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Most homeless services here follow the "beggars can't be choosers" egotism of not attending to people's actual needs but rather looking down their noses on them

Most homeless services here follow the "beggars can't be choosers" egotism of not attending to people's actual needs but rather looking down their noses on them, treating homeless people like criminals or make them jump through hoops like show animals. For example, most of the doctor specialist services here have a "full" waiting list just to schedule an appointment and force people to call at a certain time in the morning for a few spots on said list, like animals jockeying to win the lottery. Oh and the amount of food and cash aid is abysmal, not enough to feed or clothe anyone. Most services demand either employment or only apply to certain groups, leaving many people to fall between the cracks. The "social workers" are arrogant, obnoxious bureaucrats who don't listen to their clients but instead hold their aid over their heads and order them around without offering any solutions, strategies, resources or actual help... just judgement and control. And it takes years to get disability status reviewed and longer to get housing. There are at least 1500 people living rough and 500 people living in vehicles in the area.

c22 7y ago
I was out of work and almost homeless (mostly extended couch-surfing) when the Affordable Care Act went into effect so I signed up for one of the subsidized low-income plans. They assigned me a primary care provider who was two cities away and told me I would have to see them in order for my care to be fully covered. Later when I needed to see a doctor I dutifully made an appointment and rode the bus one and a half hours out there only to learn that my assigned provider was a pediatrician and she didn't feel comfortable taking me on as a patient. I contacted the plan provider and they assigned me a new doctor, but when I tried to make an appointment with him it turned out he was no longer practicing medicine. Fortunately one of his colleagues was able to take me and I finally received some care. Three months later I was informed by his office that they were no longer in-network with my plan because they had had too much difficulty getting them to honor payments. I was assigned another primary care provider but thankfully I got a job not long after that and I never experienced the thrill of discovering whether the last one was a real living doctor or perhaps an inanimate can of Dr. Pepper.
- AstralStorm 7y ago
  Wow. Just excellent. This is done good journalism material for a stinger op. On a less morbid note, while queues are slightly longer, nothing like that happens in any of UK, Canada or any part of EU. USA is the "have no money, get bent" kind of country it seems. Kinda ruins the old American dream for everyone.
  - FearNotDaniel 7y ago
    On a more morbid note, it's a frightening picture of the kind of country our current UK regime wants to create by leaving the EU at any cost and cosying up to Trump's America. They won't be able to dismantle the NHS all in one go but they'll certainly do everything they can to lower standards for all but the elite.
    - thefounder 7y ago
      People voted Brexit like it or not so I think it's time to stop blaming the government for trying to deliver the referendum result. Lies were told of course but that's politics. Maybe investment and wages will increase and people won't care that much about free NHS anymore, at least that's the way I see it sold. Either way EU will make a free trade deal(more or less limited) with the UK, the only real issue with Brexit is the irish border.

c22 7y ago

I was out of work and almost homeless (mostly extended couch-surfing) when the Affordable Care Act went into effect so I signed up for one of the subsidized low-income plans. They assigned me a primary care provider who was two cities away and told me I would have to see them in order for my care to be fully covered. Later when I needed to see a doctor I dutifully made an appointment and rode the bus one and a half hours out there only to learn that my assigned provider was a pediatrician and she didn't feel comfortable taking me on as a patient. I contacted the plan provider and they assigned me a new doctor, but when I tried to make an appointment with him it turned out he was no longer practicing medicine. Fortunately one of his colleagues was able to take me and I finally received some care. Three months later I was informed by his office that they were no longer in-network with my plan because they had had too much difficulty getting them to honor payments. I was assigned another primary care provider but thankfully I got a job not long after that and I never experienced the thrill of discovering whether the last one was a real living doctor or perhaps an inanimate can of Dr. Pepper.

AstralStorm 7y ago
Wow. Just excellent. This is done good journalism material for a stinger op. On a less morbid note, while queues are slightly longer, nothing like that happens in any of UK, Canada or any part of EU. USA is the "have no money, get bent" kind of country it seems. Kinda ruins the old American dream for everyone.
- FearNotDaniel 7y ago
  On a more morbid note, it's a frightening picture of the kind of country our current UK regime wants to create by leaving the EU at any cost and cosying up to Trump's America. They won't be able to dismantle the NHS all in one go but they'll certainly do everything they can to lower standards for all but the elite.
  - thefounder 7y ago
    People voted Brexit like it or not so I think it's time to stop blaming the government for trying to deliver the referendum result. Lies were told of course but that's politics. Maybe investment and wages will increase and people won't care that much about free NHS anymore, at least that's the way I see it sold. Either way EU will make a free trade deal(more or less limited) with the UK, the only real issue with Brexit is the irish border.