4 ms·
Thank you so much for sharing. It is a well-needed reminder that homelessness and lack of health care are a vicious cycle in the US, whereby medical bills cause
by heydenberk 13y ago
Thank you so much for sharing. It is a well-needed reminder that homelessness and lack of health care are a vicious cycle in the US, whereby medical bills cause bankruptcy and homelessness causes [an increased chance of] injury, disease and mental illness. The conversation about homelessness too often takes place among the privileges, whose primary concern is to put the homeless out of sight and feel less guilty. I'm ashamed that I don't spend all day every day in a state of moral outrage that I live in a society where the sick are sometimes not just denied care but actually bankrupted and put out on the street.
- Mz 13y agoI don't entirely agree with that view. My ex was career army, thus I am theoretically entitled to free medical care for life as long as I do not remarry. My bills are not "medical bills" per se. Getting well was not about pursuing drugs and surgeries. It was about figuring out how to feed myself better and live in a manner that accommodates my condition. I previously wanted to be an urban planner. I think the poor quality of a lot of the housing stock in this country contributes to health problems, as does our car-centered lifestyle. I have lived without a car for several years now. It is something fairly challenging to pull off in the U.S. (I now live in San Diego county, which has good public transit, but I was someplace without that when I gave up my car.) I think the path forward to get people healthier in this country is more complicated than just making sure they can "afford" to see a doctor. I have not seen a doctor in several years. If you are healthy, it matters a lot less whether or not you can "afford" a doctor. But have an upvote and thank you for commenting.