Things that medicaid patintes (customers) say and do..

[0oAmericanGirl]

.. that upset their health care workers.

I understand that not all recipients of medicaid (assistance) are theives, actually I'm sure that that is actually a very small portion of recipients. However, the following are things that patients should avoid saying to avoid looking like thieves (all of these situations have happened to me, some happen way too often) These are the kind of comments that make me scream and yell when I come home.

*** Please note that this is not directed at the terminally ill, parents with disabled children, the disabled, or those who have fell on hard times. ***

Remember that some sort of my paycheck goes to cover your medical bills, don't make me feel like your cheating by:

When asked "Are you employed" do not respond:
"At home". We all have house work and some have children to take care of and we have jobs... so if I can do it, you can too.

Home isn't a job, we ALL have to do it (excluding those with disabled famly members).
**I took the rest out because people did find it offensive**

Don't Brag.
When you're talking about going on vacation and staying for a week at a beach front hotel (I live far from the beach) you're pissing me off. You're supposed to live below the poverty level, but you're going on a vacation I can't afford?

Talking about all the channels you have with your satellite system is rude. I, and everyone else I work with have basic cable because we can't afford the nice movie packages.

Do not tell me that you're goting to eat at (insert expensive resturant here) when you leave, just don't.

Don't be a show off

That nice expensive cell phone you're flashing around??? Keep it in your pocket because I don't want to see the nice cell phone that I can't afford.

Don't tap your nice professionally manicured nails on my desk. I can't afford to get my nails done and I sure as hell don't want you rubbing it in.

Don't bring your Louis Vitton bag. Put your cards in your pocket that purse dosen't need to be seen.

$

Don't bitch about having to pay the $3.00 co-pay. My insurance has a $40 co-pay and a deductible. It's more than fair so shut the heck up.

Don't ask me to upgrade you to a suite if you're being admitted... this isn't a hotel and if we had suites you're NOT getting one.


Basically these comments and actions are the kinds that get us upset. It bugs the heck out of me and my co-workers. These things scream "I'm a slacker and you're picking up the bill". I"m not saying that people don't diserve to have nice things, but it's a whole different thing to me when somone who is supposed to be in need is actually living better than I am. I hope you understand what I mean and are not offended.

[DesignFox]

I'm not offended by that... I'm offended that these people are supposedly in need of this cheap med insurance because they have no money...and yet...they seem to have nicer things than I do! I'm a hard working person- I love my job(s), I pay my bills- but none of them give me medical coverage- and I can't afford to pay for any...
Since I'm 25 and out of college though- the state basically says I can go F*** myself. It makes me sick reading this... knowing that I cannot get affordable insurance, ...and these idiots complain about a $3 co-pay...

[Kiwi]

When I was at university I worked 20 hours a week during the semester and full time during the holidays...but always answered "Im a uni student" when asked what I did, even at hospitals......

I dont have to worry about it now, but I wonder if the students know that....I sure didnt!

[Mighty Girl]

Just wanted to say- not all people who respond "Stay at home mom" are trying to be high and mighty. I have no idea what your choices are on forms that you fill out, and I'm accustomed to people in various positions (relatives, acquaintances, neighbors, etc) asking me what I do, and it just pops out of my mouth. Not trying to slap anyone in the face. My default line of thought would be that answering "unemployed" would mean that I'm currently seeking employment, which is not the case.

On the other hand, I totally see your point. My husband and I cut corners where ever necessary so I can stay home. It irks me to no end to see people living large on public assistance while we clip coupons.

[AFpheonix]

$

Don't bitch about having to pay the $3.00 co-pay. My insurance has a $40 co-pay and a deductible. It's more than fair so shut the heck up.

As an addendum, don't ask me for money to cover your $3 copay. Look lady, I've already helped pay for the rest of the cost of your drugs, don't ask me to cover your portion too. Especially if you've obviously spent huge amounts on makeup and a trowel to apply it with.

Also, don't whine if public aid won't cover brand Vicodin. They only cover generics. Yes, I know, you won't get as good of a price on the street and all, but suck it up for me, will ya?

[ThinMick]

Okay, I've never been on public assistance, but a lot of forms that I've filled out for doctors, hospitals, and my insurance have "student" listed as a form of employment. It's for those of us who live wholly on student aid, which I'm not ashamed to say that I do, at the moment.

The idea is that "unemployed" implies that you have no income, whereas "student" implies the basic student stipend of about $12k/yr (in my area, it's 12k for undergrads who aren't living at home). Student means you can pay your bills. Unemployed means you can't. Student income is also in the range where it is possible to recieve public assistance, in most places, therefore, "student" is a perfectly logical answer to questions regarding employment.

