Leaving The US -- Has Anybody Moved Or Are You Considering?

[Ayashe Ninetails]

32 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

It really is a complex topic isn't it (cultural appropriation), and varies so much according to location. For me a big part of the fun in a new area of the world would be to discover the differences among people in that regard and others.

In developing my own opinion on the matter when there are conflicts between groups most likely my preferences would align with the underdog, so I wouldn't care much about the people "milling about on the street", as you say, but instead would care most about the feelings of the Natives in that location who continue to suffer oppression by colonial forces.

Well, my view is basically that those people on the street could be native themselves, so even if a shop owner wouldn't be offended, that doesn't necessarily mean others encountered on a daily basis won't be.

But, offense is only one small part of it IMO. One really has to ask themselves why they want to wear certain items and figure out their own motivations for it. Some clothing is just *there* of course, but other garments have very deep significance. I have no motivation for wearing any of it beyond "ooo that's pretty," so I don't do it. My own personal reason for that is not wanting to insert myself into something I'm not a part of. I'll admire it, I'll compliment it, I'll ask about the history behind it if I'm browsing in a clothing or fabric shop and chatting with the owner, I'll nerd out over the design/construction process (textiles are faaab), but that's about it. If someone else wants to toss it on, that's up to them, of course. 

[Prokofy Neva]

On 5/6/2022 at 12:10 PM, Luna Bliss said:

This is a breakaway from the Pet Peeve thread where people are discussing leaving the US.  Has anybody done so, or are you contemplating a move? Or do you have information about other countries that could be useful?

I'm considering a move to Mexico.

Maybe what you need is just to get out of California?

I went to university in Canada where my family was from and we also had property there for many years and it was all great. The free health care is not so great and the taxes are very heavy; everyone seems to get a job with the government. Still, there is much to offer in Canada and it is very diverse across all the provinces.

I then studied in Russia and also lived and worked there for a time. And these sorts of experiences make you appreciate America all the more.

I have friends who moved to Mexico and are happy but there are also serious issues of drug warfare there. And I have relatives who moved to Peru where their social security dollars could stretch further and were fairly happy, until they needed medical care. And now with the pandemic, it's not so wonderful. 

There's Estonia.

[Luna Bliss]

3 hours ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

Well, my view is basically that those people on the street could be native themselves, so even if a shop owner wouldn't be offended, that doesn't necessarily mean others encountered on a daily basis won't be.

But, offense is only one small part of it IMO. One really has to ask themselves why they want to wear certain items and figure out their own motivations for it. Some clothing is just *there* of course, but other garments have very deep significance. I have no motivation for wearing any of it beyond "ooo that's pretty," so I don't do it. My own personal reason for that is not wanting to insert myself into something I'm not a part of. I'll admire it, I'll compliment it, I'll ask about the history behind it if I'm browsing in a clothing or fabric shop and chatting with the owner, I'll nerd out over the design/construction process (textiles are faaab), but that's about it. If someone else wants to toss it on, that's up to them, of course. 

Ahhh...I see what you're thinking. Fortunately in the towns I'm most attracted to the Mayans live in the jungle hills surrounding the towns, and dress in identifiable ways, and only come to town to shop and sell their wares...so...I wouldn't have to worry about whether they're part of the general public roaming the streets. I doubt this would be the case in many of the larger towns and cities though.

I'm very attracted to clothes that have a tie to the land, very earthy ones, hand-woven and with mythic and spiritual significance. Most of the time I just wear jeans and t-shirts though...love the natural cotton feel. Love sh*tstompers and gardening shoes! And...yes..I'm one of those horrific people who wears socks with their sandals in cooler weather...even snow sometimes    

[Luna Bliss]

35 minutes ago, Prokofy Neva said:

Maybe what you need is just to get out of California?

I went to university in Canada where my family was from and we also had property there for many years and it was all great. The free health care is not so great and the taxes are very heavy; everyone seems to get a job with the government. Still, there is much to offer in Canada and it is very diverse across all the provinces.

