I am hoping you will decide that this information in this letter is worth writing an article about. I am retired and on a low Social Security, so I depend on other assistance for medical and other items. Last May, Medicaid, or should I say our representatives, decided to cut the requirements to get assistance. The monthly income allowance was $2,500 before May 2015, then they cut it to $1,265 a month and now require a person to have spent down before they will give any more assistance.
I get $1,041 in Social Security and a little more from renting a room. I have managed to get them to pay my Medicare premium but now I have to pay out $2,140 before they will assist me. I have a mortgage, car payment, electric, property tax, house insurance, auto insurance and gas, groceries, plus regular expenses. I also need a new roof on half my house this year because it will not go another year without leaking. I do get some food stamps but when they started paying my Medicare premium they cut my food stamps.
My primary care doctor has given me referrals to specialists because I am having eye and balance problems and need to see my cardiologist, but I can’t afford to go because it costs me a $50 co-pay for each one. I have tried to get some part-time work but it is hard when I deal with vertigo.
I have tried to get help to change this but everyone passes the buck. I have written to Jaime Herrera Beutler and to Ann Rivers but they just pass it on when as I find out it is Ann Rivers’ responsibility.
The representatives will cut aid to the poor but will take raises for themselves or not ever think of cutting their wage to help the state budget.
No, just take it from the seniors and the poor. I am sure there are many people having this same problem, but they don’t realize that we must raise heck with those people for doing this and get them to change it. The way it is set up now, any increase I may get in my social security could kick me over the limit and there I am again in a worse situation!
An article needs to be on the front page to get the attention of both the citizens and our representatives! This needs to be changed. The economy has not improved enough, plus the way they figure, increases to social security needs changing.
Charles Van Amerongen
La Center
