#Disability Insurance quote

[watchanimeonlineforfree]

Pet insurance is a type of coverage that helps protect your furry friend's health and provides financial help when they need medical care. Just like humans have health insurance, pet insurance works in a similar way.

[joodymoond]

Pet Insurance

Pet insurance is a type of coverage that helps protect your furry friend's health and provides financial help when they need medical care. Just like humans have health insurance, pet insurance works in a similar way.

[agayconcept]

.

[puppygirlclick]

Disabled Trans Women Still Need Help

Making a new post because the old one is losing traction

You might remember my girlfriend's and I's earlier post where we explained our situation, things have gotten better... and worse. I finally have health insurance and we're trying to work out the situation with my federal taxes, but we still have no way to make our own money or save any money that's been sent to us. Just about all of what you graciously provided us had to go towards our car note as my parents can't cover it, and now that our car is the only transportation for the entire household its more important than ever that we can keep it. Since we can't save anything we're no closer to moving out and have had to move into a worn down shed in the backyard. Until we can figure out some way to keep our car note and other expenses that might come up paid we need all the help we can get, anything helps even $1.

C*sh*pp $StSeeSee (@stcecilia’s account) Accessible again P*yp*l @"schrodingersbird" (also Cicis's without quotes, someone on here has that username) Ask for V*nmo (Not listing here because of my deadname)

DO NOT TAG

[lmaonade]

there's no easy way to do this, but i need to ask for serious help. i recently started the process of getting dental work and my insurance does not help cover what i need done at all. thankfully the place i go to offered a discount on things, so it's not nearly as bad as it could be, but it's still not cheap by any means. here's a breakdown of what i'm going to ultimately owe

root canal - $800 firm quote

root canal filling - $250 estimate

protective crown - $800 firm quote

this brings my total without taxes to roughly $1800... i know this is an absurd amount of money to ask for, but i'm still out of work because of my disability, on top of many other struggles going on in life, things just will not seem to stop piling up. thankfully i've already had the root canal done, and my months of pain has been greatly aleviated, but this has added onto my debt in a way i cannot handle and i need to take the proper steps to make sure this process is completed properly so i don't have any further issues.

anything helps at all, especially shares. thank you for reading. i will do my best to update this post periodically

paypal

venmo: @radioaky

currently at 0 / $1800

[lucyoccupy]

FAIRY TALES - #MicCheck! HOW LUCY OCCUPY TOOK ON THE INSURANCE GIANTS

Once upon a time, in a small town called Justiceville, there lived an old woman with disabilities named Lucy Occupy   Linkedin: #MicCheck! A Fairy Tale! “Lucy’s story is an inspiring example of how one person’s determination and courage can make a difference. Despite facing numerous obstacles and being dismissed by others, she refused to give up and continued to fight for what she believed in.…

[pandemic-info]

"Any chance we're wrong about Covid?"

It's a valid question many people earnestly think about — even the very cautious.

'it becomes important to ask: "what does the data actually say?"'

Quoting a few good answers from a thread:

"Covid left me disabled in 2020. I know with 100% certainty that I am not wrong about Covid. I live with the proof every minute of every day for the rest of my life."

"The insurance companies and government statisticians care, or rather they have taken an objective interest." > https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNU01074597 > https://insurancenewsnet.com/innarticle/insurance-industry-coalition-forms-non-profit-to-study-excess-mortality

"There are parallels between how governments are responding to COVID-19 and how they responded to tobacco back in the day. “it would be a mistake to assume governments would automatically protect people from a public health threat in the face of more immediate economic considerations…there would be resistance to change that might be costly until evidence to justify it was overwhelming.”" > https://johnsnowproject.org/insights/merchants-of-doubt/

"I suspect most of us entertain this thought from time to time, especially when it’s this absurdly difficult and lonely to maintain a Covid Conscious lifestyle. But it’s important to remember that history is littered with people making terrible choices en masse: with handling past pandemics, the holocaust, slavery, witch burnings, etc. Hell pretty much everyone used to smoke and putting lead in everything was A-ok. Just because a lot of people believe something doesn’t mean they’re right. So it becomes important to ask what does the data actually say? The research and the statistical data on this subject paint an ugly but fairly quantifiable picture by which we can gauge our understanding of the situation and our choices in response to it. Read the science. Look at the data on things like Long Covid. There are also many of us who have already had our health absolutely ravaged by this virus or lost loved ones to it etc., and everyone in that position has first hand evidence for how dangerous this virus is. It’s tremendously difficult to swim against the current like we are and self-doubt is natural in those conditions, but that’s when seeking out factual information on the subject is the best course of action."