I then studied in Russia and also lived and worked there for a time. And these sorts of experiences make you appreciate America all the more.

I have friends who moved to Mexico and are happy but there are also serious issues of drug warfare there. And I have relatives who moved to Peru where their social security dollars could stretch further and were fairly happy, until they needed medical care. And now with the pandemic, it's not so wonderful. 

There's Estonia.

Wow you have a lot of experience!

I am attracted to other places outside of Mexico, but I want to live in a place where flying to visit my daughter and grandson doesn't cost too much (she's in California, I live on the Great Plains).  I would settle for California really but the rent cost is atrocious. They pay almost $2,000 monthly for a small apartment, and it's even in a rent-controlled building!

Edited May 19, 2022 by Luna Bliss

[Scylla Rhiadra]

32 minutes ago, Prokofy Neva said:

The free health care is not so great and the taxes are very heavy

A short word on this. I hesitate to post this, for reasons that will soon be obvious, but I feel some nuance and detail is required.

My father battled cancer for 7 years. He was initially given only 2 years to live. The quality of his life for all but the last few months of his life was very high. He finally succumbed last weekend.

Dad survived 7 years, and survived well, because of the care our heath care system provided. During that time he was recipient of surgical interventions, chemotherapy, radiation, physical therapy, and, a few months ago, heart surgery to fix a valve.

All of it, with the sole exception of a few prescription medications, which were vastly cheaper than would have been the case in the US, was free. All of it was timely, and all of it was undertaken by highly qualified and caring individuals who, essentially, work for our health care system.

In the last month of his life, Dad need palliative care: the cancer had advanced too far to stop, although continued radiation treatment slowed down the growth and made him more comfortable. We decided to bring him home. We obtained -- free, through the health care system -- a proper mechanized hospital bed. (The bed is free for only a month: thereafter, it is something like $250 a month.) A care worker dropped by each day for a half hour or so to assist my mum with what needed to be done, and a nurse once every two days -- more often, on occasion, as needed. About twice a week, a palliative care doctor came by to check out my Dad, and fill us in on his condition, as well as making suggestions about how to keep him comfortable. For his last week, he was on a morphine pump that allowed Mum to adjust his dosage as needed. When my Dad finally let go, he was asleep and in relative comfort, lying in his own house.

ALL of this, again with the exception of a few prescription drugs, was covered for free by our "not so great" health care system.

There's not much doubt in my mind that my Dad would not have survived 7 mostly good years had it not been for our socialized medical system. My parents live on a fixed income -- they could not have afforded to keep him alive that long, and Mum would not now be financially secure as she is, but undoubtedly very deeply in debt, without government-run health care.

There are lots of problems with Canadian medicare. It's chronically underfunded, and accessibility in some smaller population centres is an ongoing problem. There are longer wait times for elective surgeries and procedures: assuming that one has the cash to throw at it, or really good insurance, you doubtless can get things like hip replacements done more quickly in the US. If you can afford it.

But I have never been more thankful for our "not so great" system than I am right now. It give me an extra few years with my Dad.

[Sid Nagy]

My sincere condolences Scylla.
I hope that you and your family are surrounded by enough people to comfort you and to help you all trough these sad times.

Edited May 19, 2022 by Sid Nagy

[Luna Bliss]

I'm sorry you lost him, Scylla.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

10 minutes ago, Sid Nagy said:

My sincere condolences Scylla.
I hope that you and your family are surrounded by enough people to comfort you and to help you all trough these sad times.

Thanks Sid, this was very kindly said, and I appreciate it.

I am fortunate to have a really loving and close-knit family, as well as a wonderful partner, so I'm doing as well or better than might be expected, although the last month has certainly been very tough. But we're all getting through it together.

And, I have discovered that standing alone on a sky platform in SL mindlessly sorting out your inventory is a really effective means of de-stressing and distracting yourself. I recommend it highly.

