How do you feel about state funded medicaid and the welfare system in America?

Question

I work in an Emergency room and constantly we see people in their 20's and 30's who say they are disabled because of depression or some minor ailment. People with medicaid come to the ER for toe pain, back pain, cough, sniffles, and all sorts of silly reasons. Wasting tax dollars on "emergencies" once or twice a week. How do you feel about this?? Also, when women have children and do not work, the government gives them free housing, medical, and a money card. While women who have children and try to work, can't even get supplemental assistance. What is wrong with the system??

I do not care to provide insurance with my taxes for those that can not help themselves, but insurance is not a right it is a priviledge, unless you work to provide it for yourself. 10% of the people with medicaid that come into ER are true emergencies, and 5% of that is debatable.

Who am I to determine what is an emergency John?? I am a person with common sense. An emergency is a life threating situation that can not wait for a clinic or Dr. visit. I have said there are legitimate disabilities..no problem there...and me included in the one paycheck from poverty, that is why it pisses me off that the government rewards laziness....your lack of money is a personal problem, not a government problem. One job not enough...get two...can't support your children don't have them....simple!

Heather G I feel bad for you, I don't know about your case, but here in TN, housing is free if you have no income, and you can be in an apartment in days, ecspecially with a letter from Red Cross that states you are homeless.

I am not against support, but it should be used as a step up...I used govt help when I first got divorced..I did'nt have more children and stay on the system, I worked my *** off and got insurance, and bettered myself. I could lose my job tomorrow and have to get govt assist again....but I would work and get off of it soon.

As far as the depression thing...I get depressed also. Its a personal decision to let it rule you. If you like to eat and have shelter...you'll work. If you can shop, birth children, and have sex....you too can work! Society makes it too easy...if you are so depressed you can not function in society to care for yourself, why give you a check and let you blow that....you should be where someone can care for you.

What did we do before disability?? People who are truely disabled (blind/missing limbs/etc......) I would give you anything I could to help you....but these eroneous claims drummed up by lawyers and lazy folk...no pity here. This should fall on family and people who have pity) not me and certainly not the government.

Answer 1

America's Welfare system sorely needs a radical thorough REFORM overhaul, recognizing ALL the clever ways it is being abused--and putting in solid measures to end such abuses....and making it hard to find new ones. Here are my suggestions:

The first step is making clearly resonant what defines a medical emergency apart from non-emergency ones and stating clearly on record the Welfare system will NO longer provide payment assistance for non-emergency medical conditions.

Have in place a "debt-hold" program, giving the hospital full right to freeze a welfare recipients benefits until the ER bill is fully paid in CASH or MONEY ORDER by the recipient within FIVE BUSINESS DAYS of their visit. Defaulting on the ER bill then allows the hospital to deduct the medical costs from the recipient's money card and/or living assistance check(s)--and the recipient loses ALL Welfare benefits for SIX MONTHS.

Medical discovery of illegal drugs in a Welfare recipient's system calls for PERMANENT FOR LIFE denial of Welfare benefits and local law enforcement are called on the illegal drug user.

Welfare recipients arrested for misdemeanors lose ALL Welfare benefits for 10 years; felony arrests PERMANENTLY FOR LIFE remove a recipient's welfare benefits. Abused children of Welfare recipients are taken away from their abusers and put into adoption care programs; child abusers also lose ALL Welfare benefits for life.

Welfare recipients must find work 12 times EACH WEEK, submitting PROOF to the Welfare office in a strictly timely manner. Failure to (NO SECOND GRACE CHANCES) meet this requirement denies ALL Welfare benefits for ONE FULL YEAR.

Employers of Welfare recipients must submit payroll information to Welfare office--where the recipients benefits are DEDUCTED from such information. Highly severe business penalties handed down to employers who submit fradulent information--which inculde loss of business licenses, property foreclosures and even felony arrests. Welfare recipients guilty of submitting fraudulent employment information also face arrest and PERMANENT denial of ALL Welfare benefits.

ALL states are granted generous Federal $$$$ to press these into law and PROVE to the Federal system they are enforced heavily. Federal Welfare agency discovery that states disregard or fail to enforce these Welfare policies stand to painfully lose their generous grant $$$$.

Answer 2

Me being a 16 year old daughter living with a legally disabled mother who is not allowed to work by dotors order, I feel that SSI is impornant. Getting money for the years that you have worked, as my mother worked in a hospital and other jobs, is what's keeping us from living on the streets. however, I do not feel that people that have minor "disabilities" as the ones you mentioned, should recieve welfare. In response to the "...free housing, medical, and a money card..." comment, IF you are accepted to get goverment housing, the waiting list is about 2+ years, and it is not free, it is just a reduced price. Been there done that. Also, I have never heard of a money card, now granted there are EBT cards for food, but the requirements for getting one should be much stricter. You are right, some people with minor ailments do waste our tax dollars, but there are others that have worked hard to get help inreturen. What's wrong with our system, is that they are letting too many illegal immigrants, and lazy people get welfare, and not letting the people that actually need it, get it.

Answer 3

The UK has had the National Health Service for decades now and provides free medical help for everyone. It does suffers from its detractors and has its flaws, but largely it works. If the US was to start such a system, then this would have to be funded by taxes - UK citizens pay NHS contributions at source - and looking at the British model would enjoy the advantage of building from the ground up shaking out the flaws which dog the UK.
UK citizens can buy additional health insurance and by and large this does provide a better service, but few can afford it.

Answer 4

Are you a nurse or doctor? If so, you should realize that depression can be severe enough that a person is unable to function let alone work.

I processed many a disability claim when I worked at Social Security. Many people would file for minor aches and pains and in the course of processing, we would discover major mental health disabilities. You of all people should know that you can't judge a book by its cover.

As for welfare, it is there to help people who are in need & can't work. In my state people on welfare must pay 1/3 the cost of their housing. Only the children have medical insurance. As for asking women with children to work its about time. Maybe these women should stop having babies they can't afford to care for.

I have never received welfare but I believe we all have a duty to help those less fortunate.

Many people are only 1 paycheck away from needing it themselves.

Answer 5

Listen to yourselves. Somebody has to be the garbage man, someone has to work at the car wash or whatever so you can enjoy those services right? Life isn't only about the people who have. Consider yourself lucky. Your not any more important than anyone else. Some people do take advantage of the system and are lazy, but some people also take advantage of tax breaks. It works both ways.

Answer 6

"As far as Fiscal beliefs, I think that changes with the economy. Right now I believe the Democrat ideas are best because they raise the necessary funds to pay down the debt as well as leave the war that sent that debt so high in the first place." Sadly, they have plans to spend the money they collect in taxes and they have copped out on leaving the war.

Answer 7

who are you to say what an emergency is-and the welfare system and the other is a drop in the bucket as to how the corprate welfare system works-thats the real problem -why a small % of the people control most of the wealth in this country

Answer 8

Welfare is for the Lazy, and unwiling to work people.
Although I believe that there are some that deserve it and need it. there are 90% on welfare that are using it as a way of life and abuse it daily.
The same with Subsidized housing.

Answer 9

We are enabling these lazy people and the politicians are looking for votes for control. The system is broke and it will take the rest of us rising up against it to fix it.

Answer 10

Every citizen of a free country has to be able to buy health insurance; otherwise the taxpayer has to pay for it.