"But what it all comes back to for me is - say we're wrong, and covid is a big nothingburger and lockdowns are the root of all evil. Ok, well, what I'm doing is acting on the best information available to me at this time to protect my family. I can't regret that. I will always be able to look my kids in the eye and say "I did my best with what I had."" ... So if we're wrong - well, we wore masks, changed our social habits, reduced our consumerism and our contribution to the destruction of our planet, and reduced how often we got sick. None of those things are bad. If they're wrong, they and their kids are screwed. I'd rather err on the side of caution.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

own 2 cents about cure autism

autism cure research, generally not coming from point of, those with it wanting to improve life this way. but more so—people around them believe it what they want it what they need it improve life, and, uncured autism seen as … difficult for people around them, expensive for government to provide services, take up resources in medical places, etc.

majority autistic people *in actually autistic community, who understand this topic, & can talk about their opinion* don’t want whole cure

there not-small-group of autistic people who cannot reliably tell you what they think about this, or in way that easily understood (can’t communicate, can’t understand, etc). they need be remembered in this conversation (& arguably centered… bc they gonna be more affected. see below)

having said that. there exist autistic people of all types who would want cure for own autism. out of those have seen myself, majority of them [high support needs / nonverbal or level 2/3 or diagnosed severe or significant symptoms of some sort] whose life extremely different from peers because of it (& like majority of their problem not caused by “society” & won’t disappear if society & capitalism not exist anymore). it how they feel about their own autism, n feel counterproductive in “educating” them about their own (clearly personal and upset) feeling about what they want do with own disorder, especially since they not funding cure research or whatever. but—

autism, developmental disability that start in childhood, famous for be the “be treated as can understand and make own decisions” and “have autonomy respected” and “not ever forced coerced do anything” and “not force abusive therapy to make them appear ‘normal’ ” disorder. (sarcasm) — don’t really believe we as society are at place where we would actually respect “only for people who want it. won’t force it on people who not want it”.

aka. if cure is post-natal, AKA happen after birth… they will directly or indirectly force cure on autistic people

force post-natal autism cure will disproportionately impact those who… higher support needs, diagnosed level 2/3, diagnosed moderate severe, diagnosed low functioning, diagnosed comorbid intellectual disability or global developmental delay, diagnosed comorbid genetic developmental disability, nonverbal… diagnosed children, in conservatorship, ward of state, in prison, generally not fully legally allowed have final say in decision making… visibly autistic, have/said to have severe behavioral issues, BIPOC especially Black people… (incomplete list)

which. not to say autistic people who not any of these won’t be affected at all. because will. but as a whole, people on that list as a collective group, will be more impacted, more coerced, more forced, even won’t be given choice, to take cure (maybe won’t even be told was given cure), over people not on that list as a whole.

am going emphasize that autism is developmental disorder that start in childhood & children get diagnosed with it & children legally not final say in make decision & children very easily talked into agreeing without full informed decision & those diagnosed as children more likely be [higher support needs / nonverbal / more significant symptoms] (EDIT: at time of diagnosis) because those most noticeable earliest + global developmental delay then catch up later on happens (to vastly simply it to a fault, quoting someone, “no shit they high support needs, they children.”)