[Ayashe Ninetails]

1 minute ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Thanks Sid, this was very kindly said, and I appreciate it.

I am fortunate to have a really loving and close-knit family, as well as a wonderful partner, so I'm doing as well or better than might be expected, although the last month has certainly been very tough. But we're all getting through it together.

And, I have discovered that standing alone on a sky platform in SL mindlessly sorting out your inventory is a really effective means of de-stressing and distracting yourself. I recommend it highly.

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Scylla. I'm very sorry for your loss. 

I agree about the inventory sorting, too. Maybe find some empty scenic sims to do that in as well. I tend to like standing around in forests, beaches, empty urban streets, or even underwater (as a mermaid - I find the swimming AO oddly relaxing) when I'm feeling blah. 

[Ceka Cianci]

I know the insurance companies suck to deal with.. I've been dealing with the one that deals with our work injuries since January when I got hurt..

I finally told work that I'm going home and not coming back until I'm better, fire me if you have to.. that was the 28th of last month

They finally put me on Temporary disability.. the whole time it's been me in the dark and everyone else knowing what's going on, then agents never answering their phones or never returning calls..

It took a month before I could get into physical therapy that the doctor had prescribed.. Because of the agent handling my claim not doing anything, instead of getting in that week, it was 2 doctor visits later still prescribing physical therapy.. So after a month  I was finally in therapy..

Wanna know how long it took for me to find out where to call for my M.R.I that I'm finally getting tomorrow..

Remember, I got hurt in January and getting an M.R.I. tomorrow.. lol

It took a month to get the number to schedule the appointment after the doctor asked for an M.R.I. a month and a half ago..

I told work the last time I had them on the phone...After this is over, I don't know if I want to risk ever getting hurt in your place of business every again, because I'm never letting this happen again..

 

I would have been better off dealing with this myself.. hehehe

 

 

[Ceka Cianci]

1 hour ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

A short word on this. I hesitate to post this, for reasons that will soon be obvious, but I feel some nuance and detail is required.

My father battled cancer for 7 years. He was initially given only 2 years to live. The quality of his life for all but the last few months of his life was very high. He finally succumbed last weekend.

Dad survived 7 years, and survived well, because of the care our heath care system provided. During that time he was recipient of surgical interventions, chemotherapy, radiation, physical therapy, and, a few months ago, heart surgery to fix a valve.

All of it, with the sole exception of a few prescription medications, which were vastly cheaper than would have been the case in the US, was free. All of it was timely, and all of it was undertaken by highly qualified and caring individuals who, essentially, work for our health care system.

In the last month of his life, Dad need palliative care: the cancer had advanced too far to stop, although continued radiation treatment slowed down the growth and made him more comfortable. We decided to bring him home. We obtained -- free, through the health care system -- a proper mechanized hospital bed. (The bed is free for only a month: thereafter, it is something like $250 a month.) A care worker dropped by each day for a half hour or so to assist my mum with what needed to be done, and a nurse once every two days -- more often, on occasion, as needed. About twice a week, a palliative care doctor came by to check out my Dad, and fill us in on his condition, as well as making suggestions about how to keep him comfortable. For his last week, he was on a morphine pump that allowed Mum to adjust his dosage as needed. When my Dad finally let go, he was asleep and in relative comfort, lying in his own house.

ALL of this, again with the exception of a few prescription drugs, was covered for free by our "not so great" health care system.

There's not much doubt in my mind that my Dad would not have survived 7 mostly good years had it not been for our socialized medical system. My parents live on a fixed income -- they could not have afforded to keep him alive that long, and Mum would not now be financially secure as she is, but undoubtedly very deeply in debt, without government-run health care.

There are lots of problems with Canadian medicare. It's chronically underfunded, and accessibility in some smaller population centres is an ongoing problem. There are longer wait times for elective surgeries and procedures: assuming that one has the cash to throw at it, or really good insurance, you doubtless can get things like hip replacements done more quickly in the US. If you can afford it.

