For the past year, I have been working on trying to change a very discriminatory & unjust Medicaid policy that affects Utah's most vulnerable citizens, the Aged, Blind, & Disabled (ABD) MC recipients. I started to receive SSD in 8/2010 after a 3 1/2yr battle. My husband is considered by the state to be my caregiver & doesn't work so our only income has been $1142/mo from SSD. Since he has no "deemable" income, he is not considered a household (HH) member. For a 2 person HH we're still below poverty, but we are considered to be a HH of 1 so in order for me to receive MC, I must spendown to the 1 person poverty level. For 2011 that was $214/mo, 20% of our income. The $40 SSD increase for 2012 is considered excessive so my spendown is now $255 a 20% increase! The exclusion of a spouse  w/out income as a HH member applies ONLY to the ABD catagory. This policy forces me to chose between recieving medical care & meds or being even more destitute. How can a state that constantly boasts & prides itself for its marriage morals & taking care of those less fortunate; place such an extreme financial hardship on those that are barely getting by already & have very limited options to improving their health & financial situations? How hypocritical & lacking in basic humanity can our legislatures be? Utah Legal Services considered this to be a high impact case & was helping me, until November when they withdrew due to budget cuts. I had to file an appeal in District Court on my own & am trying to find another attorney. If anyone can help, please contact me at originalsbkat@yahoo.com .  Thank you.
Posted by SBKat

 Even though our USA reform is better than nothing at all...it still gives Pharma & the Insurer's a guarantee of profit on sick people.    It's not too late to push for a real ONE PAYER system. Each industrialized country (other than the USA)   has a different form of Universal--healthcare.    In England the Govt owns the hospitals and employs doctors. I understand Canada's better....where the health care system is NOT “socialized medicine.” where the doctors work directly for the state. In Canada (and many other countries with universal care), doctors run their own private practices, just like they do in the US. The only difference is that every doctor deals with one insurer, instead of LIKE -- 150. The proper term for this is “single-payer insurance.” In talking to Americans about it, the better phrase is “Medicare for all.”
Posted by JANMB