FEBRUARY Chitchat

[Prot]

I like that.

[Virginia]

It is definitely a cute picture.

[agate]

There are several more of the same pair--the cat perched on the deer's back, etc.--but I'm exercising restraint and not wanting to overwhelm the Internet with adorable animals.

[Prot]

I have to exercise restraint over posting political content.

[agate]

I have to exercise restraint over posting political content.

Absolutely. It's very hard to sit on one's hands at this time. This morning I've been holding back tears--while sitting on my hands.

[Prot]

The disabled community are courageous but fearful.

[agate]

I've known many very kind people and still know some of them. I'm hanging onto them and to my memories of those who are no longer in my life. They are beacons of hope.

[Prot]

I have no F2F friends. Have always struggled that way. For whatever reasons I don't make a good first impression. Online I do a bit better, but it's more of an 'I admire your mind' than a 'liking you as a person' thing.

[Virginia]

Agate I feel anxious a lot of the time now. I wonder if part of yours is hearing that Medicaid is to be cut. And then of course there is our Jeanie.

With me it is all that is going on while dealing with this disease.

[Prot]

Will you both be able to get any medication that you need?

[agate]

Tim, I'm not sure. If Medicaid is cut, I may not be among the persons affected as Medicaid has many different categories of people receiving it, but if I am affected, I would then have to pay for (probably) all of my rx's and maybe for at least 20% of any medical care--assuming that Medicare wasn't cut. If both Medicare and Medicaid disappear for me, I would have no medical coverage at all.

Virginia, would you be affected too?

And how are you doing now? Is the head wound healing? What about the concussion effects? And there were other injuries too?

[Virginia]

Agate, if Medicare is cut I would be in a pickle. I think most of us disabled would be. I don't see it being cut out because I think then people would truly be up in arms. Also, I pay $327.75 per month for my supplement. If there is no Medicare why have a supplement? Also why carry my part d coverage in order to get my drugs which is an additional $123.00 per month, since I couldn't get a prescription. I wouldn't have a doctor to write a rx. It has far reaching implications.

I would not be surprised if some things are not cut for Medicare and Medicaid. I might be wrong but they do not care one iota so they will do what they want to.

[agate]

It's not clear to me either about just what cuts would be made in Medicare or Medicaid. So far all I've heard is that Medicaid might be limited to those who have jobs, and I'm assuming that those who aren't employed due to age or disability would be exempt from that restriction. I can't imagine how Medicare could be trimmed, particularly since it has all of those parts and supplements as you say.

A few years ago Medicaid was expanded under the Affordable Care Act. I believe that one part of the plan is to end this expansion even though it was proved to have been helpful for the health of many very low-income people.

I've been squawking about these possible cuts by signing petitions that come my way by e-mail. I doubt that it does much good for me to keep doing this but I like to feel I can do something.

[Prot]

IMO anyone who wants to worsen healthcare for those on low incomes(often the most disabled), and demolish the department of education is at best cold hearted, ignorant and irresponsible, and at worst criminally insane.

[agate]

And yet in recent times there have been countries that were governed for many years by such people.At least one of those countries was led by people who began by rounding up the disabled and then moved on to other vulnerable groups.