their house due to foreclosure and moved out of the neighborhood. I felt sorry for their 2 kids though. She gave up custody of her 13 year old daughter because she didn't want to deal with her anymore. It may have been for the best though. The family that she was placed with took good care of her.
I just can't stand people like that and wish the government would make some changes. We are all working to pay for them to lay around and get paid for it but, when it comes time for us to retire, there won't be anything left and we won't get a penny of what we paid to the government. It is a sad situation.
I totally agree!
I recently had a mother bring her 2 (healthy!)kids in to the ER where I work with cold symptoms. That's it. But why not come to the ER? It is free.
The kid's doctor's office was open, but 2 towns away. When I asked her why she came to the ER instead of going to the pediatrician, she said "I was in the area." Read in: it is free, and it is easier to some here at 4pm than to actually get my lazy ass up in the morning to call for an appointment. So that great waste of money and resources for her free ER visit is coming out of MY pocket.
I wonder if Medicaid instated a $5 co-pay for an ER visit, how many of those completely unnecessary visits would stop? Or if they had to actually PAY the ambulance bill when it is determined that the toothache you had was NOT an emergency and you did NOT need to call 911 at 3am because you ran out of vicodin.
It is sad that so many feel entitled to that which the rest of us work so hard for.
Snort! I worked as an RN in a community mental health center and went to several disability hearings for continuing benefits. This one guy was way out there and was never able to find the required paperwork so I had to pull it together EVERY 3 MONTHS. I finally asked "Have they found a cure for schizophrenia? If not, do you think you might possible be willing to decrease the number of times I have to come down here with x to say 'Yep, still has it'?" Thank goodness she was a civil servant with a sense of humor. She laughed and had us come back in a year.
Wow, have you touched one of my nerves this time!! I have a close friend who is one of those "on disability for fibromyalgia" type people, and we've gone around and around about our completely different outlooks on the validity of that. See, I come at it from a very opposite perspective, as a person with a quite different type of disability that's perfectly legit who still manages to hold down a JOB... it came to the point where I couldn't talk to her anymore about the subject because it made my blood just about boil.
I'm still trying to find a reasonable full-time job in the field I have education in (medical records), which is complicated by a quirky sort of cognitive disability...and the fact that I refuse to give up and just take from the "system" is likely one reason I get so frustrated with those who abuse it. I've heard so many stories from my vocational rehab person that it's mind boggling. IMHO, she's just got docs who play into her "poor pitiful me" persona. It makes me crazy.
Hit the nail on the head. My sister is one of those loafers. She is on 100% VA disability and social security. WHY? She tore the rotator cuff in her shoulder wrestling with my cousin when on active duty. She is also crazy (bipolar). She goes out all night and drinks and drugs. My other sister and I tell her we don't want to hear it. In fact, we don't even have her in our lives anymore. She refuses to work. Why should she when she makes 40k a year off the Govt! Free medical care too. I told her she may be crazy but she can still ask do you want fries with that.
One time I was at the grocery store and a younger guy was buying groceries with food stamps. He had soda, junk food, etc. Then he got mad when the store clerk told him he couldn't buy jumk food with it.
DH used to work in the Federal building and used to tell me the stories of the welfare people in the elevator. GRRRRRR!
I actually had to "plan" my babies out because of my income and the fact that I had to take bed rest in account. Just makes me mad.
I have endo and adenomyosis and still manage to work. Even when it is really bad, I still get up every day and go in.
I totally agree that if welfare people had to pay a small copay, they wouldn't be abusing the system as much as they do.
I used to work with a guy who was in a wheelchair, had limited use of his hands, and basically couldn't do anything but talk and press big buttons. He was one of the best call center reps I've ever worked with. For that reason, I have a very low tolerance for "permanent disability."
I have a friend who is on disability for mental health issues; specifically, severe OCD. He's very presentable; he can GET a job. The OCD, however, means he can't -keep- it. Disability gives him Medicaid which keeps him on the medicine that makes his OCD something he and his family can live with and work around. He's often said he'd be willing to send back the money if he could just get the healthcare. I know a lot of people in that category.
I have fibromyalgia, and a few of its little friends, and I want to smack the people who have fibromyalgia and have made it a synonym for "useless fuckwit". I'm not useless. I've only been to the ER for acute unrelated situations. And while I currently don't work outside the home I'm in the process of researching and writing a novel, and doing a correspondence course for medical coding. My problem is that I -could- run out and get a job immediately, but I don't have the stamina to work a full twelve hours saying "Would you like fries with that, sir?" I could probably do it one day. The next day, I'd probably have trouble walking to the bathroom, let alone getting dressed. I try to avoid those situations, because they hurt and then I can't take care of my family.
