#I SHOULD HAVE MEDI CAL BY THEN BUT.

[heelcody]

finalizing my plans to go to the Kansas City race with my dearest good friend Alex newgayden with the crushing realization that that's the same week I turn 26 and lose my health insurance so nothing better happen to me on that trip

[posttexasstressdisorder]

I knew today was gonna suck, and no way out of it, I had a fucking dental appointment at the decidedly UN-civilized hour of 8:30am.

I'm usually still 2000 Light Years out at that time. So in order to make sure I didn't oversleep, I set the alarm for 4:45, got up and had enough coffee to get me alert enough to drive to Highland.

Of course, this being "the Island", I have no idea what it's like trying to get OFF said island at that time of the morning now. So I left at like 7:35, ended up getting there by just after 8.

Medi-Cal Dental means the "dentist" I see is a resident. Tiny little Chinese girl, but goddamn, did she wrench the shit outa my jaw, comin' and goin'. The technology advances are mind boggling, but they still gotta wrench on you for anything major, like today: removing a nearly 20-year-old crown that had a huge cavity under it, and had caused one in the tooth in front of it, by rubbing over the years.

I figured they'd numb me up, take a pair of something like offset needle-nose and pull. No. That would have been too easy. She literally cut it off, in chunks. But she leaned and she and the assistant yanked and just generally had their way with my mouth while I just laid there. Where have I heard this before?

So yeah, it figures I'd be waxing maudlin after two hours of having my head assaulted. And not in the fun sense.

The temp crown fits great, but damn that whole side of my mouth is sore, and my jaw feels like I should be smilin' but I ain't. Supposed to put the "new" one on Jun 5, fast turnaround.

Did grocery shopping after that and just got more depressed. Ended up putting most everything back, only getting barest of stuff, still had to throw out $20 past what was left on the EBT. The prices just make my blood boil...they haven't gone down one bit.

[jellogram]

My most toxic trait is being completely unable to sympathize when people complain about housing prices in other places like. I can never ever live in my home state again. Not even in the stupid small town part of San Diego that I grew up in, where there is nothing to do. Unless I live with my parents, I will never be able to live within 5-6 hours drive of my family for as long as I live. My brother makes well over six figures there and has roommates and will never own a house either.

I know it's all relative and I should be able to commiserate instead of playing pain olympics but when I hear people complain about $1500 studios I want to scream and rip out my hair. Studios in the building I could afford just a few years ago are now $2500.

"But your minimum wage is higher!" Yes and so are our taxes. I lose 1/5th of my paycheck every month just to the state taxes and I'm already getting paid below minimum wage before taxes. They do not care if you are making very little money, they will tax the shit out of you anyway and then deny you for social programs. I cannot afford a studio apartment anywhere in the state and they still think I'm too rich for medi-cal.

Every time someone tries to go "Well it's bad everywhere!" Yes I know. But you cannot sit there and tell me that California is not way, way worse than nearly every other place in the country aside from a couple places like NYC or Hawaii. "So go live somewhere cheaper!!" Yeah!! I do!! But I don't think I'm out of line for complaining that I can never live within 5-6 hours drive of my family ever again.

I cannot stress enough how uninhabitable that state has become.

It's all relative and I am being a toxic little competitive baby about it. But this is what happens to you when you start seeing $5 gas and thinking "Hey, that's not so bad!" I have BRAIN ROT.

[nihilnovisubsole]

[taps mic] is everybody here? everyone still manning their tumblr blogs after the twitter roller coaster of the past couple of months? cool

so! 2022, huh? it's not new year's eve without one of my soppy, navelgazing year-in-review posts. if you're reading this, you survived. as an acquaintance of mine put it, "i hope 2023 is the year it all pays off for you."

if i seem unusually optimistic about it, it's because this year, against the odds, things started looking up. i had no idea when i stepped out last december 31st and listened to the neighbors' firecrackers what i was in for. i didn't know that when obsidian emailed me on a january afternoon about "a quick follow-up meeting," it would be their offer call. i didn't know what kind people i'd meet there, or the lengths they'd go to to make me feel like a respected peer instead of a gatecrashing fan. i knew least of all how it would affect my state of mind: that i'd finally feel a sense of accomplishment and dignity. i look ahead and i see a viable future for myself. i've been paid to write for years, but now i can support myself with it. i think about the weight that takes off my mother. i remember staying up until 4 A.M., wondering how i'd do the only thing i ever wanted to do. it was a big, dark ocean then. it's still an ocean now, but i've got a boat, a crew, and a lantern. it's hard to overstate what that does to you.