But I have never been more thankful for our "not so great" system than I am right now. It give me an extra few years with my Dad.

I'm really very sorry for your Loss Scylla..

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Thank you, @Ceka Cianci, @Ayashe Ninetails, @Luna Bliss, and all the others who've expressed kindness here.

I really didn't want this to become maudlin and personal -- hence my hesitation. But I have, over the past 7 years, and most especially in the last month or so, had a front row seat to how our health care system manages its treatment of someone with a condition that is both chronic and terminal, and that's given me some insight I didn't have before. And I have a few important takeaways.

First, although I'm sure there are "health care horror stories" about health care here (and probably anywhere else too), the care that my father received was simply superb.

Secondly, because of socialized medicine, my mother's decisions about my Dad's care were never influenced by worries about cost. She chose what was best for him because personal finances were not an issue.

And thirdly, and this is important, my Dad never had to worry about that either. I can't imagine what he faced in his last weeks as he approached a death he knew was imminent -- but whatever it was (and he was outwardly very cheerful to the end), concern about leaving my mother bankrupt because of his condition had no part of it.

Yeah, taxes here are higher than in the US, in part because of our health care system. I am personally delighted to pay them, and would gladly pay more to make it better and more comprehensive, knowing that I am contributing to a system that is at least a little more equitable and humane in its treatment of everyone.

[Luna Bliss]

3 hours ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I know the insurance companies suck to deal with.. I've been dealing with the one that deals with our work injuries since January when I got hurt..

I finally told work that I'm going home and not coming back until I'm better, fire me if you have to.. that was the 28th of last month

They finally put me on Temporary disability.. the whole time it's been me in the dark and everyone else knowing what's going on, then agents never answering their phones or never returning calls..

It took a month before I could get into physical therapy that the doctor had prescribed.. Because of the agent handling my claim not doing anything, instead of getting in that week, it was 2 doctor visits later still prescribing physical therapy.. So after a month  I was finally in therapy..

Wanna know how long it took for me to find out where to call for my M.R.I that I'm finally getting tomorrow..

Remember, I got hurt in January and getting an M.R.I. tomorrow.. lol

It took a month to get the number to schedule the appointment after the doctor asked for an M.R.I. a month and a half ago..

I told work the last time I had them on the phone...After this is over, I don't know if I want to risk ever getting hurt in your place of business every again, because I'm never letting this happen again..

 

I would have been better off dealing with this myself.. hehehe

 

What a mess!

Sometimes I think they realize if they just refuse to treat and pay long enough a certain percentage of their clients will die before they provide service, so it's a cost-saving measure.  I may be a bit jaded regarding our health care system here though.   

[Dragon Mommy]

5 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

A short word on this. I hesitate to post this, for reasons that will soon be obvious, but I feel some nuance and detail is required.

My father battled cancer for 7 years. He was initially given only 2 years to live. The quality of his life for all but the last few months of his life was very high. He finally succumbed last weekend.

Dad survived 7 years, and survived well, because of the care our heath care system provided. During that time he was recipient of surgical interventions, chemotherapy, radiation, physical therapy, and, a few months ago, heart surgery to fix a valve.

All of it, with the sole exception of a few prescription medications, which were vastly cheaper than would have been the case in the US, was free. All of it was timely, and all of it was undertaken by highly qualified and caring individuals who, essentially, work for our health care system.

In the last month of his life, Dad need palliative care: the cancer had advanced too far to stop, although continued radiation treatment slowed down the growth and made him more comfortable. We decided to bring him home. We obtained -- free, through the health care system -- a proper mechanized hospital bed. (The bed is free for only a month: thereafter, it is something like $250 a month.) A care worker dropped by each day for a half hour or so to assist my mum with what needed to be done, and a nurse once every two days -- more often, on occasion, as needed. About twice a week, a palliative care doctor came by to check out my Dad, and fill us in on his condition, as well as making suggestions about how to keep him comfortable. For his last week, he was on a morphine pump that allowed Mum to adjust his dosage as needed. When my Dad finally let go, he was asleep and in relative comfort, lying in his own house.

