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far too many systems in the US benefit from the poor having no other choice. I paid $3500 for a biopsy With some exceptions, here is the amount that the poor p

far too many systems in the US benefit from the poor having no other choice. I paid $3500 for a biopsy With some exceptions, here is the amount that the poor pay for biopsies in the United States: Zero dollars. The US is built on bilking the poor for every penny SNAP, section 8, Medicaid, TANF, SSDI, SSI, EIC, "Child Tax Credits", etc. That's mostly federal tax dollars. Once you get into state money and private charity, the reality is that there is a cornucopia of handouts for the "poor" in this country that is absolutely unheralded in history. Now it might all be too little--I won't say what the perfect system looks like. But don't act like the "system" is trying to hurt the poor. It is not.

csydas 5y ago
While I am grateful you list the options for many, please understand I was in a position where I was too "rich" for all these options (more than 25k), but too poor for effective insurance ($45k+) I don't feel this is a trivial range, and yet, sub $65 seem to have special rules that add a ridiculous amount of stress. I din't want children because I didn't want to raise a child who had fight for basic comforts. I personally don't want a child for the purpose of qualifying for a break, and I've not felt the desire to raise a child on the "chance" that some payouts will work. Checking a few of the items you metnioned, I'm glad you did as they're not known tot me, but it seems risky, and the conditions that forbid me to qualify are too great/ambiguous. Again, I cannot stress how relaxing it is to be in Russia of all places and be told "MRI? 4000 rubles" _before_ I take the MRI, when the same MRI in the US has a variable cost only delivered _after_ the procedure. This stresses me out immensely. When I was last in the US temporarily, I had an ear infection, and since I had no insurance, medication cost me $450 for a week's worth of pills; abroad, this cost me $10 I cannot stress enough that it's not about the potential to circumvent the systems that the US has, it's about the base out of pocket cost and how you are penalized for not participating in the US healthcare system. I grant there might bee another answer, but somehow the rest of the world uses the same machines/analyses and can charge far less. It's only the US where I was afraid to even go to the hospital _with insurance_ when I might have broken my ribs on the off-chance I'd be denied. yes, I could fight it, but after 10+ hours, this is almost a part-time/full-time job to get what I've already paid for. If I already paid, why do I have to spend my time to get what is rightfully mine?
- fellowniusmonk 5y ago
  Median US income is ~31k, the fact that this is right in the middle of where aid ends is, if not by design, is something that evolved out of wealthy self protection. The working poor are the most compliant workers with the least bargaining power. A person proves incontrovertibly that they are hard workers willing to contribute to society (and not lazy poor as the rhetoric so cruelly propagates) and we immediately cut off community aid and put them right back on the marginal bubble. It's helpful when your employees are kept on a treadmill that moves slightly faster than they can run.
SamoyedFurFluff 5y ago
> SNAP, section 8, Medicaid, TANF, SSDI, SSI, EIC, "Child Tax Credits", etc Have you actually attempted to take advantage of any of these? Some of them apply only to a small subset of people - SSDI AND SSI explicitly exclude able-bodied poor. One is available only to adults who have already worked 10 years, and one actively goes away if you ever even collect assets (or even marry!) this effectively keeping you in poverty. One you mentioned is a program that no longer exists. And SNAP is more or less generous depending on the state in which you live, fwiw.

csydas 5y ago

While I am grateful you list the options for many, please understand I was in a position where I was too "rich" for all these options (more than 25k), but too poor for effective insurance ($45k+) I don't feel this is a trivial range, and yet, sub $65 seem to have special rules that add a ridiculous amount of stress. I din't want children because I didn't want to raise a child who had fight for basic comforts. I personally don't want a child for the purpose of qualifying for a break, and I've not felt the desire to raise a child on the "chance" that some payouts will work. Checking a few of the items you metnioned, I'm glad you did as they're not known tot me, but it seems risky, and the conditions that forbid me to qualify are too great/ambiguous. Again, I cannot stress how relaxing it is to be in Russia of all places and be told "MRI? 4000 rubles" _before_ I take the MRI, when the same MRI in the US has a variable cost only delivered _after_ the procedure. This stresses me out immensely. When I was last in the US temporarily, I had an ear infection, and since I had no insurance, medication cost me $450 for a week's worth of pills; abroad, this cost me $10 I cannot stress enough that it's not about the potential to circumvent the systems that the US has, it's about the base out of pocket cost and how you are penalized for not participating in the US healthcare system. I grant there might bee another answer, but somehow the rest of the world uses the same machines/analyses and can charge far less. It's only the US where I was afraid to even go to the hospital _with insurance_ when I might have broken my ribs on the off-chance I'd be denied. yes, I could fight it, but after 10+ hours, this is almost a part-time/full-time job to get what I've already paid for. If I already paid, why do I have to spend my time to get what is rightfully mine?

fellowniusmonk 5y ago
Median US income is ~31k, the fact that this is right in the middle of where aid ends is, if not by design, is something that evolved out of wealthy self protection. The working poor are the most compliant workers with the least bargaining power. A person proves incontrovertibly that they are hard workers willing to contribute to society (and not lazy poor as the rhetoric so cruelly propagates) and we immediately cut off community aid and put them right back on the marginal bubble. It's helpful when your employees are kept on a treadmill that moves slightly faster than they can run.

SamoyedFurFluff 5y ago

> SNAP, section 8, Medicaid, TANF, SSDI, SSI, EIC, "Child Tax Credits", etc Have you actually attempted to take advantage of any of these? Some of them apply only to a small subset of people - SSDI AND SSI explicitly exclude able-bodied poor. One is available only to adults who have already worked 10 years, and one actively goes away if you ever even collect assets (or even marry!) this effectively keeping you in poverty. One you mentioned is a program that no longer exists. And SNAP is more or less generous depending on the state in which you live, fwiw.