the downside is, there are only 24 hours in a day, and your time feels very different when you're on the clock for eight of them. i knew it'd be a change, and it's gone more smoothly than i thought it would, but i just can't churn unpaid stuff out the way i did years ago. projects that would've taken a long time in college have become interminable now. you wouldn't believe how much half-finished art i have sitting around. it's not lost on me that this is just ordinary adulthood, and even i had to get around to it at some point. laugh all you want! seriously, i probably deserve it, and it's hard enough to find things to laugh about in this decade.

part of me misses that pillowy freelance lifestyle of cramming my paid work into the mornings, then doing fun projects all day. then i remember i was numbing the ache of not having a career that i now have, and the superficial sense of leisure came with a heavy price. it wasn't worth three cents a word and almost no creative input. it wasn't worth being on medi-cal and having my mother keep me afloat. it certainly wasn't worth watching my friends work themselves half to death because they weren't privileged enough to have that support network. i think we all agree that we should have a better world, that artists should be able to just make art, that contractors aren't paid enough. [except for relic, they were very generous, i loved them.] in the meantime, we have to make it through with what we have, and figure out how to look after each other as best we're able to.

i think, when people gain a measure of success in life, they want to fantasize that they did it all by themselves. that's ridiculous. i wouldn't be writing any of this without the people who hyped up my wild fanfic ideas or bought dangerous crowns. i'd never have written anniversary without the other longsummer nights authors building a vivid world for hercule and aida to live in. i'll never forget the colleagues and the industry doors they helped me through, and, you know, i'm not much now, but i hope i can pass that on. even if you only have a little power, you have to use it for good, right? otherwise, that's how you get a chandelier dropped on you.

seriously, though, read anniversary. i want to talk about it more. it's short, i swear!

[mahayanapilgrim]

Stories of Tara

Whence comes tara, or as we cal her in Tibetan, Drolma? There are two charming stories of Tara's origin. The first tells that, in the beginning, many kalpas' before the time of the historical Buddha or of any other of the four Buddhas of our own kalpa, in the one known as the light or white kalpa, Tara was not an enlightened being, not a Buddha. Although a princess, she was just an ordinary sentient being living in a world called Many Lights. She was an earnest Dharma student, and was receiving teachings from a Buddha known as Tathagata Sound of the Drum. Her name, auspiciously enough, was Yeshe Dawa in Tibetan or Jhana Chandra in Sanskrit. Yeshe or Jhana means Wisdom and Dawa or Chandra means Moon, so in English her name would have been Wisdom Moon. Wisdom Moon was a very devoted, respectful, and generous student who made many offerings to Tathagata Sound of the Drum. She also made many offerings to thousands of Sravakas, Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and to different members of the Sangha. Wisdom Moon took the Bodhisattva vows, and because of her sincere and dedicated practice, accumulated a lot of merit and generated Bodhichitta. At this point, some of the Bhikshus advised her that, if in her next life, she wanted to continue to progress on her spiritual path, she should take rebirth as a male. But Wisdom Moon replied

"There is no male or female; there is no self, no person, and no mind. Male and female are mere labels of the mind. This world is confused by dualistic ideas. Whether I become enlightened in a male body or female one makes no difference. However, since there are so many male Buddhas already, I wish to be a female Buddha." Wisdom Moon then vowed to always take rebirth as a woman and to become a female Buddha. She continued to enjoy her life as a princess while she medi-rated conscientiously; she practised a special kind of samadhi called the Samadhi of the Liberator until she achieved full Enlightenment.

From then on, she worked tirelessly all day, every day, to liberate hundreds of sentient beings. Although she had incredible energy and per-severance, not all sentient beings could be liberated immediately due to their Karma and negativities. Still, Wisdom Moon cared for them, and worked to relieve their suffering. Tathagata Sound of the Drum gave her the name Tara Devi, the Liberator Goddess.

In the second story of Tara's origin, Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, weeps because he is so moved by the terrible suffering of sentient beings. His tears form a lake, and a lotus flower appears on the surface of the lake. Tara then appears from a pistil in the centre of the lotus, telling Avalokiteshvara that she will help and support him in liberating sentient beings from their suffering. Tara is also said to appear from the tears on Avalokiteshvara's lotus face

[killed-by-choice]

Michelle Thames, 18 (USA 1987)

In 1987, 18-year-old Michelle Thames was accepted into the U.S. Navy. She was about to be officially inducted, but she was pregnant.

