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capri0mniThis is a "chat" I posted to my Tumblr, today. And I'm posting it now, in response to This story segment from dialecticdreamer, and the ensuing discussion.
Disabled Person: I need a wheelchair.
Wheelchair Manufacturer: We won't sell you one unless Medicare will pay for it*
Disabled Person: I need a wheelchair.
Medicare: Can you walk 20 feet?
Disabled Person: It's 40 feet from my front door to my bedroom...
Medicare: Can you walk 20 feet?
Disabled Person: I can, but it's excruciatingly painful, my balance is terrible, and I risk falling at every step.
Medicare: Then No.
Disabled Person: Why not?
Medicare: We're running out of money. The Baby Boomers are getting old and sick. And the Gen X'ers and Millennials are not reproducing. Very sorry. Have a nice day.
800K Gen-X & Millennial "Dreamers": Hey! we're paying into Social Security!
Medicare: You don't count.
110K Refugee Applicants: We want to come into your country, and contribute to your economy, including helping to pay for Social Security. Please let us in?
Federal Government: No!
Disabled Person: I still need a wheelchair.
Medicare: Very sorry. Absolutely nothing we can do.
Disabled Person: ...
"Dreamers": ...
Refugees: ...
Medicare: Buh-bye! Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
*Footnote: Even if you are wealthy enough to purchase a wheelchair out-of-pocket, many suppliers still require proof of insurance. And even private insurers copy Medicare's policies when it comes medical equipment and mobility aids.
dialecticdreamer, and the ensuing discussion.Disabled Person: I need a wheelchair.
Wheelchair Manufacturer: We won't sell you one unless Medicare will pay for it*
Disabled Person: I need a wheelchair.
Medicare: Can you walk 20 feet?
Disabled Person: It's 40 feet from my front door to my bedroom...
Medicare: Can you walk 20 feet?
Disabled Person: I can, but it's excruciatingly painful, my balance is terrible, and I risk falling at every step.
Medicare: Then No.
Disabled Person: Why not?
Medicare: We're running out of money. The Baby Boomers are getting old and sick. And the Gen X'ers and Millennials are not reproducing. Very sorry. Have a nice day.
800K Gen-X & Millennial "Dreamers": Hey! we're paying into Social Security!
Medicare: You don't count.
110K Refugee Applicants: We want to come into your country, and contribute to your economy, including helping to pay for Social Security. Please let us in?
Federal Government: No!
Disabled Person: I still need a wheelchair.
Medicare: Very sorry. Absolutely nothing we can do.
Disabled Person: ...
"Dreamers": ...
Refugees: ...
Medicare: Buh-bye! Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
*Footnote: Even if you are wealthy enough to purchase a wheelchair out-of-pocket, many suppliers still require proof of insurance. And even private insurers copy Medicare's policies when it comes medical equipment and mobility aids.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-16 10:43 am (UTC)Over the last 4 years, I've three separate medical personnel at least mention "The fraud problem" to me, if not go on to actively try to convince me of its reality.
I wrote about it on my Tumblr, last year: Disability Fraud: You know what?
no subject
Date: 2017-09-16 07:02 pm (UTC)Also: Mind if I link to it?
no subject
Date: 2017-09-16 07:08 pm (UTC)Please do, in fact!
no subject
Date: 2017-09-16 07:17 pm (UTC)