can also see welfare slowly not covering uncured autistic people, insurance decrease / deny / make harder coverage for autism related services other than cure, schools & esp special education less support for autism, etc. general official resources for autism decreasing (which. not much to begin with even pre-cure), which again impact all autistic people but especially list above… oh and poor people. can also see stuck in limbo of “will not get support & welfare if uncured autistic, but no money to cure” because this shit will be expensive

when this much at stake (aka if there no resource for keep be autistic, n resources locked away only able get after cure), when big percentage of autistic people cannot reliably show informed consent in some way (cannot reliably communicate, cannot reliably show they understand, or literally not allowed have decision capacity legally, etc)… if an autistic person say yes they agree. actual willing yes? not coerced? not misled? not forced into it?

autism & autistic people (& by extension, care people they depend on) don’t have enough support to begin with. in this current reality without cure lol. can we focus on that too pour as much money in that too — let’s not talk autism’s inherent quality of life until you give all autistic people as much care as they need & for it be freely n easily available

don’t really think current science have enough tech & resource cure autism like this. autism is complex disorder with complex sources & hard to say if current what called “autism” based on behaviors & internal reported symptom not actually group of different disorders.

if cure pre-natal (e.g genetic identification & abortion. anti choice unkindly DNI) - see: down syndrome

however: finding genetic cause =/= cure. find genetic cause can easily lead to find cure research. but should be clear that they not equal to eachother, not automatic mean eachother.

um. missing many things probably

TL;DR. don’t think right now society at place where… have widespread enough, nuanced enough, critical enough, & enough awareness/acceptance/understanding of ALL autism (and disability as a whole).

enough support for autistic people for autism-related needs & general needs (financial, food, etc).

world where autistic people who can make own decisions about self actual able make own decision about self, & world where autistic people who genuinely can’t (for now or ever) actually protected from harm

and honestly don’t think we have enough scientific and medical advancement/knowledge/ability

etc

to actually make sure this won’t go haywire

.

idk if anyone can follow this

autism issue is disability justice is cross-movement justice. autism issue depends on liberation of so many groups of people (like welfare reform, prison reform) 👍

follow up

[legy]

hi! i'm caelum. you might know me from @goldentruths-pod or from posting online. im in a financial quicksand pit and i really, really, really need help.

i'm disabled and receive approx ~$950 a month from social security. this has gone from "rough but survivable" when i first started receiving SSI to "i am literally not making ends meet" in 2024. right now my current status is that i am covering my basic needs but any kind of extra purchases are impossible. and the extra purchases i need to make keep piling up because i just can't afford them. some things i need include, in vague level of priority:

dolphin, my cat, is years overdue for a vet visit. this is going to be $300 minimum, possibly more because she has an adversarial relationship with the vet. she needs dental work done which they had quoted me as being $1500 but ive been putting it off for so long that i would not be surprised if that's more expensive too

i have learned today that my gold crown needs to be replaced. really unhappy about this one. it was a miserable experience the first time (everything that went wrong did go wrong, i'll spare you the details) but what is relevant here is that my insurance does not cover this and it was $900 last time. insurance also does not cover extracting the tooth either so that's cool. i have some time before this one is due (my next consult is in july)

my phone is approaching "unusably broken". i've had it for close to 4 years now. the call speaker no longer works (i can only use the phone on speaker mode) and it struggles to run apps or a web browser which makes things like GPS pretty dire. this would be like ~$100-$150 probably, i havent done serious phone shopping yet

my driver's license is expired and i need to get a new one. this was $110 last time. note i havent driven a car in years due to the disability but it's really valuable to have a universally recognized form of photo ID and ive already been hassled over it being expired

god this one is so embarrassing to get into but i had to flee my previous apartment last year due to it escalating into a DV situation. the other tenants did not pay the heating bill, which was in my name (and my dumb ass didnt close the account because it was the middle of february and i didnt want to freeze them to death) so i have a $250 utility bill in collections. i might be able to dispute or debt forgiveness this one but tbh ive been so fucking drained given everything else going on and also my phone barely works so i havent pursued it. especially since i can't afford to pay it if i cant challenge it

i would really like to have a passport again. my previous one was destroyed by my landlord in 2018 but even if it wasnt it'd also be expired now. not sure how much this one costs. likely $200?