Michelle went to Her Medical Clinic, which was actually an abortion facility responsible for the deaths of Donna Heim, Liliana Cortez and Maria Soto. Just like Liliana, Donna and Maria, Michelle underwent an abortion and lost her own life in the process.

During the abortion, Michelle suddenly had a seizure. Her heart stopped completely and according to the lawsuit made by her parents, Her Medical Clinic staff did not make an adequate attempt at resuscitating their daughter. She died the same day as the abortion.

Leo F. Kenneally ran the abortion facility that killed Michelle. The abortionist's medical license was suspended by the medical board over the appalling conditions and rampant malpractice at Her Medical Clinic. Aside from the deaths of multiple clients, there were many reports of non-lethal malpractice cases. Former state medical board executive director Dixon Arnett's said that Leo F. Kenneally's case was "the most egregious I have seen, bar none." But a judge later restored Kenneally's license, claiming that he was doing a public service "providing abortions" in an "underserved area."

Michelle’s case wasn't even the first time Kenneally had his medical license suspended. His license had been suspended in 1975 for records-keeping violations and again in 1979 for Medi-Cal theft.

Michelle Thames should have had a bright future ahead of her. Nothing about killing her or her baby qualifies as public service.

[planetarybound]

Today was productive. Scheduled tetanus and moderna booster for tomorrow morning, and then I have to go fill out new patient paperwork with a therapist I found for the appointment I scheduled next Tuesday. Also have a follow-up with primary care on Friday, and then I got an appointment with a urologist for April 18th I think?

Could've also had an appointment with the dermatologist, but their office is closed on Wednesdays, and I still should find a psychiatrist.

Loving my Commiefornia Medi-Cal. All of it is totally for free for me. 🙂

[thedepressedweasel]

Privacy? What’s that?

Earlier today, my egg donor kept going to my room and searching for my Medi-Cal card and accusing me of taking it and even when I told her that I didn’t take it and that I didn’t even have it anywhere, she never believed me. She also kept going through my stuff and when I asked her to stop, she yelled at me, called me names and swore at me. She even went through my wallet and when she discovered my CashApp debit card that she never knew I had, I tried to take it back from her, but she wouldn’t let me until I grabbed it out of her hands; instead, she kept interrogating me (while insisting on deadnaming me on purpose and enjoying it) and when I told her that it was none of her business, she started screaming at me that I was supposed to trust her and tell her everything about myself, no matter what.

I don’t have to tell anybody anything. I know exactly who should get locked up. And that, my friends, is definitely not me.

[lord-of-christmas-lights]

Hello, Eligibility worker here! What the person likely got was Medicaid/Medi-Cal services. Medicaid is the federal name, Medi-Cal is the special California name for it, and it may have different state specific names in other states. I'll be referring to it as Medi-Cal in this post, as I'm a Californian worker and I'm just more used to saying that, but know that it is the same as Medicaid that I am referring to.

So, what is Medi-Cal? Medi-Cal is health insurance for low income people that, provided your provider accepts Medi-Cal/Partnership billing, can cover up to 100% of your medical bills. (Please note, the provider has to accept Medi-Cal's rates, there is currently some stuff going down between Partnership (the actual billing side of Medi-Cal) and Dignity Health here in CA. Ask providers if they accept Medi-Cal/Partnership coverage.)

Before I say anything else, if you have questions, I highly recommend calling your local Health and Human Services agency (there should be one in every county) and asking them. Some of what I'm about to cover may be subject to local regulations, I know my county sometimes gets waivers so we can make services more accessible to low income people in our rural area. I think all the basics should be federally regulated and accurate across California/America, but you gotta remember this is health insurance we're talking about.

The current Federal Poverty Level income cap in 2024 for MAGI Medi-Cal is $1732.00/mo gross (138% FPL) for an 1 person household able-bodied age 19-64. Higher number of people per household limits here. If you are married, your spouse must be on your Medi-Cal and their income will count in your budget. If you have children, they must be included in your household. If you are under the age of 19, or still claimed as a dependent by your parents, you must be on their case. Kids under the age of 19 have higher income limits. Kids qualify up to 266% of the FPL for your household size. Parents can be ineligible, while their kids still qualify.

