Re: SNOW - Social Security/

[Guest guest]

I am so sorry you had that bad experience on the phone with your insurance

company, ! What ignorance and cruelty lies within some people.

Certainly there is a big difference between disability and welfare, but

there is nothing wrong with welfare either. This person should not be

treating people in that way, and I'm not sure people like that ever

understand how wrong it is even if they are in the same position later.

Please try not to take it to heart.

You're right. We can make changes. We can be heard. I'm going to do

something about all of this (for women who suffer rheumatic diseases). I

don't know what I will do yet, but I have heard enough from you and all of

our group and from people I meet each week in the flesh. Some of the stories

you and others have told really stay with me. As you said in another post, I

feel that fire being lit underneath me. I can't sit back and let all of this

happen. I cannot remain silent. Actually, I'm not very silent about it (I

tell anyone who doesn't run away first), but I would like to get organized

and see where my energy can be used most effectively. I'm strongly

considering doing something regarding patient advocacy or physician

re-education.

I'm not on any disability of any kind, so I can't provide any info or

personal experiences about that, but I understand your frustration. My

husband's income and insurance have been very, very good. I have been

extremely lucky in that regard.

Hang in there,

----- Original Message -----

From: <Rysu19@...>

< egroups>

Sent: Friday, April 28, 2000 5:43 PM

Subject: [ ] SNOW - Social Security

> Hi Snow,

>

> (another catch up post)

>

> Can I ask where you got this? And who the author is of this letter? I am

> curious bcs if this is true.. As you can guess I am not up on this sort of

> thing, but I think I should start! I seriously think we should start

writing

> our President, Senator, Governor, etc..whoever it takes, for them to hear

> from the disabled on the piddly checks we get every month. Anyone who is

on

> disability getting SS or SSI, may I ask how much you get a month to live

on?

> I get $538.55 a month plus $33 in food stamps, plus my medical.

>

> A few weeks ago I had to call my insurance about something that got

through

> and they were sending me the bill. I talked to a girl who was not very

nice,

> to say the least. I told her about my insurance and that I don't have to

pay

> this bill. I told her why it got through, bcs there was a mix-up. She was

> trying to tell me I had to pay a $100 + deductible (don't remember how

much

> she said) before my insurance would cover me this year, I told her " no "

that

> isn't how my insurance works. I know this bcs I have been on the same

> insurance for years. She got nasty with me. She said ALL people on

" welfare "

> have to pay a deductible. I said, I am NOT on welfare, I am on

" disability. "

> She more or less said, " same thing. " I was pretty peeved! I told her there

IS

> a difference and don't YOU put me in that category! She finally said she

> would take care of it. And hung up on me. After she hung up on me, I

> announced to my birds, cat and the dial tone: B****! LOL That is her

> ignorance and why we need to spread the awareness and difference. One day

> these people who are rude to us will be in the same situation and having

> someone rude to them, hopefully they will remember the days when they were

> rude to us. THEN they will understand and feel pretty awful about how they

> treated so many people.

>

> Thanks,