Write My Congressman on Christmas Eve?

I'm not known for writing my congressman.  But, in this busy holiday season time, I ran across this blog post. 

Perhaps I should write this, using her template

Dear Senator Schumer:
I am the sister in law of a man in his 50's with autism. We need so much help just to keep our families together. Autism is so complex.

One of our country’s blessings is our human services. Let’s take Medicaid as an example, because I have firsthand experience with that program.  Bil has just lost lost his Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver.  We've never been able to get reshab services and.With so many having been educated with our public school system (also far from perfect, but lightyears beyond what the disabled used to have — Nothing) isn’t it a profound waste of human potential to let these people just languish for the rest of their lives, doing nothing and living in their aging parents’ homes — and that’s only the lucky ones who have parents up to the task. 

Medicaid is not the place to experiment with deficit reduction. As unpleasant as it is, we all know that revenue to pay to run this country comes from taxes. Please look to the wealthiest in this country first, before looking at the poorest and most vulnerable. Medicaid helps the most vulnerable. 

Back in November, there was a question regarding whether one of Bil's medicines would be covered by Medicaid any longer.  Fortunately his Medicare Part D is still covering the medication but it was a scare never the less.  We know Social Security and Medicare are in trouble.

Will our developmentally disabled fall through a frayed safety net?


Yours truly, (and happy holidays)
Bil's sister in law

Social Security Disability in Danger of Insolvency

So....still another worry concerning Bil.

Apparently the SSDI system is on the verge of insolvency. This fact has been swallowed up in all the discussion about Social Security in general.  But, a lot of disabled people depend on their SSDI.  And Bil is no exception.

 Bil's father is dead.  His widowed mother takes care of him.  She has her Social Security. Bil gets SSDI on his late father's account.  It is NOT welfare.  It is a benefit based on his father's work record. And Bil has his job in the sheltered workshop, and his SSDI check.

Sheltered workshop jobs, it seems, do not pay well.

Could you live on 50% of minimum wage?  We don't know exactly how much Bil makes (his mother has never disclosed this to us) but it is possible it is only 50% of minimum wage.  Or it could be that Bil isn't exploited in this way, but he can't be making that much. And, the area where he lives with his mother (the NY Metropolitan area) is not a low cost of living area.

How many other people are in this situation?  The SSDI isn't spending money.  It's living on money.

To understate it, this isn't good.