health insurance
by rantywoman
From all my reading, I’ve come to the unfortunate conclusion that feeling lonely, scared, and isolated contributes to ill health. It’s like being doubly punished.
Knowing that, I’m trying not to let this health insurance issue get to me, although it’s definitely an issue that makes me feel lonely, scared, and isolated. Like I’ve been thrown on the scrap heap for having a medical issue. Like I’m being punished for being single. Like nobody cares, and I’ll lose every cent I have if I’m hospitalized. Like I’m a target for aggressive, predatory companies that like to throw around the word “God” a lot.
A friend of mine, a freelancer, has some medical issues and said the single biggest negative impact on her health is dealing with health insurance companies.
Another friend of mine, due to the stress of his job, developed a temporary medical problem that then created a health insurance nightmare when the job ended.
I’m taking deep breaths and meditating but the sadness and fear is still breaking through.
thebitterbabe 
So Ranty– I feel for you. I know this is not PC but I recently let my cleaning lady go. She always had to cancel due to doctors appointment– for her and her son. Medicad (so?) clinic– doctors probably doing all types of unnecessary tests. The only health problem with her and her son is that they both are a little overweight!!
I have no idea who is paying for those doctors visit. She lives with her son, boyfriend and boyfriend’s mother in a cheap apt. in Koreatown. The boyfriend works with a fake social security number as a janitor, the bf’s mom using her food stamps as currency to trade, and former cleaning woman makes about $200 a week cash- tops! Like I said, she canceled a lot due to doctors appointments. Also, if course her son attends public school and gets free lunch.
I just couldn’t stomach the system abuse she talked about nonchalantly.
Clean the house myself now– need the money to pay for my health insurance anyway!!!
Seems so unfair Ranty that you are in this position. I have heard that Oregon has good public health care– am I wrong about this?
Your story is the reason I could not stomach working in the schools anymore. It’s in your face all the time. Irresponsible parents, getting free breakfasts and lunches for their kids, every single day. Oh, and they often don’t eat it. Tons of trash, every single day from these lunches. Parents who don’t read to their children, don’t care. I couldn’t deal with anymore.
I think San Francisco has a good option, but I’m leaving the state because of the high cost of living here. Not sure about Oregon.
Some of the poor are truly hard workers, others are members of the “underclass.” I think the resentment middle-class people feel comes from the fact that we are working harder than ever and getting squeezed to death and getting less and less in terms of benefits.
I was going to add to my post…I don’t mind the poor getting basic healthcare. Not at all. I feel deeply for the truly poor and I know some great people who are very low income. In fact I have friends who I love dearly who are in hard straights. I want them to get the help they need and to earn a good income again. I do, however, have issues with irresponsibility, waste and I don’t feel immigrants, legal or otherwise, should somehow get more benefits than a citizen that has paid into the system for decades or generations.
I wish I clarified this earlier.
Yes, I know, it’s complicated. I don’t think the middle class would be having as much anger of this if things weren’t getting so incredibly difficult for them. It does seem unfair, as if one is being punished for working hard and trying to raise oneself up. But I also agree that a lot of the poor are also hard-working or are victims of circumstances beyond their control.
Also- for what it’s worth– your situation is not just for singles– think of couples/partners that are dependant on one person’s healthcare and if that person loses the job!!
Find a nice lonely widower who has a pension/Heathcare benefits or can afford to pay for yours.
Yes he might be 20 years plus older — but you will not be the first woman who had to marry for money/finiancial stability. I am only half joking in this advice.
Well, it does seem like 20-years-older is my dating bracket… but in all serious I’m considering a sham marriage with a gay male friend of mine.
Have you consider working as a nurse assistant? It is not glamorous or well paying job. But you don’t take the job home with you, can work long shifts and have more days off, workers are in demand and can usually always get health benefits.
This indeed is a stressful and scary issue. You are having a bad day. You are in fear and anxiety. Tomorrow is a new day. You’ll figure it out. Remember that you won’t necessarily have a medical emergency. Take it day by day.
It is infuriating that some in our society get everything, free healthcare and others nothing. And as Kathleen mentioned the poor and immigrants most often get much bettter taken care of than citizens. It’s crazy. We have to work our way thru the system as best we can and hope for a more equitable system in the future.
Know you are not alone in this.
Just want to clarify…I want everyone to have access to basic healthcare, and this includes the working poor. It’s just maddening that those in the middle, who make too much to get help, and are not rich enough to not care, can be devasted by a medical emergency, even while having insurance while some have it all taken care of, no questions asked.
Ranty, did you see my post in your other insurance thread? Don’t give up hope!!! Call the insurance commissioner for the state you’re moving to and ask their advice. Many states offer insurance to people who can’t get it elsewhere.
Also … is there any way to line up your next job before you even leave LA?
A job with benefits, of course …
I’ve done some research on that score and it looks like it’s still a problem in my new state if there’s a gap in coverage. So I’d have to pay for Cobra that I couldn’t use for a while. But! I have a new idea, which I will be posting in a sec.
Yes, there is a slight possibility I could go back to my old workplace, same career, immediately upon my arrival. It’s just that I was hoping to explore a new direction (may not have a choice, we’ll see).
Time to ask for that old job back.
I’m sorry – what a stupid system. I am not fond of western medicine unless they are doing surgery. I hope you find some peace and health.
There is mildly good news about anxiety related health issues (which I also have). When the anxiety goes away, so do the health issues. The bad news – I don’t think fixing the symptoms fixes the problem. And often the symptoms are nebulous and can’t be diagnosed.
Keep writing – we are listening.