For the purposes of this post, there are two types of Medi-Cal. MAGI and Non MAGI. MAGI is what you'll get between that 19-64 yrs, or a child included in your parent's MAGI household. MAGI income and deductions go by IRS income and deductions. If you are self employed, any deductions the IRS allows on your taxes are deductions we can allow. I have seen people with 300k gross income from self employment businesses qualify because they have 270k in expenses allowed on their taxes. MAGI stands for Modified Adjusted Gross Income, the IRS uses this too. If you have MAGI Medi-Cal, you get full scope coverage.

Non MAGI is for people aged 65+, disabled, blind, pregnant, without citizenship or legal documentation, or one of the other 400 incredibly specific scenarios outlined in my work binder of cheat sheets because some senator somewhere at some time thought one person had a really unfair situation. Non MAGI is both really simple and really complicated at the same time from a worker perspective. The income limits are different, the expenses allowed are different, and honestly as a worker I put the numbers in and let the system spit out what kind a person gets because there are hierarchies and sometimes they qualify under one Non MAGI program but not another and it's just a lot to summarize in one Tumblr post. Property used to be applicable for Non MAGI Medi-Cal but is not anymore as of 01/01/2024. You can have full scope Medi-Cal, or Share of Cost Medi-Cal (SOC) under Non MAGI. If you have an SOC, you do not owe anything to the Medi-Cal agency, however, you must pay your SOC in medical bills in one month before Medi-Cal will kick in and cover the rest.

Scenario I use to explain SOC: You qualify for Medi-Cal with a SOC and your SOC is 5000 dollars. It is the month of May. You pay $30 for a prescription on May 2nd. You pay $100 at your dentists on May 5th for your yearly check-up. On May 7th, you get into a car accident. You break a leg, an arm, injure your neck, and are life flighted to a hospital an hour away. The life flight costs $67,000 dollars and the total expenses for your arm, leg, and time in the hospital end up being $150,000. On May 13th, you pay $4870 dollars towards these bills. Congratulations, you have met your SOC. Medi-Cal covers the rest of those bills for May. On June 3rd, you pay $30 for your monthly prescription.

Most of the time, people end up with a SOC because they are aged or disabled and their Social Security income is a tiny bit too high for the income limits. There are some things that can be done to lower a SOC, like having other health insurance premiums, so if you do have a SOC, talk to your case worker about your expenses.

Now, that's just a brief overview of Medi-Cal/Medicaid, how you can qualify, and what you can qualify as. All of this information is publicly available to find, either through the DHCS, google, or your local office. If you have questions, you are welcome to send me an ask and I will do my best to direct you appropriately. I will urge you though, again, to reach out to your local Eligibility department or whatever it's called in your county, and they'll also be able to help you.

I feel like I should make a post about this because it’s not something that’s very well-known, and that Americans in particular may need to know about given the uncertain state of our healthcare system at the moment. I’ve wanted to write this out for a while, It’s kind of a long post, so sorry about that!

If you have an emergency and have to go to the hospital, you’ll owe the hospital a lot of money. (I got into a car wreck and broke my ankle and my arm. My hospital bill was around $20,000)

You’ll also owe the ambulance provider, if you need one. (My ambulance bill was about $800)

You may get separate bills from the anesthesiologist or surgeon. (My anesthesiologist bill was $1,700)

You may need follow-up appointments. (My orthopedic surgeon billed me for the appointments and his surgery together and it was about $1,000)

You’ve also got to pay for medical equipment you need afterward, like crutches or a walking boot. (Mine cost about $75)

Altogether, I ended up with almost $24,000 in medical debt from one car accident. That’s a really scary number for someone like me who makes $10/hr at a 12 hour a week job.

I got my debt down to $1075 by making some phone calls and submitting some paperwork.

The first thing I did was contact the hospital. They don’t make it easy to find, but many hospitals (perhaps most hospitals?) have financial assistance programs for people who can’t afford medical bills. I don’t make a lot of money, and I have bills to pay, so they were able to help me. I called the billing department and asked if they had any assistance programs for low income people who can’t pay their bills. I had to call multiple times, and I got transferred in circles by people who didn’t know what I was talking about. Finally, I got an appointment with someone in “Eligibility Services” (I don’t know what other hospitals call it, if it’s something different). I had to bring my pay stubs and copies of all of my bills. When I got to the hospital for the appointment, nobody knew what I was talking about so I had to wander a little to find where I needed to go. I spoke with the guy in Eligibility Services, and I waited for a decision on how much of the bill they would forgive. A month later, I got a call telling me it was totally forgiven.

I did the same thing for my ambulance bill and my anesthesiologist, but the process was a LOT easier. I just had to mail some paperwork and it was totally forgiven.