my food stamps were slashed in half (covid emergency ending lol) and do not cover my food costs for the month so im paying like $150 a month on food that i didnt have to previously. i can maybe fix this one but im slowly losing my mind from malnutrition from trying to not go into debt and also eat. so i havent had it in me to go 1v1 welfare bureaucracy and possibly make everything even worse

my shoes are probably two months out from fully decomposing. they were $100 three years ago and id like to get something comparable given they lasted me this long

the rest of my clothes are also very literally becoming threadbare, falling apart, or are too big and keep slipping off. i legitimately feel embarrassed to go in public these days because i dress so shitty all the time

insurance doesnt cover my HRT anymore so that's $30 a month i didnt used to have to pay

im sorry this turned into such a ramble. i'm in such a bad way right now, i have been for quite a while and the dental work news is really just the final straw. i can't really have a fundraising goal because due to the SSI asset limit i can never own more than $2000. & i'm aware both that this is the poor people sending each other the same 20 dollars website and that there are people urgently trying to raise money to escape an active genocide. but i held off from making this post as long as possible & idk what else i can do

anyway if theres anything you can contribute to help me i would appreciate it more than anything. at the very least i need to do something about my tooth.

http://paypal.me/hivehum

[magz]

This one of many way to help disabled people. Can "donate" voice through Vocal ID so that those not able reliably speak can have more variety Text-To-Speech voice in their AAC devices (Alternative Augmentative Communication). Can also "donate" to preserve own voice for future.

Recording can take 2 to 3 hours total, which can be done bit at a time. If done outside a voice donation clinic or recording booth - what needed is a headset with microphone, a quiet environment, and google chrome.

Can make Voice Contributor account or if want to make voice charity drive so more people donate voice, can visit VoiceDrive Ambassador page for more info how to do it.

Quote:

Rapel Patel speech scientist and founder of VocaliD says, “Millions of people rely on synthetic speech to communicate everyday. Yet, they’re given a limited set of generic, robotic sounding voices. Voices that don’t fit their body or personality.” Voices are a part of our identity. If you never met me but spoke to me on the phone, in just a few words you would likely deduce that I am a young woman from New York. Our voice showcases our age group, region we come from, our physical size, our gender identity etc. and our vocal output expresses our emotion, thoughts and ideas. If you donate your voice, vocaliD can mix your vocal recordings with the vocal recordings of an AAC user to create a custom voice for the AAC user.

Of other side, instead of donating...

For using Vocal ID for yourself, there are two main options.

"Vocal ID Legacy" where you preserve the voice for yourself - which end up cost $1499 u.s. dollars (if insurance not cover it).

And "Bespoke Voice" where you choose a voice from recordings, with option to 'blend' the voice with your own if still have some ability to - with varied cost.

[becquerel]

the unitedhealth shooter is the most up and down ive ever seen on a shooting case. the shooting happens and its on a widely despised healthcare ceo. the bullets have revolutionary anti-insurance healthcare slogans on them. he gets away for three days and all of the photos seen of him are like beautiful glimpses at a very handsome man. he gets found. he is gay and italian. he's also seemingly a libertarian? people go over his goodreads and the current reading section is The Book Thief with his to-read section having any rand. he has a bunch of unabomber quotes highlighted? and this was his review of the unabomber's book

he also apparently had a spinal fracture or some form of chronic spinal pain, and was 26. the age you are kicked off of your parents insurance. he had a spinal fusion operation recently. you cannot take chronic pain and disability out of the motivation.

[covid-safer-hotties]

this might sound stupid or like i'm making it up, and i'm really sorry about that, but i have genuinely no one else to talk to about this. i live in a very conservative area in florida. i don't leave the house often (i can probably count on one hand the amount of times i leave the house per month) because i'm disabled and can't work. i'm also mixed, fat, and nonbinary, so i kind of have a target on my back in public already. i've been threatened multiple times for masking in public. there was even one time where an older white woman followed me around in the grocery store and started coughing at me on purpose. i honestly don't know what to do at this point. do you have any advice for this? it's okay if you don't, i just figured i would ask. i just feel generally very unsafe. i couldn't even get the most recent booster because i made an appointment at CVS (the only place that takes my insurance) and when i showed up, they told me they were all out of it and to leave. i'm scared.

