4 ms·

Isnt this extremely normal for these types of services? I was rejected for my state's version of medicaid 4 times because no rep would take the time to go thro

Isnt this extremely normal for these types of services? I was rejected for my state's version of medicaid 4 times because no rep would take the time to go through my application (I made over the income limit, but lived in Flint, MI during the water crisis, making me eligible for a higher limit). I just stopped trying after 4 months.

SpiralLibrarium 4y ago
It is, but it shouldn't be.
- SoftTalker 4y ago
  The lesson is that government doesn't care about you. The same goes to big organizations. Comcast doesn't care about selling internet at no profit to poor people.
  - dsfyu404ed 4y ago
    I don't understand why this is downvoted. Perhaps you struck the WrongThink nerve. No organization is going to invest seriously in doing an awesome job at something that is a pure financial loss. Just follow the incentives. One would have to be completely insane to expect otherwise. When you are just a number to the organization you are dealing with the effect is magnified.
  - JadeNB 4y ago
    > The lesson is that government doesn't care about you. I'm sure you can cite examples of governmental bad behavior that are as neglectful or worst, but this behavior was by Comcast, not the government. In fact, in this case, the very existence of the Internet Essentials program in the first place was because of a government-imposed condition before approving a merger (although Comcast now continues it despite the specific provision having lapsed).
JadeNB 4y ago
> Isnt this extremely normal for these types of services? Yes—but that doesn't mean it should be accepted. It's common at least in part because people don't worry too much about the consequences of disadvantaging the poor and others with comparatively less voice in society. So, when it happens, if possible we should amplify the news of it to make the people in decision-making positions hopefully think twice before allowing such behavior.
Mezzie 4y ago
Are you disabled in any way? There's a MI provision for Medicaid that lets disabled people work and make up to...I think it's like 75k+ a year before they scrutinize my income. I just mention it because if you're in MI and still need health care it might be an option. My experience is that you're rejected for programs at least once before they accept you and it's not not purposeful, if that makes sense.
- cobertos 4y ago
  Yeah, I was told most people are rejected a couple of times. I just got tired of daily phone calls + messages and no answerd, and eventual rejection after not returning my calls. This was even after explaining to some reps, plus putting in a management complaint. I put a lot of hours into working on that one. I'm not disabled, but I'll probably make more than the limit this year. My income is super unstable year-to-year. But I'm most likely losing my biggest contract sometime 2023 so might qualify again. We'll see.
  - Mezzie 4y ago
    It's a complete roulette based on the case worker assigned in my experience. I feel you; I also have very variable income and it's shocking how few programs can handle that. I also question how much of this is purposeful due to things like my having to write and mail in a paper check when I do pay for my Medicaid. It's 2022 and you only take money order or checks that physically arrive in the mail?! And my encounters with the MI UI system were just ridiculous. Hope things work out for you. They need to get that sorted out, particularly for people who lived in Flint and were victimized by governmental incompetence and should be checked regularly for lead damage. (I was lucky and moved out of Flint in 2011. :| )
    - cobertos 4y ago
      Oh dear, yeah, the UI has been dystopian. The cryptic errors, the lack of feedback to let you know if things completed, links to partner websites with absolutely broken pieces of critical information (I couldn't get a prescription list, went to their partner website, and not only did the link not work, but the feedback form also had errors so I couldn't even get help/report it) If this is how critical pieces of software, the ones that sustain life (albeit in an indirect, societal way), will continue to be written, we'll be fucked. And yeah... Flint was a disaster. It seems like every city around here has its own little ecological disaster. Ann Arbor with the PFAS/PFOS, St Clair River with the no swim warnings, etc...

SpiralLibrarium 4y ago

It is, but it shouldn't be.

SoftTalker 4y ago
The lesson is that government doesn't care about you. The same goes to big organizations. Comcast doesn't care about selling internet at no profit to poor people.
- dsfyu404ed 4y ago
  I don't understand why this is downvoted. Perhaps you struck the WrongThink nerve. No organization is going to invest seriously in doing an awesome job at something that is a pure financial loss. Just follow the incentives. One would have to be completely insane to expect otherwise. When you are just a number to the organization you are dealing with the effect is magnified.
- JadeNB 4y ago
  > The lesson is that government doesn't care about you. I'm sure you can cite examples of governmental bad behavior that are as neglectful or worst, but this behavior was by Comcast, not the government. In fact, in this case, the very existence of the Internet Essentials program in the first place was because of a government-imposed condition before approving a merger (although Comcast now continues it despite the specific provision having lapsed).

JadeNB 4y ago

> Isnt this extremely normal for these types of services? Yes—but that doesn't mean it should be accepted. It's common at least in part because people don't worry too much about the consequences of disadvantaging the poor and others with comparatively less voice in society. So, when it happens, if possible we should amplify the news of it to make the people in decision-making positions hopefully think twice before allowing such behavior.

Mezzie 4y ago

Are you disabled in any way? There's a MI provision for Medicaid that lets disabled people work and make up to...I think it's like 75k+ a year before they scrutinize my income. I just mention it because if you're in MI and still need health care it might be an option. My experience is that you're rejected for programs at least once before they accept you and it's not not purposeful, if that makes sense.

cobertos 4y ago
Yeah, I was told most people are rejected a couple of times. I just got tired of daily phone calls + messages and no answerd, and eventual rejection after not returning my calls. This was even after explaining to some reps, plus putting in a management complaint. I put a lot of hours into working on that one. I'm not disabled, but I'll probably make more than the limit this year. My income is super unstable year-to-year. But I'm most likely losing my biggest contract sometime 2023 so might qualify again. We'll see.
- Mezzie 4y ago
  It's a complete roulette based on the case worker assigned in my experience. I feel you; I also have very variable income and it's shocking how few programs can handle that. I also question how much of this is purposeful due to things like my having to write and mail in a paper check when I do pay for my Medicaid. It's 2022 and you only take money order or checks that physically arrive in the mail?! And my encounters with the MI UI system were just ridiculous. Hope things work out for you. They need to get that sorted out, particularly for people who lived in Flint and were victimized by governmental incompetence and should be checked regularly for lead damage. (I was lucky and moved out of Flint in 2011. :| )
  - cobertos 4y ago
    Oh dear, yeah, the UI has been dystopian. The cryptic errors, the lack of feedback to let you know if things completed, links to partner websites with absolutely broken pieces of critical information (I couldn't get a prescription list, went to their partner website, and not only did the link not work, but the feedback form also had errors so I couldn't even get help/report it) If this is how critical pieces of software, the ones that sustain life (albeit in an indirect, societal way), will continue to be written, we'll be fucked. And yeah... Flint was a disaster. It seems like every city around here has its own little ecological disaster. Ann Arbor with the PFAS/PFOS, St Clair River with the no swim warnings, etc...