It doesn't help that in a lot of communities the jobs that the working class used to take aren't there any more. The telephone call centers are in India. The factories are in China, or Mexico.
You all see the people who can't, not the people who can.
Well written post and I agree with the points you made.
Though we don't have state aid here in the Philippines like in the U.S., in a way, I certainly can relate to what you're talking about in the post. One need only to work in the emergency room department several times. In the provincial private hospital where I work as an emergency room physician, I often encounter those patients who expect you to give them everything that the hospital has to offer without guarantees that they'll pay you back. Of course, during an emergency, you have to deal with the emergency and then when stabilized, if the patient and relatives have financial constraints, arrange for a transfer to a government hospital. But when you explain that to them, most will rub them the wrong way, thinking that we're sending them away, just because they're "poor". While that they are mostly poor, certainly taking on the attitude of "I'm a victim, so pity me" isn't at all going to help the situation. We're actually helping them to minimize unnecessary expenses, but still they see it as discrimination against them because they are poor. If we do it the other way, admit the patient in the private hospital, they'll also blame us if they can't pay the hospital bill because we admitted the patient (of course, upon their insistence even after explaining that there are other options, like going to government hospitals). It's like we're always to blame for whatever bad things that befell them and their family. No sense of personal responsibility, I'd say, because they always take on that attitude that "I'm a victim, so you should help me". They should also help themselves first.
As someone who developed Fibromyalgia aged 21, when I was very fit and was just finishing a 3 year slog of a degree in meteorology and physics, I have to say I object to this post most strongly.
Fibromyalgia is not just pain - that's a common misconception. Pain is one of the easiest FM symptoms to work through. When you're in the bathroom 20 times a day with IBS, when you have such severe cognitive difficulties that you can't keep an instruction in your memory for more than a few seconds and when your muscles will spontaneously give up, causing you to be unable to stand...that's when employers don't want you. I worked until I was told by an employer I was working for only a few hours a week in a quiet cafe that I was not giving enough to my job. They objected to toilet breaks, my smile slipping, not offering to work overtime for no good reason. What was I to do? I have a degree I slogged hard for, that should have enabled me to work around the world. I had a career lined up as a professional yacht racer and meterologist. I was extremely fit and never played on an X-box. But my body still gave up on me - as did much of the medical profession!
I am now, thankfully, getting back to productivity thanks to treatment from a specialist that my family had to pay out of pocket for me to see. I hope to start regular work again next year. I have helped myself even when no-one would help me, despite it often being their job.
Going on disability was never something I wanted to do and was something that I fought as long as I could - incidentally making myself worse in the process. Outdated views of Fibromyalgia were a large part of why I ended up on disability in the first place. If the medical professionals I saw when I first got sick had been up to date on Fibromyalgia I would never have ended up so sick or on disbility.
I suggest you learn more about this debilitating condition before you make such assumptions - it might help in your work!
Like a lot of folks, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don’t have to pass a urine test. Shouldn’t one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their ASS, doing drugs, while I work. . . . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? Or perhaps require a urine test to get a prescription for your painkillers at the local ER?
I am 31 years old and have suffered from fibromyalgia and back and neck pain starting in 94 from a car accident and then diagnosed in 98 with fibromyalgia. I work for an investment bank 60 hours a week and have done so even while attending college full-time at night.I have debilitating pain where I can barely stand and sleep barely 2 hours a night yet when I go to pain management for cortisone shots because I don't want narcotics they act like I can't be in that much pain because I'm not on disability and can't always get to appointments because their hours are 9-4 and I work 7-7. It cracks me up that I don't want state handouts and deal with pain and then get penalized by not being able to get non-narcotic treatment after work/on weekends/
Do you have any idea how much extra stress and illness reviews cause to people who are mentally ill?
I would love to be able to work, but I need treatment for my illness which is just not available.
I hate being on disability, but I am too genuinely ill to work.
How can you as a medical professional trash people with illnesses. Your not God, only he can judge! Yes, we are all entitled to our own opinions. If you or one of these other people actually lived in the shoes of a person with extreme Fibromyalgia for a week you would jump out so fast it would make your head spin. It easy to judge on the inside looking out. Do yourself a favor and do some research instead of bashing people. With the amount of sympathy you seem to show I hope you are never my nurse. Nurses have compassion no matter what, thats part of their job. I wonder what your boss would think of these blogs and your attitude.
you tell her.now thats one of many insensitive, out for the money only, incompetent, nurse. putting down disable people, who most want to work but cant, whats worst miss profectinal know it all nurse, someone like you that would probley roll your eyes up at someone that is choking, or dyeing because your too good to get off your lazy butt, that probley,would had lived if you were, not a fake, like why most people are in the health care field, and that is because they do care period,
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