It may not be what you want to hear, and it may feel odd to comprehend, but Florida has permitless consealed carry, right? If that's so, it's your constitutional right to own and carry a firearm for self defense. I know theres some Socalist Rifle Associations out that way that would be willing to point you to resources and maybe even help you get armed if that's a course you decide to take. Put simply, loudmouths and braggarts tend not to mess with someone with someone who has a pistol holstered in their pants.

Taken from the Black Panther Party's Ten Point Program:

Self Defense The Panthers decided to take up their constitutional right to carry arms and to implement Malcolm X’s philosophy of self-defense, by patrolling the police. They did this at a time when severe police brutality was common – the police would beat down and kill Blacks at random. They would even recruit police from the racist south to come and work in the northern ghettos. On one occasion, whilst on patrol, they witnessed an officer stop and search a young guy. The Panthers got out of their car and went over to the scene and stood watching their guns on full display. Angrily, the policeman began to question them and tried to intimidate them with threats of arrest. But Huey P. Newton had studied the law intimately and could quote every law and court ruling relevant to their situation. Huey stood there with a law book in one hand and a gun in the other and told the “pigs” about his constitutional right to carry a weapon as long as it was not concealed. He told them about the law and said that every citizen had the right to observe a police officer carry out his duty as long as they stood a reasonable distance away. And he told them about the Supreme Court ruling which defined that distance. A crowd gathered and watched this whole scene in amazement. The Panthers made it clear that they were not looking for a shoot-out and that they would only use their guns in self-defense. They took the opportunity to distribute copies of their ten point program, inform people of the Panthers ideology and invite them to their political meetings. Meanwhile, the flustered and nervous cop took the opportunity to get the hell out of there. The gun had a huge psychological effect, both on the Black community and the police. For the police, it reversed the fear that they so enjoyed creating in others. But for the Black community, it fired their imagination, people felt empowered by seeing Black brothers and sisters protecting their interests. There were two sides to the carrying of guns though, most people saw it as a positive move but others were put off by the militaristic image. On the other side, many brothers in particular, came to the Panther office purely for the gun, the Black uniform – the whole image. When this happened, the Panthers would simply explain that the Black struggle was about a whole lot more than just picking up the gun: it was about educating yourself and then others, about organizing the community programs, selling the newspaper and serving the people. At the same time, they would get the brother to work in the nursery for a while, looking after the children while other members went out on party business. In this way, they tried to make sure that people understood the Panther ideology and that they got a balanced view of what it was all about.

While Newton is discussing their ends here to fight and defend against racism, you can apply some of the same philosophy of self-defense for yourself in regard to covid safety. The biggest part is being brave, and that can be tough, but it can be learned.

I want to be clear, I'm not asking you to go shoot people who give you shit. I am saying that the presence of a firearm will temper their response. Someone gives you shit about your mask, you just casually let them get a glance of the grip of your gun. Having to deal with simliar shit as a trans woman, it's amazing how many jerks turn into cowards when they see something weapon-shaped in my purse. Non-lethal options include pepper spray, knuckle-dusters, extensible batons, and stun guns. Wasp spray is a cheap and painful option as well, but a bit clunky to carry. It makes up for that with range: Some cans spray up to 30 ft. Aim for the eyes. Find what works for you and keep it on you.

Also practice: Be sure you can use your self-defense gear when you need it. Especially if someone puts hands on you, do not be afraid to use it. The threshold for assault begins at unwanted contact. Some preperation will help to keep you safer if you're ever attacked again, and having the ability to deal with escelations will give you beter capacity to endure people's childish abuse. Even if you go the non-lethal route, the SRA would be a good place to find self-defense community that won't assault you for protecting your health.

[abloginablog]

Be Wary.