ALL of this, again with the exception of a few prescription drugs, was covered for free by our "not so great" health care system.

There's not much doubt in my mind that my Dad would not have survived 7 mostly good years had it not been for our socialized medical system. My parents live on a fixed income -- they could not have afforded to keep him alive that long, and Mum would not now be financially secure as she is, but undoubtedly very deeply in debt, without government-run health care.

There are lots of problems with Canadian medicare. It's chronically underfunded, and accessibility in some smaller population centres is an ongoing problem. There are longer wait times for elective surgeries and procedures: assuming that one has the cash to throw at it, or really good insurance, you doubtless can get things like hip replacements done more quickly in the US. If you can afford it.

But I have never been more thankful for our "not so great" system than I am right now. It give me an extra few years with my Dad.

I came to Canada in 2010, and my experience with the healthcare system is much like yours with a family member. From serious illness to palliative care, and then gently into oblivion at home. 

Is not without its issues. I've been fighting all hard to get my own medical issues managed. Waitlists and a low number of doctors are among the highest. I have plenty of criticism, and I think it's important for the system to improve to never get bogged down in 'at least we're better than the US'.

But having grown up at the poverty line in the US where healthcare is a luxury, I cannot overstate how even our imperfect system is such an improvement. 

[Sammy Huntsman]

4 minutes ago, Dragon Mommy said:

I came to Canada in 2010, and my experience with the healthcare system is much like yours with a family member. From serious illness to palliative care, and then gently into oblivion at home. 

Is not without its issues. I've been fighting all hard to get my own medical issues managed. Waitlists and a low number of doctors are among the highest. I have plenty of criticism, and I think it's important for the system to improve to never get bogged down in 'at least we're better than the US'.

But having grown up at the poverty line in the US where healthcare is a luxury, I cannot overstate how even our imperfect system is such an improvement. 

Yeah the waitlists and the lack of Family Doctors will only get worse for the years to come. Unless the Federal Government gives canadian medical people the right to choose if they want to use Universal Health Insurance. a paid system or even both. 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

1 minute ago, Dragon Mommy said:

I have plenty of criticism, and I think it's important for the system to improve to never get bogged down in 'at least we're better than the US'.

I agree absolutely. Complacency will only result in a slow decay of an already over-stretched system. We need to fight to make it better. I think there is a little political will in some quarters to see that happen.

I'm very sorry to hear about your own experiences. I remember when a grandparent needed a hip replacement, and there was a great deal of waiting, although it happened eventually.

I truly believe decent, affordable, and accessible health care is a human right. And it's also a good measure of the basic human decency of any society. We all need to hammer that home to policy makers.

[Sammy Huntsman]

1 minute ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I agree absolutely. Complacency will only result in a slow decay of an already over-stretched system. We need to fight to make it better. I think there is a little political will in some quarters to see that happen.

I'm very sorry to hear about your own experiences. I remember when a grandparent needed a hip replacement, and there was a great deal of waiting, although it happened eventually.

I truly believe decent, affordable, and accessible health care is a human right. And it's also a good measure of the basic human decency of any society. We all need to hammer that home to policy makers.

I think we also need to give Medical professionals a right to choose between medical insurance users and universal healthcare users or both. Then maybe we would have a better system. I mean with how Canada is now, wait times will be longer and someone wanting a family doctor will not be able to get one sooner. I feel like a change to the healthcare system in Canada with what I said in mind. Would improve the overall system in the long run. We would see more doctors in Canada, we would have a choice to choose health insurance from a private provider or even from a public provider(Universal Health Care.) And ultimately you would see the increase in family doctors and decrease in wait times. 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

9 minutes ago, Sammy Huntsman said:

I think we also need to give Medical professionals a right to choose between medical insurance users and universal healthcare users or both. Then maybe we would have a better system. I mean with how Canada is now, wait times will be longer and someone wanting a family doctor will not be able to get one sooner. I feel like a change to the healthcare system in Canada with what I said in mind. Would improve the overall system in the long run. We would see more doctors in Canada, we would have a choice to choose health insurance from a private provider or even from a public provider(Universal Health Care.) And ultimately you would see the increase in family doctors and decrease in wait times. 

