in what universe does it take "20-40 minutes" to apply for medicaid???

[[sw...]]

My parents have been awesome enough to take over my COBRA payments for the last 6 months, but this month was the last one.  I think I am now eliagable for medicaid, but of course they don't want to tell you what the requirements are before they make disabled people work hard jumping through all the hoops. 

 

I guess the fear is that if they says what it takes, then people will lie to meet those requirements, but the amount of financial detail that they want going back over *the last 5 years* is insane, and this is all with the penalty of law hanging over my head if I am found to have lied (ie, screwed up) on my application.

 

At least my state allows you to apply online and save your work so you can come back to the form, but this is literally taking hours and hours and it is very nerve wracking and frustrating.  At the beginning of the form it specifically says that it will take 20-40 minutes to fill out the form. 

 

Why is all aide for the disabled too hard for disabled people to fill out???

 

:sick:

[[In...]]

It's never like they say it will be. I think it's truly an attempt to discourage people from applying for anything. Just keep trying and you will succeed. They're counting on you not to be able to do this.

 

I don't mean to be negative, but I believe this. All this online stuff is time consuming and while it supposedly requires less paperwork, often times requires paper downloads of literal reams of paper.

 

It is reminiscent of our healthcare system which is so complicated often times that people cannot get the billing figured out so they endup paying bills that they shouldn't have to pay.

 

It's a navigational process. You'll get it done.

 

Intend

[[sw...]]

Thanks, and I agree with you completely.  They want a list of every medical expense I've had this year, and a list of accounts I've closed in the last 5 years, and things that I've sold or traded in the last five years.  What able bodied person is even able to readily do this?  I don't even think that they seriously look at most of this stuff, I think it's just some hurdle you have to clear to get to the interview.  This really sucks, so thank you very much for the encouragement.

 

:'(

[[ce...]]

I had to laugh at the title of your thread SweetG.  It takes a bloody long time. I think they make it as complicated as possible to discourage people who are already ill in the first place.  You have to be persistant as hell to get anything from the government, and I mean anything.  And you're right there are many "hoopes" you have to jump through and lots of waiting. 

 

When my husband was layed off, and I was suffering intense w/d and had to go to the ER, they literally demanded that I come back to the hospital the next day to fill out more paperwork!  Hello, I had just been in the ER, for an actual emergency with a heart condition and they wanted me to come back the next day and fill out papers?  Really?  In what world is that rational, reasonable or in any way intelligent?  It's not. But, because we were desperate for financial help, my husband took me back to fill out papers and had to push me around in a wheelchair. 

 

Then for extra fun, they insisted that we didn't bring all the paperwork they needed that day, even though we brought in exactly what we were told to, too the letter.  Not once did we have to return, but they made us come back 4 DAYS IN A ROW after having been in the ER!!!

 

It was the worst insult to injury imaginable and I was dog sick and even threw up in the hospital while we were there.  I literally had a breakdown in the hallway on the last day we were there.  All to get medicaid sorted out while my husband was out of work.  B@s&!@s!

[[ce...]]

Thanks, and I agree with you completely.  They want a list of every medical expense I've had this year, and a list of accounts I've closed in the last 5 years, and things that I've sold or traded in the last five years.  What able bodied person is even able to readily do this?  I don't even think that they seriously look at most of this stuff, I think it's just some hurdle you have to clear to get to the interview.  This really sucks, so thank you very much for the encouragement.

 

:'(

They actually do look at it all, so make sure it's accurate. 

[[In...]]

Yes, perhaps there is a method to their madness. My oldest daughter and also my ex-son-in-laws wife have become experts at navigating all this crap.

 

My daughter is just very determined, somewhat intimidating (who would think that could help, but it did her), very smart, and the director of a statewide program. So she's managed to really get it done.

 

The other one (son in laws wife) is also super smart, but has had to do it cause they've got 6 kids in the house when my other daughter just threw the kids at her ex.

 

I think we muster the ability from somewhere as we must, but it is a pain.

 

I have to renew my drivers license this month and was "invited" to make an appt online which I did. Very lengthy process it was, then had to download the application which I couldn't for some reason; stupidity, printer out of paper, or didn't have the right "Adobe" for PDF. Got super exasperated.

 

They asked for online feedback afterwards so I just told them all that I thought of this supposed efficient method. I redid it at work the next day. Now must bring in: paper of eye exam, paper application, and copy of birth certificate, social security card, two proofs of residency like utility bills, and I forget what else.

 

So much for the paperless technology age!

 

Intend

[[sw...]]

Thanks for all of the support, guys.  I'm still slogging through this, today.  I think it's going to take 8-10 hours of grueling labor to fill this out and crunch all of the numbers in the state I am in.