Check out comrade. Workwear6

It’s striking how interconnected these pieces are when examined critically. The articles suggest a confluence of corporate influence, judicial decision-making, and public sentiment being weaponized to maintain the status quo.

1. Insurance Industry Pressure: The DOJ’s involvement in cases like these appears influenced by industry interests, raising concerns about justice being strategically manipulated. According to Ken Klippenstein’s reporting, insurance companies pressured prosecutors to pursue Luigi Mangione’s case, describing it as a deterrent for others. This influence extends beyond legal decisions and into public discourse, ensuring dissenters are marginalized. As one insider noted, “The goal is to make it too risky for others to even think about challenging the industry.”

2. Judicial Connections: Luigi Mangione, regardless of the allegations, deserves a fair trial. Instead, we see a system riddled with conflicts of interest. Judge Katherine Parker, whose ties to the insurance industry are undeniable, presides over the case, raising serious ethical concerns. According to comments on The Robing Room, Parker has been described as “biased and dismissive,” with one commenter stating, “Her rulings consistently favor powerful corporate interests over the rights of individuals.”

3. Political and Corporate Interests: Figures like Mayor Eric Adams, who has faced scrutiny for alleged favoritism toward corporate donors, and Jessica Tisch, a key figure tied to UnitedHealth Group (UHG), represent the convergence of politics and corporate power. Tisch’s protection of UHG as a benefactor highlights how deeply embedded these ties are. Meanwhile, dissenting voices such as Comrade Workwear, who spoke out against systemic inequities, were silenced when their accounts were disabled—another example of how speaking truth to power is systematically punished.

4. Collaborative Power Structures: The relationship between pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and insurance giants like UHG illustrates a broader issue. These corporations collaborate through intermediaries like Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to set drug prices and control access. This partnership often prioritizes profits over patients, leaving individuals to shoulder the financial and health burdens. As Senator Bernie Sanders once pointed out, “The pharmaceutical and insurance industries are the root cause of America’s dysfunctional and unjust healthcare system.”

5. Labeling Resistance as Extremism: The famous quote, “Give them bread and circuses, and they will never revolt,” captures the current dynamic perfectly. Legitimate grievances—whether about deregulation or systemic inequities—are reframed as extremist or disruptive. For example, public dissent against unfair healthcare practices is often labeled as radical or anti-progress, distracting from the true injustices.

This is not an issue of race or political affiliation—it’s about fundamental human rights. When will we stop yelling at ourselves and start yelling at them? When will we demand accountability for the corporate, political, and judicial systems working hand-in-hand to stifle fairness and justice?

As the evidence shows, the erosion of fairness and equity is a deliberate strategy driven by those in power. The broader question is this: How long will we let ourselves be distracted while they consolidate power and undermine the principles of democracy and equity? The time to refocus is now.

[plasma-tree]

Please help/share; disabled and having a dental emergency.

Look. Dude. I know you all only know me as the dethklok autist who comes out the woodwork to occasionally make sims content and also like an unREASONABLE amount of porn. copius amounts of porn.

I'm also disabled.

I'm also below the poverty line.

I have osteogenesis imperfecta, and it also affects my teeth. I've been struggling with dental problems literally my entire life. I've had well over $20k of dental work done. All of my molars aside from one are crowns, and 2 have been pulled. Only 3 of those crowns are PERMANENT CROWNS. Which means I've been sitting here with temporaries in my head for 10 years. They are failing.

But those are not that big of a problem right now, on the grand scale of things. I will have to deal with those later.

The big problem is that the filling on the back of my upper left canine tooth fell out. That's a big problem, because the last time I had a filling come out of a tooth, it was abscessed within a week.

I have a dental appointment scheduled for JANUARY 29TH, 2024. I'm most likely getting a crown due to the general state of that tooth (the filling was most of the back side of the tooth) and I... Do not have that money. I was quoted $2,000 for a single crown plus root canal. I know it's a fuckton of money, but my dental insurance is absolute SHIT and this is the only dentist who I can see because I live rural.

If you can, please PLEASE PLEASE help me out whether it's by donating or sharing.

