Donal
Philosopher
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
- Messages
- 8,910
I think it has ben brought up here before, but a search came up empty.
Had this conversation with my wife and my mom this weekend. Two of my friends have parents that need serious medical care. One of my friends has a dad who has been living with Parkinson's disease. They are looking to move him into a fulltime care facility, but it will cost around $4k a month.
My other friend has his mother in a care facility now. She was a nurse who contracted COVID, which triggered a stroke. Before Medicaid would pay for a facility, she had to liquidate all of her assets (well, her sons had to do it for her). Her home, her savings, and entire retirement fund gone and it barely covered her care for 2 years. There's nothing left for her family. (Remember, kids, terms like "hero" and "front line worker" are just corporate speak for "expendable".)
My own mom has actually been paying for long term care insurance. But even that only goes for so long. she is also stuck in her current house, which is too big for her, but the apartments in communities near her are more expensive than her current monthly bills.
This is an issue that is already affecting millions of Americans.
This is one of those thigns that was a systemic problem on its own, but was blown up by COVID. Burned out staffers quit in droves. Families pulled their loved ones out fo these faciltiies.
There is also the ongoing crisis of medical facilities closing down in general. It isn't profitable to maintain poor people's health, so rural areas have to go without.
this leads to more seniors relying on their kids and grandkids for support. This on top of the ever increasing expenses in the lives of said kids and grandkids, who are tyring to raise their own kids. And that is assuming there are no health conditions that would prevent a senior living with their extended family.
Of course, a business chud tells us the "free market will solve it". Please ignroe the fact that the "free market" is a big part of how we got here. Of course he thinks programs like Medicare and Medicaid are the problem. No metion of abolishing the incomve tax of social security. No mention of actually curbing the rising costs.
So, sell off all of your assets for a whole 2 years of care! Just that easy. Make it all on the individual, because the ony way our lords can squeeze anymore revenue out of your old ass is to hold your very life over your ehad. Either bankrupt yoruself and possibly your kids, or roll over and die.
What can we do?
First thing I would do is get rid of the income cap on social security tax.
Second, break up the major healthcare conglomerates.
Third, a massive new infrastructure bill targeted at hospitals and other care givers.
That won't solve the problem, but it will send us in the right direction.
Had this conversation with my wife and my mom this weekend. Two of my friends have parents that need serious medical care. One of my friends has a dad who has been living with Parkinson's disease. They are looking to move him into a fulltime care facility, but it will cost around $4k a month.
My other friend has his mother in a care facility now. She was a nurse who contracted COVID, which triggered a stroke. Before Medicaid would pay for a facility, she had to liquidate all of her assets (well, her sons had to do it for her). Her home, her savings, and entire retirement fund gone and it barely covered her care for 2 years. There's nothing left for her family. (Remember, kids, terms like "hero" and "front line worker" are just corporate speak for "expendable".)
My own mom has actually been paying for long term care insurance. But even that only goes for so long. she is also stuck in her current house, which is too big for her, but the apartments in communities near her are more expensive than her current monthly bills.
This is an issue that is already affecting millions of Americans.
This is one of those thigns that was a systemic problem on its own, but was blown up by COVID. Burned out staffers quit in droves. Families pulled their loved ones out fo these faciltiies.
There is also the ongoing crisis of medical facilities closing down in general. It isn't profitable to maintain poor people's health, so rural areas have to go without.
this leads to more seniors relying on their kids and grandkids for support. This on top of the ever increasing expenses in the lives of said kids and grandkids, who are tyring to raise their own kids. And that is assuming there are no health conditions that would prevent a senior living with their extended family.
Of course, a business chud tells us the "free market will solve it". Please ignroe the fact that the "free market" is a big part of how we got here. Of course he thinks programs like Medicare and Medicaid are the problem. No metion of abolishing the incomve tax of social security. No mention of actually curbing the rising costs.
So, sell off all of your assets for a whole 2 years of care! Just that easy. Make it all on the individual, because the ony way our lords can squeeze anymore revenue out of your old ass is to hold your very life over your ehad. Either bankrupt yoruself and possibly your kids, or roll over and die.
What can we do?
First thing I would do is get rid of the income cap on social security tax.
Second, break up the major healthcare conglomerates.
Third, a massive new infrastructure bill targeted at hospitals and other care givers.
That won't solve the problem, but it will send us in the right direction.
