Talked to the family yesterday, life has apparently not been going so well for my siblings. Current shit economy has hit them pretty damn hard
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My sister went on MassHealth temporarily when she was pregnant and they were pretty good to her, but then again she was pregnant, and we all know how much people care about the unborn right up until the time that they come into this world (or in MassHealth's case, up to a year after they are born). I doubt my brother will find treatment to be as wonderful, but then again when you have asthma bad enough that you're getting only about eighty percent of the air you breathe and you need medication of some sort, its better than nothing.
I don't get the fine (trying to remember the exact number, I think they said $20,000 or something like that!!!), I get that its a law now but still ... I would have hoped the state would use it to strong arm companies that can easily afford to give their employees benefits and just won't (like the place my brother works at, he's not some teenage cashier after all, he helps manage the fucking place, its ridiculous).
SSI is nothing you get rich off of, and bills eats up most of my money. Renee makes good money and we don't have to pay for utilities (huge help there :-)), and in general I don't want for much so I can make what little left over money I do have stretch a long way. Honestly, I'm probably doing better financially now than when I was working (when there was a lot of work I had more money obviously, but work was unpredictable and there was long stretches of time when there was almost nothing, and I'd only work one, maybe two days a week), and for the moment its much better than nothing.
I'm glad to have some sort of security right now, especially since times have been rough last year, the year before. But I do worry for other people, my family does not need this right now.
I would have hoped the state would use it to strong arm companies that can easily afford to give their employees benefits and just won't
*nods nods nods* Most retail/food service jobs don't give benefits. The last place I worked had a union and offered health benefits to full-time employees but you had to be working there full-time for a year. This was back when 38 hours a week was still considered part-time in CT.
Yeah.
And what you said about pre-natal care - yeah, if you're pregnant, and decide to keep it, I know of programs in CT which will bend over backwards for you. Not sure how it is in CA, where I live now. However, if you want to get permanently sterilized to ensure you never have children, it costs a small fortune and is not covered by most public health programs. I see something backwards here. Bringing a child into the world you can't afford = covered. Ensuring that never happens = not covered.
I could rant about that all day but OTOH I'm not prepared to get into a flame war in case someone else who comments here disagrees, nor do I want to hijack your post. ;P
I know Starbucks offers benefits, that's one of the reasons Phil started working there, but there is a waiting period of like six months before it kicks in and since my sister was already pregnant, MassHealth was necessary. Kind of too bad my brother can't get a job there (even if he could, the hours would probably be worse).
I see something backwards here. Bringing a child into the world you can't afford = covered. Ensuring that never happens = not covered.
Very fucking backwards. Especially coming from a bunch of people professing to want to reduce the number of abortions. Not only should it be covered, it should be easier to find a doctor willing to do it in the first place.
(I know its a touchy issue, but I doubt there would be anyone here violently opposed; I'd imagine the babies are awesome everyone should have one crowd would steer clear from someone that so openly hates children. I appreciate the gesture though :-)).
I don't get the fine (trying to remember the exact number, I think they said $20,000 or something like that!!!), I get that its a law now but still ... I would have hoped the state would use it to strong arm companies that can easily afford to give their employees benefits and just won't (like the place my brother works at, he's not some teenage cashier after all, he helps manage the fucking place, its ridiculous).
SSI is nothing you get rich off of, and bills eats up most of my money. Renee makes good money and we don't have to pay for utilities (huge help there :-)), and in general I don't want for much so I can make what little left over money I do have stretch a long way. Honestly, I'm probably doing better financially now than when I was working (when there was a lot of work I had more money obviously, but work was unpredictable and there was long stretches of time when there was almost nothing, and I'd only work one, maybe two days a week), and for the moment its much better than nothing.
I'm glad to have some sort of security right now, especially since times have been rough last year, the year before. But I do worry for other people, my family does not need this right now.
Glad you're holding up as well. :-)
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*nods nods nods* Most retail/food service jobs don't give benefits. The last place I worked had a union and offered health benefits to full-time employees but you had to be working there full-time for a year. This was back when 38 hours a week was still considered part-time in CT.
Yeah.
And what you said about pre-natal care - yeah, if you're pregnant, and decide to keep it, I know of programs in CT which will bend over backwards for you. Not sure how it is in CA, where I live now. However, if you want to get permanently sterilized to ensure you never have children, it costs a small fortune and is not covered by most public health programs. I see something backwards here. Bringing a child into the world you can't afford = covered. Ensuring that never happens = not covered.
I could rant about that all day but OTOH I'm not prepared to get into a flame war in case someone else who comments here disagrees, nor do I want to hijack your post. ;P
I am hoping the economy turns around.
Reply
I see something backwards here. Bringing a child into the world you can't afford = covered. Ensuring that never happens = not covered.
Very fucking backwards. Especially coming from a bunch of people professing to want to reduce the number of abortions. Not only should it be covered, it should be easier to find a doctor willing to do it in the first place.
(I know its a touchy issue, but I doubt there would be anyone here violently opposed; I'd imagine the babies are awesome everyone should have one crowd would steer clear from someone that so openly hates children. I appreciate the gesture though :-)).
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