My p_yp_l is n.cantrell.010@gmail.com

My v_nmo is @nikkicantrell96

I can't go through with dealing with an abscess again. My disabilities are in part caused by the abscesses I developed as a teenager. I developed cardiac issues that never resolved. I am scared and I do NOT want to die just because one of my teeth threw another hissy fit.

$0/$2000

[darkskywishes]

Being disabled/chronically ill is expensive!

I don't know if people realize how freaking expensive it is to be disabled. I have a complex medical history, which includes two rare genetic illnesses, comorbidities associated with those two illnesses, and several mental health conditions. Just to give an idea of how expensive it is (USA-centric):

I'm forced into living in a specific city, since that's where the medical specialists for my illnesses are located in. On top of that, sometimes the specific specialists I need aren’t covered by my insurance, so I have to pay out-of-pocket. Each medical specialist (when covered by insurance) costs me $40/visit. I average 2-3 visits per month.

Wheelchairs and everything related to wheelchairs are ridiculously priced! If you’re a regular manual wheelchair user, for example, you likely need what’s referred to as a “custom ultra-lightweight wheelchair”. The main companies known for making these wheelchairs are TiLite, Quickie, RGK, Kuschall, and Ki Mobility. If you go on the websites for these manufacturers, you’ll see that just the frame will start you at $2,000+. Need titanium instead of aluminum to make the chair lighter? Extra $1,000. Need to add a seat cushion? More $$. Need to add a power assist device like a SmartDrive? Extra $6-7,000

Seriously, wheelchair parts are expensive. Manual wheelchair wheels will run you about $500 to $800 each (take a look at websites like Spinergy to see what I mean). Wheelchair tires will run at about $300 for the pair.

Mental healthcare! Competent psychiatric care is difficult to come by, at least where I live. Most psychiatrists are not contracted with any insurance companies. My own psychiatrist is $200 per visit, and that’s considered cheap in my area. Then, add on the cost of weekly therapy. My therapist is $150/session. Again, typical price for the area. Need residential treatment? As an example, my insurance quoted me $750 per day until the out-of-pocket max of $6,500 was met.

The monthly cost of medications! I take 7 medications. Even if each medication was “only” $10/month, that would total to $70/month.

The cost of specialized diets. Many chronic illnesses require special foods, supplements, and overall diets. A lot of these diets require extra time and expenses beyond what the average non-disabled person spends.

I wanted to spread some awareness on this issue because, even among my friend group, I regularly get surprised reactions on this topic. Disabled people are often low-income due to being unable to work consistently or at all, while also having some of the highest expenses—with many of those expenses having to be paid for completely out-of-pocket. While a lot of the examples I used above were specific to the US healthcare system, I’m aware that it’s still similarly expensive to be disabled in other countries as well.

A lot of this wasn’t even taking into consideration the cost of more expensive medical equipment, like power chairs, as well as irregular medical costs that occur more frequently among disabled people—like surgeries, hospitalizations, and the cost of diagnostic testing (MRIs, X-Rays, bloodwork, etc.).

Disabled people are taken advantage of when it comes to the price of medical equipment and medications because we don’t have a choice if we want to live and/or have any quality of life. We pay it, or we suffer.

[disast3rtransp0rt]

Got a call from the doctor's office to schedule an echocardiogram to monitor my EDS. I asked how much it would cost out of pocket.

The very kind lady on the phone told me I would need to:

Look up the CPT of the procedure/test I needed done and write down that code.

Go to the insurance website or call them and inquire about the coverage for that code.

Based on the insurance info, call the hospital financial department and ask what kind of payment I'll be doing out of pocket and if there are any other programs I qualify for to cover those costs.

"Do a little math" (verbatim quote).

Call the scheduling department for cardiology back and make an appointment for my echo.

Get the echo.

I do not have a job currently and therefore can't really afford to get this done if there are out of pocket costs, but it's been on my doctor's reccomended test list for two years at this point and she wants to get it done before year's end. Being disabled is a fucking nightmare.