I didn’t bother with the medical equipment suppliers, since the bills came from separate companies and I didn’t feel like going through the process twice for $75. I was assured at the hospital that they had similar programs for debt forgiveness, so I could have probably avoided paying that too.

The only thing I couldn’t get taken care of was the surgeon/follow-up appointment cost, but they were able to put me on a no-interest payment plan.

Medical debt is scary because it’s something that can come from stuff that’s already really scary. I didn’t need the burden of $24,000 in debt on top of trying to get around on a crutch with a broken arm (it’s not easy, believe me!).. but I can’t imagine what it would be like with a bigger debt or a more severe medical emergency. I see lots of people in even worse trouble than I was in, both financially and medically. Please know that there are options for you when that GoFundMe doesn’t do enough. Even if your income is higher than mine, it’s worth a shot even for partial debt forgiveness.

[pipelinelaserraygun]

💥 CATASTROPHE 👹‼️⬆️

Moment of 🧶 unraveling:

"How many illegals have crossed the USA, DURING ��� your TIME, IN 📴-ice?"

Who ⬆️ will work a millstone after Super Tuesday?

1000% MUST 🙈🙉🙊 SEE: Isaiah 47, in 🔁 repeat mode.

The Lord carefully chooses HIS words: 📖 THIS passage features rhetorical questions, SARCASM, and a beat-down.

God's wrath on babylon ISN'T a judgment on 🇺🇸✝️👑💍 American Beulah.

Christ's Bridal Party WON'T be subject to 💥 damnation penalties.

⬆️ I 🦇 came out of a 3-week coma. The 🏥 hospital bill was $100,000. My expenses were gone BEFORE I awoke, by qualifying for Medi-Cal.

Without 🦇 MY participation, WHILE 💤 STILL in a coma, the Batman Family + Friends established a "Go Fund Me" request. Donations came in. Money was there for my lost income.

🦇 I never asked God for a helper/s to participate in the Ministry, yet BEFORE even opening my mouth, God sent Soly and Team Jesus.

The ⬆️ takeaway here is that Heavenly provisions have been PRE-ORDERED❣️

And 🦇 I feel that as a reward for LOTS of hard work to 👊🏽 defend the New Jerusalem in 🇺🇸🗳️ America, 📖 Isaiah 47 (a repeat 🕎 VISIT) has been pre-ordered, for November.

demo-🐀 RATS are 🗑️ done: NOTHING 👿👺 they plan will outperform God's plans.

"I AM no Man."

Jehovah the Almighty makes THAT claim, and SO CAN ✝️ (M/F) Christ's Bridal Party.

[scentedchildnacho]

My case manager wanted to know if I applied for section 8 so I told her as far as I have been told that program closed a long time ago.....and she asked me if I wanted to rent.......so i told her if its just useing stuff the same cycle starts over and over and over.....

I told her I do want to work it out with a community project so I'm there to improve a property not just use stuff.....

So far the communities I have met have been very radically opposed to my birth families values so I haven't met people I felt safe to create moss and roots with yet ....

Their either very folk or very people.....no moderate point to be made....

If their folks entirely different food systems are required or my prior life would just keep coming back at me to abuse me

If their people my prior life keeps stalking and finding me to abuse me.....

Im not normal and maybe need an LGBT family or these subtle post modernities dont manifest truly safe potentials

Those women at the project wanted to abuse me and there was no lesbian authority to explain seriously that gainful employment has to constantly be the focused goal...if its hetero normative they just feel bad for abusers that they werent as privileged as they could be

She advertised mentalism to me because I said I was taking classes to find therapies so I could interview for project communities.....

Then wanted.......to know if I applied to medi cal so I told her genetic research groups should really fund their own practice asking the tax payer to fund drugs like warfarin or clopidopteral or codeine is really experimental potentially life threatening ideas....

They want to know something great and now they know off objectified people's life

They call the drugs mentalism but it is a lot of caucasian dooming paranormal blood letting stuff

It is all really racist ...and people who wish seizures on people who are not fighting or have stopped fighting should realize those were weapons people should not have ever used

This woman at food line told me her daughter sporadically had cancer all over her body just sudden out of nowhere like LDL cholesterol....

Like all over her body rapidly randomly and suddenly and she died....

She told me I don't have to take the drugs....so I told her technically I can file a law suit allegeing use of force to participate in drug study but really they will perpetrate and force people to litigate after

The United States as an entity is very bad inproficient and unable to prevent terrorism like hygiene terrorists

I mean it could be the next time I am checked into the hospital and be given iatrogenic aids

Mom that little aids quilt boy am I going to have to take another bleed....

