Washington is “appearing” sincere about the announced 3.6% raise to social security checks beginning in 2012, as reported by the Yahoo News feed, from Washington AP, even going so far as to say it will have a modest inpact on the economy, thereby stimulating in a positive way. Are they truly this out of touch with reality or is this yet another political ploy to get votes and maintain their own jobs? Let’s take a look a the average, real Americann that this will impact.
A woman, of 57 years, whom we’ll refer to as Diane, lives on Social Security Disability. Due to her disability her medical expenses are expansive as well as expensive. She once lived in CO, where she paid $28.00 a month for complete medical coverage, including her pharmacueticals thru an HMO. Her doctor visit copay were $2.00, necessary MRI costs were $1, her pharmacuetal costs averaged $3.00 per perscription. She paid her mortgage, property taxes, utilities, car insurance and repairs, etc. all from her SSD check each month AND could still afford most groceries, supplimenting it by 4 visits to various local food banks. This was during 2008-10.
By 2010 her mortgage had increased by 57% in the past 6 years and her home’s value dropped 43%! Is it any wonder she had to supplement her grocercies with freqent food bank visit?
Clearly, in 2010 she was in a financial crisis, She had to make a radical change in order to survive so she decided to move to TX closer to family for the support system she so clearly needed at this time, and she walked away from her home, loosing thousands in any future equity she might have enjoyed. Her home of 6 years was now owned by mortgage company who would not approve a modification in her mortgage payments.
After a few short months in TX she begain to realize the financial mistake she’d made. She had literaly “jumped from the skillet into the fire” as some like to say. Living in a small town, there was but one health care plan option available to her and so resigning herself to this, her medical insurance coverage increased from $28 per month to $104. Her doctor visit copays increased to $40 from $2, her pharmacueticals could be as high as $35 instead of the $3 on her previous health care plan, and the MRI costs increased to $80 from $1! Her HUD apartment in a senior community costs the same as the mortgage she used to pay, however the one benefit here being, is, that her maintenance costs on the apartment are $0.
She now cannot afford to pay the high cost of groceries and this small town has only 2 food banks that you’re allowed to visit once a month. Maybe you’re thinking well at least she can get free food, right? Here’s what she gets when she goes: 2 canned veggies, 2 canned fruits, 1 can tuna, 1 can of evaporated milk, a dozen bakery fresh cookies, and a box of cerel. Two visits a month like this obviously are not covering her grocery needs for the month. But, oh, wait, why doesn’t she apply for and receive food stamps. Oh, but she did apply and her monthy food stamps allotment is $16 which Diane uses for 6 pounds of ground beef, for the month! This hardly covers the monthly cost of groceries that is needed to supplement what she’s receiving from the food banks.
In short, her medical insurance premiums rose 27%, her pharmacuetal costs rose 25%, her available grocery funds dropped by 33%, MRI tests rose 125%, any hospital ER costs rose 33%, and she now cannot afford to seek medical treatment she requires from two specialists because there is no money left to see them and she sees her primary care doctor now twice a year for required testing, and cannot afford to see her when she’s ill. Additionally, her allergy medication was recently released from prescription form to over the counter, which made the cost of it raise 22% so she can no longer take it and has to instead, take generic cold pills from Mexico which still costs more than 11% more than her former perscrition.
And now she’s being blessed by her government with a 3.6% raise in 2012 that Washington believes will assist her with the supposed costs increases she having and not only that, but their tooting that it’ll stimulate the economy! And of course following this announcement they relased that the Medicare Premium that people like Diane pays is going to increase too. Where’s the raise in this action? Remeber the old ad phrase for a favorite hamburger restaurant , “Where’s the Beef”? Well, Washington, Where’s the beef in the supposed raise? Seriously.
The reported health care cost increase to seniors is 14%, as reported in the above referenced report. Do any of the figures above look remotely close to 14%?
You may think that Diane’s circumstances are not the norm, that her’s is a special case, but the reality is that it is not. Diane’s neighbors are in even worse situations. Although seniors do have higher medical expenses than their 30 year old counter parts, those on Social Security Disablity incurr even higher medical expenses by shear neccesity of their disabilities that may require a number of speciailist and expensive medical equipment like the electric wheel chair that Diane had to acquire to the tune of $7000. So, America, please don’t be decieved by Washington, into thinking that what their waving around as a generous cost of living increase for seniors, is so wonderful for the seniors and that they should be grateful to be getting so much this year.
Reality is; that 3.6% increase to a senior is a drop in the bucket within the flood of their increased medical expense costs, loss of grocery’s that gets higher each month, and cars they’re having to sell because they can not longer afford the costs incurred to have one. And now they become victims, prisoners of their situation, prisioners in their homes, and now, they have to see yet another doctor, a psychiatrist, in order to recieve depression treatment, a treatment that is on the rise for seniors. Is it any wonder?
Seniors are “laughing out loud” at this 3.6% “generous raise” they being gifted with to “stimulate the economy”.
This just proves, once again, that Washington is completely blind to what’s really happening in this country to people who don’t have their plush positions, in our society.