What Does Economic Struggle Look Like?
4663 stories and counting. Share the next one. What does economic struggle look like?
Health care is always a worry, especially now that Medicare is being threatened.
Mary Merrick, NYI am living at my daughter's in-laws in a room while my furniture is in storage. I see no way out. I have what appears to be a great job...underscore appears...I dress nice, am respected because of my background in interior design. However, it doesn't afford me my own place, has mediocre benefits to the point that my health insurance is less on my own because I am an overall healthy 55 year old. My goal is to get back into my own business which I lost when I relocated just as the economic crisis hit. I think the bottom line is the world is changing on us and we haven't quite figured out how to adapt. A return to college may secure my future better, but how is that financially feasible?
PEG RIVERSIDE, CAWhile the price of gas has pushed up the cost of everything else SS recipients have not received a cost of living increase in two years while raising the cost of Medicare. I have added a low cost Advantage health care plan but cannot afford to use it because of the deductibles. I can't afford to buy clothes, eat out, or go anywhere. I also can't afford to eat fresh fruit or many vegetables because of the cost. Paying rent, gas, electric, and food on top of insurance premiiums is a month to month struggle. I have no life insurance and a tiny savings account. I subsist on Social Security and only LIHEAP kept me from freezing. Raise taxes on the top 15% tax bracket to 50% over 1 million.
Hope Glenolden, PAI am a senior and, although I have tried to establish a retirement fund, the recent market crash now leaves me in a position of financial uncertainty. My Social Security has been a dependable mainstay for my wife and me and neither of us can afford to have the benefits reduced as they in fact have due to inflation, especially the rising costs of gas and food.Please do what is necessary to insure that the system retains it's integrity and restore cost of living increases and insure that it's future remains solid.
Manny Columbia, MDSome of our Seniors are barely getting by. We've all heard of old people eating pet food because they couldn't afford better. Is this how we treat people who have given a lifetime to this country? Let's stop funding wars for oil, and giving tax loopholes to the rich. Cutting care for the elderly is unspeakable.
Carolyn Laguna Niguel, CAWhen I retired I had a nice nest egg. What I didn't count on was having a catastrophic illness which resulted in six hospitalizations and three major surgeries. Since I wasn't on Medicare yet, my nest egg was completely destroyed. I now depend on Social Security and a part-time job (I am not strong enough to work full time). Seniors should NOT have to spend all their savings on medical bills!!! What I had hoped to be a nice retirement has turned into a nightmare!!
Judith St. Peters, MOMy mom and I moved in together 10 years ago and it was the best thing we ever did. She is a divorced widow and shortly after we moved together she lost her job due to vision loss and her weight (she has diabetes). She was 63. She has heart failure now and can hardly do anything plus she is very nearly legally blind (lost her license at 67) but she is not totally blind. We live on my salary because her's goes towards medicine, supplemental insurance, and to her friends who take her to the doctor etc. I don't know what we would do without her friends and the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. Both have been lifesavers. What do people do who have no family to help them?
A. Mechanicsville, VAI am a senior and the economy is making life very difficult. I try to live with the heat very low and though I live in hot TX do not turn on the ac as cannot afford the bill. The heat gets very bad in the house. Now getting the medicines is more costly and I am so worried.
Patricia Bryan, TXMy mother just died of cancer after battling the disease 4 times. She had so much medicine that she would fall in the doughnut hole every year, and her social security check was very minimal, yet as her medicare and supplement cost went up, her monthly check went down. She came to live with me the last six months, and I have no idea what she would have done otherwise. I quit my work to take care of her as we could not afford other care for her. Our seniors are falling through the cracks yet they are one of the largest groups in the country. They took care of us, and now they are left to either starve, not get the medical attention needed, or heat their homes. This is horrible!!
Athena Chesilhurst, NJvery depressing to work all your life and realize you will not be able to pay your bills.
Sherl Clearwater, FL