Seizures weapons people should not have used....i watched this confession on soft white underbelly of mafia activity and it's the sheer amount of casualties possible of men like john wayne gacy

Suddenly there are these non emancipated really sad battered and neglected women's cases then there are all these men capable of gender neutrality cultures from far away europe and these guys start going around in missing women's make up and fashion opportunities and it's what to do with these women

Armenian conflict basis of things if women are not who occupy a certain place of inheritable decisions a lot of men die for arrogant nicotine science assumption

I am who is from and raised in Wisconsin and im who aquired certain disciplined spending in reform and they steal from me and roads aren't fixed and schools won't let in harmless difference ..etc

Catholic school at Vietnam church was really homogenized and that's not normal for catholicism....

Then parking available to really violent sex traffickers like warrants in Cambodia also .....instead of some plump black girl film

Its china segregation schools black people live around there and maybe would have preferred to not traffick their children segregatively

[posttexasstressdisorder]

So yeah...dentist.

The whole thing was just kinda mind boggling.

I had to go do Bunny Duty this morning, and got my inhaler at safeway pharm, which was fast. Came home and pissed away an hour or two and figured I should leave about 11am, since I had to go by the lab and give the vampires their blood. That would leave me plenty of time before the 12:30 check-in, 1pm appt.

Finding the dental clinic in Highland was daunting. I am used to just the building with the ER, for the elevator up to the Adult Medicine Clinic. The dental clinic is in the OLD hospital building...which I'd never been in. Down a flight of stairs, through a maze of hallways, two security checkpoints...I was pretty bug-eyed by the time i found the dental clinic.

Everything they do at Highland is 100% digital now, and that included things I had no idea about.

The assistant lady was very sweet, just came out and told her this was the first dental appointment I have had in over twelve years. A quick run-down of why I'm on SSI and use baking soda, coz I can't pay for toothpaste. So the dental Resident came in, and she, I can tell, is aghast at the mess that is my teeth. Did a little poking, asked where it was hurting, etc. and told the assistant lady to do the xrays.

So she leaves, and the assistant hauls out the old "Lead Apron", and lays it across me, and said OK, open wide and bite down when I tell you. I was confused, no nasty little cardboard things to cram in your jaw and bite down on , and I was looking around for the XRay machine. I figured she would go and get it. Surprise!

She picked up this thing that was about as big as a compact kitchen HAND MIXER, with a 5-inch diameter "cone of shame" and a flat piece of plexi where the blades of the mixer would be. Like a space blaster on The Jetsons, but a REAL "Ray Gun"!

She placed this plastic sensor thing in my mouth and told me to bite down, and put the mixer thingee against my head and clicked a trigger. About six seconds later, the goddamn xray of my goddamn teeth showed the fuck up on the computer screen! No more waiting for hours, no big glass plates, none of that.

And yes, a veritable cornucopia of crowns and fillings and much less pleasant findings were all there, worst of which was exactly what I figured: the back molar on left is cracked. Much poking and prodding. So much poking and prodding.

After the usual question about why my teeth are the color they are, she asked if I took Tetracycline as a kid, and I said, yes, along with every other antibiotic made between 1959 and 2000, and I also drink hot black coffee all day, and smoke only cannabis (when I can). I knew the Tetracycline turning teeth grey long ago, plus 60 years of asthma inhalers.

I told her that I gave up on having pretty teeth a long long time ago. I don't open my mouth when I smile, unless made to. I've always considered showing your teeth when you smile to be a sign of menace and aggression, another reason I don't.

Besides the busted molar, three cavities, probably more.

So the coolest part, besides all the Space-Age George-Jetson Dental Bling is that she came up with a game plan to fix things fairly quickly, and we start Aug. 7th with cleaning.

I've been instructed to brush my tongue. It must be hairy. lulz.

Oh, and the blood test results are now almost instantaneous: they were waiting for me in the MyChart by the time I got home.

Thank you Medi-Cal !

"California, Ah LUV YEW!"

[somethingaboutnoodles]

There's lots of things that suck in California, but I will point out that California still has *many* exceptional things going on that are actually great--like not having universal healthcare does suck, but having universal healthcare for every impoverished person in the state regardless of citizenship (Medi-Cal) is pretty cool, no???

Another occasionally great thing in California is the ballot proposition system!

