2012/07/14

the Fox effect

Republicans Wage America’s Second Civil War Over an Imaginary Loss of Freedom [From Politicususa]

The guy who is watching our house in Florida called yesterday. During our conversation the subject of Medicaid came up.

This fellow is as trustworthy as the day is long. He is one of the only people we would trust to watch the house. But he's not very smart and - to make matters worse - gets all his news from Fox. Same for his family. So, if he misses something on the news, he'll get the Fox version from his family members. He also has a problem with blacks in general and President Obama in particular.

And so, when Medicaid came up in our conversation, he started warning me about "that damn Obamacare is gonna make you buy insurance." He never fully understood that with an income of $1,679 last year and $0 this year, I'm not going to be penalized for not purchasing medical insurance. He's pretty sure that I'm misinformed.

So I'm not in danger of losing any freedoms or paying any penalties related to my lack of medical insurance.

I will, however, possibly be getting SSI benefits and Medicaid. People have been advising me to apply for benefits since at least 2006, considering my extensive history with depression. I have a fairly consistent history with doctors and institutions going back to 1996, when I was first diagnosed with depression in the wake of the breakup of my marriage.

A couple of weeks ago I finally applied for SSI. This past week I had a phone interview with a woman who has been in the NC disability field for 25 to 30 years. She told me that, based upon my eventually erratic employment history and chronic hospitalizations during the late 2000's, I have a pretty solid case for receiving benefits.

Such applications are routinely denied in the first round. She strongly advised that I appeal if I am denied.

One of the many advantages of Obamacare is that someone like me, an adult male with no dependent children, has the potential to receive Medicaid if NC goes along with it.

I'm not losing any freedoms, I'm potentially gaining health care.

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