[Hempress]

"I'm a stay at home mom". Much like the previous, we all want to stay at home and spend time with our childre, but we have to work to pay bills, so that comment is just a slap in the face to anyone who wants to be at home with their kids.

I never intend to slap people in the face by saying that I'm a SAHM, but you have no idea what kind of life I lead, so please don't imply that I'm just a lazy mother trying to get free insurance. I stay at home with my son because after adjusting for daycare expenses, I'd probably bring home barely $500 a month and our household income would exceed the maximum for Medicaid. And no insurance for me = no anti-depressants = angry, depressed, suicidal mommy. I can't afford to pay $180/month for Wellbutrin (since Wellbutrin has no generic equivalent yet). So yeah, in a perfect world I'd be working a full-time job, but it just isn't feasible in my household. Maybe some of your clients are in the same boat as me.

[0oAmericanGirl]

I'm sorry if your offended, it wasn't my intention. But, it's not me that gets angry with the stay at home mom, it's the women I work with that are mothers. It pisses them off to no end when they get somone who's arrogant about it, I should have said they were horribly arrogant when they say it. These ladies would love nothing more than to be at home with their children and they get patients that come in expensive clothes, have expesive jewelry and cell phones.


No, we don't have options for "student" either.

I'm sorry, it just burns me up to have to pay half of my monthly income to medical bills and insurance premiums and go without groceries.

We have a high medicad abuse rate in our area.

[SongsOfDragons]

I have a medical exemption card, meaning I don't pay for my prescriptions. I used it just this tuesday.

I'm sure the woman behind the counter gave me a dirty look, even though the red laminated 'Medical Information' card was in plain sight when I was taking it out.

[chainedbarista]

i wouldn't make the stretch of calling them ladies; there are those that stay at home for good reasons, then there are those who you described, who ride the system.

i work to pay my tuition, since we make too much to qualify for tuition assistance, but oddly enough, we couldn't afford many things without the military benefits, like life insurance, sadly enough.

i do get angry when people like the ones you've described flounce up, sport great amounts of attitude and treat us all like crap (whether it's a retail job, medical or some other service field), as if we're nothing more than a pile of dog crap they've just stepped in.

[Barefootgirl]

My husband and I cut corners where ever necessary so I can stay home. It irks me to no end to see people living large on public assistance while we clip coupons.

The people one sees "living large" on state benefits (and we have plenty of them over here as well) are fleecing the system. Either they are claiming benefits to which they are not entitled, or they are living off the proceeds of criminal acts. You and i may resent having to clip coupons to pay our grocery bills, whiile these people flounce around with manicures and LV bags, but at least we don't panic when the doorbell rings.

[Becks]

You and i may resent having to clip coupons to pay our grocery bills, whiile these people flounce around with manicures and LV bags, but at least we don't panic when the doorbell rings.

I usually do, because I seldom expect anyone to come over...

[Mighty Girl]

Barefoot girl, you make a good point. Ironically, I'd probably crap myself if someone rang my doorbell and it actually made a sound, since it's been broken ever since we bought the house. (Very low on the list of priorities).

I can not believe people have actually asked one poster to cover their co-pay as well. I must be living under a rock, because as nervy as I've seen some people be, that one totally shocked me.

[AFpheonix]

(since Wellbutrin has no generic equivalent yet). So yeah, in a perfect world I'd be working a full-time job, but it just isn't feasible in my household. Maybe some of your clients are in the same boat as me.

Wellbutrin XL (once a day dosing) doesn't have a generic, but check with your doctor about the appropriateness of Wellbutrin SR, since that one does. It's a twice per day dosing, and if you don't have prescription coverage, it may not constitute much of a savings becaue you take it twice per day, thus having to buy double the amount of pills. If you do have insurance coverage, check with your carrier about what the cost would be, or have your friendly pharmacy tech run a test claim for you.

[wagegoth]

I cannot tell you how angry I used to get at the grocery store when I would see people using WIC and EBT while pushing expensive strollers, wearing clothes from Macys, and getting into cars that not only were expensive but had also been customized.

And they are scamming the system. They claim the boyfriend (father of all these children on WIC and welfare) isn't living with them (when he obviously is), that he's not employed (while he's working under the table), and they really need to stay home full time.

I'd love to stay home full-time with my kids. I work full-time. My husband works part-time so he is there when they get out of school. It's tight (we live in one of the most expensive places in the world), but we want to be there for them. We also don't want to take money we don't have to have. We want the kids to grow up, go to university and go into careers they want, not just take jobs to eke out a living, or fall back on handouts. We're also raising them to be honest, which these scammers obviously can't do with their children.