For example, Californians voted on Prop 1 in March, passing it, which meant 6.4 billion dollars has been borrowed to build affordable housing units, safe use drug centers, and mental health clinics with funds specifically earmarked to address homelessness.

That constitutional amendment on involuntary servitude (prison slave labor) that didn't pass the legislature before? A version of it did actually get through the legislature in June and is now a proposition!

You can vote yes on Prop 6 in November to ban involuntary servitude! It would mean prison labor cannot be forced, it would be illegal to retaliate against prisoners who refuse to work, and prisoners who choose to work would get time off their sentences in the form of credits *in addition to pay*.

Some other propositions that you might be interested in below the cut!

Prop 32: Raises minimum wage to $18 faster than the inflation increases to the existing minimum wage will.

Prop 33: Repeals Costa Hawkins so that cities can enforce rent control on ANY AND ALL RENTAL UNITS. If this passes, it's likely to be one of the best things to help homeless people get into and maintain homes.

Prop 5: Lowers the threshold for cities borrowing bonds for affordable housing projects and infrastructure to 55% from 66.7% (making it easier for non-home owners to overrule homeowners, which should generally make it easier for cities to borrow more).

This is only a selection of the propositions slated for November (I'll probably do a post on the rest at some point because if you hate prison labor, you'll hate Prop 36. Also, I'd personally like you to vote yes on Prop 4).

I just wanted to point out there are things YOU can control in making California better.

One of those things is being an informed voter--using websites like ballotpedia and CalMatters to learn about propositions, local ballot measures, and candidates is one of them.

Another one is checking the dates on posts that are a little doom and gloom! The above is from February, before the primaries where Prop 1 was approved, so it's not up to date for the upcoming election.

[sweetswesf]

My mom helped me out in a way that I hoped she would. I am grateful that she is so generous. And before you get up in arms about how I come from great wealth, I admit, I am privileged, but not rolling in dough. I found out today that my mom makes $180k as a Stock Plan Administration for a tech company with 20+ years of experience. In my opinion, she’s making WAYYY lower than I think she should considering that. In fact, I have the potential to make more than her in my next role. Considering this, I REALLY don’t like asking her for anything because she constantly has to support the family. Her immediate, her parents, and her siblings and their kids. She had to support the household when my father didn’t, and he took a lot of her savings AND the house he wasn’t paying for in the divorce. She should be looking to retirement soon and yet she’s still working and hoping to find something she enjoys doing since she doesn’t like her job. She doesn’t take no for an answer. If I send it back to her, she just sends it right back. I hope to be able to pay her back 10-fold. I was preparing myself to move back in November. This definitely helps me to be able to stay a little longer. I just don’t know how long it will truly be, so I don’t know how much I should accept from her. If it helps, my expenses are about $5k/mo. This includes rent ($2400/mo), phone bill ($200/mo), utilities ($50/mo), internet ($90/mo), public transportation ($150/mo), interview prep materials ($100/mo), groceries ($400/mo), renter’s insurance ($15/mo), gym membership ($25/mo). Like, look at just my subscriptions which help me code, find healthy recipes so I don’t eat out, stay fresh on the latest news in my industry, keep my online portfolio up for recruiters, etc. Do you see Netflix, Apple Music, etc? No! Because I’m still on my mom’s plan.

$2400 for rent seems like a lot, and it is, but it’s actually cheap for San Francisco. It’s unfortunate. It would be smarter to get roommates, but no one’s accepting a tenant without a job. It would be smart to move home, but I don’t have a room and desk area to focus at my grandparents’. My mom is about to move in with my aunt and my aunt’s 4 children so there isn’t space for me there either. I haven’t included travel, because I don’t, nor a social budget because I cut all that out. I’m also paying for the cheapest gym in the city. This doesn’t include health care ($700/mo) I was paying. I hope I get approved for medi-cal or just get a job soon so that I don’t have to go back to paying that. God will make a way and I need not worry.

[caringhaven]

**Navigating Burnout and Financial Strain: The Challenges Faced by Family Caregivers of Elderly Parents**

Caring for an aging parent can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it also comes with its unique set of challenges.

As devoted family caregivers, the demands of providing physical, emotional, and medical support to our elderly loved ones can sometimes take a toll on our own well-being.

The weight of burnout and the added financial strain can create complex situations that require careful consideration and proactive solutions.

Here are two common scenarios:

QUESTION: Not eligible for Medicaid, but not enough money to private pay. What do we do?

ANSWER: Long-Term-Care Medicaid/Medi-Cal in California, may pick up the rest of the cost.

