Excellent posting Jessica, there is a lot of help available as you say and I also found out that it is not always just for low income. I created a web site of many programs available to help but as you put it a person has to be diligent. I am so surprised at the number of people I have chatted with online and some I have met in person who are disabled and living on disability that would complain to me about such things as having to pay for their diabetic supplies, or finding it stressful to drive to and from their doctor appointments, or not having enough money to pay for their eye glasses or being able to afford to have dental work done or paying for their prescription medications ect.... But when I tell them that there is help available and give them the link to my website they will not make a phone call to sign up for help they need.
For example a person can get free insurance paid for by Medicare or Medicaid whichever they are on. It is called Supplemental insurance or also called Medicare Advantage Plans. I am on Medicare and Diabetic so I signed up for Care Improvement Plus, it costs me nothing and I get many more benefits than I would from Medicare alone. I get my Diabetic supplies at no charge, free shoes once a year, some dental coverage, free eye glasses except I only had to pay $8 for the tax, free transportation to and from my doctors appointments, my 2 generic medications are mailed to my home from the company pharmacy and are $10 for a 3 month supply but for my brand name medications I get those from the free prescription programs listed on page 2 of my web site and my Metformin I get at no charge at Publix Pharmacy, they do not charge anyone for that. This insurance plan also offers many more benefits. There is no charge for me to see my primary physician.
I will chat with these disabled people or talk to them a few weeks later and they would once again complain about their money problems and unable to pay for their medical needs and when I ask if they called to sign up for help listed on my website they say "oh, I am just too busy lately"
Time goes by again and yet once again they complain to me about their problems and when I ask again they still have another excuse, "I just have too much going on right now" these people are disabled as I am and home with time on their hands, some don't even drive a car.
I met a lady 2 years ago that is disabled with Diabetis and on Medicare, she had to pay for her diabetis supplies, I told her about the insurance plan I am on that it only takes 1 phone call to arrange to be on it but she always had an excuse why she was unable to call, we chatted once in awhile during those 2 years. Finally she sends me an IM 2 weeks ago and asked me for my web site that she wants the insurance so she called Pattie the insurance lady and she finally signed up for Care Improvement Plus so now she is getting all these additional benefits along with her free diabetic supplies and wasted a lot of money over the past 2 years on having to pay for her supplies and other things.
Another lady I chatted with is in a wheel chair, told me she needs dental work done and was complaining to me about how her hubby is never home so she sits alone in her house bored. I give her my website and told her that there is insurance available to her with dental and also other ways to get free dental coverage. A few weeks later we chat again and asked her if she called to get on insurance for dental coverage and she said "oh, I just been too busy" meanwhile she sits alone at home in a wheel chair bored and needs dental work done.
Time goes by again and I asked her again if she called but she gives me the same excuse.
Ok, I have many such stories and a few of the people are my friends now but when we see each other and they still complain I just do not say anything since I have told them many times of the help available yet they do nothing to help themselves, not even make a simple phone call, they would rather waste money and complain and be without proper medical care.
But the point is as you say a person has to be diligent. "You can lead a horse to water but you can not make him drink" and "God helps those who help themselves"
I live in the Upstate of South Carolina so the insurance plan that I am on is available here but there are also other plans available for people with different needs. And in other states there must be the same or similiar insurance plans available too but a person would have to research online to find those or maybe call your local Medicare or Medicaid office or ask your doctor. Some insurance plans are much better than others, I am fortunate to have a good insurance lady who always signs me up for the best plan to fit my needs. There are some like AARP that cost a yearly fee so that is why I am not on that plan plus my CIP is better suited for me anyway.
There is also plenty of other help available on my website for people in need and want to help themselves, free cell phone with free minutes, extra money into your social security check, housing, free transportation including air flights if the destination is for medical purposes, free medical equipment, a lot of help for cancer patients and much more; www.freepeoplehelpingpeople.com
If some of these are not in your area you can find the same or similiar ones with a little effort using the search words in google. Some states may call the same programs by a different name.
Now there are some people with problems in which there may be no help available and I also realize that there are some who are diligent and will take the effort to help themselves by applying for free insurance and also other free programs and benefits.
But some, underline the word 3 times "some" seem to like to be miserable, complain and waste money and not have the proper medical care since they wont do anything even as simple as making a phone call to help themselves.