LTC Medicaid/Medi-Cal is a different program than regular Medicaid, and the income limits are different.

Each State has different procedures or rules for qualifying.

QUESTION: I have been the caregiver for my 60-year-old mother for 3 years. I am burned out and wondering what I should do?

ANSWER: Have you thought about trying respite care?

It's different in every State but they offer care to your loved ones in order to give you a much needed break. If you qualify the State will pay for it as well.

#RespiteCare #ElderlyCare #Caregivers

[sgprc]

2023-02-22 SGPRC Board Meeting (Full Video)

We have been advised by the First Amendment Coalition (www.FirstAmendmentCoalition.org) that this video recording may be posted for public review in accordance with the Bagley-Keene Act.

During public comments, Carl Argila said San Gabriel Pomona Regional Center Executive Director Jason Weller’s long-awaited letter to Argila regarding recent and longstanding inquiries fell short of expectations after hoping the new director may be “an agent for change.”

Weller “incorrectly” cites Title 17 [Section 50540], a state regulation protecting due-process rights, and fails to acknowledge the lawsuit on behalf of deaf clients against the SGPRC, Argila said.

“Sadly, the only thing I can do is bring about violations of the Lanterman Act, but it does not compensate for the lack of leadership,” he said.

During his executive report, Weller expressed optimism toward several items, including the prospect of assembly bills awaiting the state legislature’s vote.

AB 649 removes generic service and resource mandates Weller cites as barriers to best utilizing resources. Regional centers are prohibited from purchasing services already made available through Medi-Cal, Medicare and private insurance. Current law limits dental services for individuals three years or older unless there it is determined by appeal process that the request has merit.  

“This is an exciting one for our system if this passes,” Weller said.

The purpose of AB 1147, the Disability Equity and Accountability Act, is to eliminate disparities and increase transparency statewide.  If passed, the Department of Developmental Services will evaluate regional centers and establish metrics by 2024.

"We are really focused on eliminating disparities,” Weller said before adding that the Association of Regional Center Awareness has yet to take a position on the bill.

Regional centers may apply for grant funding through the Mental Health Services Act that aims to better serve individuals with, and at risk of, serious mental health issues, and their families, Weller said. Applications are due March 17.  

“Hortencia [Tafoya] and her team are reviewing our needs, and seeing if this is something we can pursue, and if we have resources to pursue,” Weller said. “Other regional centers are collaborating with each other to see if there can be some joint projects with this funding.”

Weller said he is excited about the Coordinated Family Support pilot program, a new service for adults who choose to live with families. He also encouraged promotion and attendance of upcoming “critical” Purchase of Service Expenditure Meetings, public meetings that highlight expenditures relative to age, ethnicity, age, disabilities and areas of residence.

The SGPRC received 299 new referrals for Early Start Admissions in January, 167 of whom were found eligible for Early Start Services. Weller credited the clinical team for eligibility and the admissions department for helping increase the numbers.

“It’s a great sign,” Weller said. “It means we’re connecting with people. We’re serving individuals.”

Starting in March, meetings with vendors will take place monthly instead of weekly.  Feedback from vendors showed that the frequency of meetings should be reduced.  They were originally increased in frequency because of the pandemic, Weller said. These meetings are in addition to Vendor Advisory Committee meetings.

Albert Feliciano, advocate for the State Council of Developmental Disabilities and Westside Regional Center said SCDD’s office offers Self Determination orientations in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, and participants receive certificates upon completion. The LA office is also hosting a monthly roundtable for independent facilitators to share and discuss information. Feliciano said he is currently creating a list of IFs, expanding the list from solely LA County names to include IFs throughout the state.

February’s Board of Directors meeting featured mental-health focused training presented by Dr. Stephen Mouton, clinical psychologist for the SGPRC and policy liaison for Los Angeles County’s seven regional centers.

Directions were provided on steps and procedures for handling potential crises, as well as the differences between common hospitals and health facilities designated for mental health crises through the DDS. It is recommended clients visit designated locations, such as the Las Encinas Psychiatric Hospital in Pasadena, or Charter Oak in Covina.  

“A crisis means different things to different people,” Mouton said, highlighting events that may affect a family but not necessitate action from health professionals or police. “To a family, a crisis is when a family member is out of control, or not listening, or they won’t complying, or having some kind of aggressive behaviors,” whereas “police or a hospital that may be responding to a request for an assessment, they are looking for is that the client or person a danger to themselves or others due to a psychiatric disorder, or currently gravely disabled.”