I have said more than I probably should have on this subject here, and I don't want to turn this thread into a derail about the positives of, and challenges facing the Canadian health care system. So I'll just say that, while I understand why you say that, I disagree at a fundamental and moral level.

This is, however, definitely a conversation we need to be having here, in our country.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Scylla Rhiadra

[Sammy Huntsman]

5 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I have said more than I probably should have on this subject here, and I don't want to turn this thread into a derail about the positives of, and challenges facing the Canadian health care system. So I'll just say that, while I understand why you say that, I disagree at a fundamental and moral level.

This is, however, definitely a conversation we need to be having here, in our country.

Oh I wasn't trying to derail it, I just feel some changes need to be made and if we went the route I am thinking. Even if the doctors were required to still use Universal Health, but you gave the citizens the choice to choose between Private or Public Medical Insurance. We as a country would have more jobs and less wait times, more specialists. As it would be more advantageous to be a doctor in Canada. As well as more Family doctors. I do think that healthcare should be a fundamental human right. But something has to give, we as citizens should have a choice to choose between say OHIP and a private medical insurance company. If doctors allowed both, they would be making more money and well doctors would be happy.  And I forgot to add, as Canadians we don't have a choice to choose between public and private health insurance. We are given the provincial health insurance off the hop. And the doctors are put into this whole Mafia style deal. We have an offer you can't refuse, and if doctors don't like it. They really can't argue the fact that they would like a bit more money for their hard work, or for sacrficing their lives. Especially when it comes to deal with humans with transmittable diseases or other things that could put doctors health at risk. 

Edited May 20, 2022 by Sammy Huntsman

[Ceka Cianci]

3 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

What a mess!

Sometimes I think they realize if they just refuse to treat and pay long enough a certain percentage of their clients will die before they provide service, so it's a cost-saving measure.  I may be a bit jaded regarding our health care system here though.   

Honestly, I think it wouldn't matter either way what type of system we have, i think  it's gonna be terrible either way.. This may be because of just frustration.. But I think just the size of our population brings on a lot of problems for any system they put in place..

It took me over a week just to get the place that is going to do my M.R.I. to finally pick up the phone to schedule my M.R.I.

I know that may not sound like a real long time, but I couldn't tell you how many times I called and how long each time I was on the phone to the point that a repeating add just drove me crazy to the point I had to hang up..

This company has, I wanna say just in the middle Tennessee area, 16 locations, all of which have different phone numbers, but probably all being funneled to one place to make the appointments..

I finally got through because I decided the last time to start ringing the phone at 7:59 because they open at 8:00..

I don't know if that really made a difference or not, but I finally got a human after 20 minutes waiting on the phone..

None of this has cost me a dime, other than all the work I have missed because of how lazy everyone else has been that I have had to deal with..

doctors zipping through because of how many patients they have, forgetting to fill out paperwork like work restrictions, getting the dates wrong as well as restrictions.. Forgetting to send paperwork to the other guy asking for paper work by a certain date or they are going to cancel the claim..

The guy threatening to cancel the claim being the one too lazy to inform either the place doing physical therapy that it's approved,let alone never answering.. then when they finally do answer the therapist, they say something stupid like, Oh yea, that's been approved already..

The therapist saying, Well when were you gonna decide to tell someone!

Everyone i talk to that has been hurt at work and other people from other places say's, oh yea, it takes forever..

you don't even wanna know what i found just on youtube when looking up work related injuries and dealing with, not just the insurance company, but the whole thing..

Every place I have tried to get on the phone you have to deal with a machine before getting a human, That's a system that causes delay's and has made many place lazy.. Just let the machine get it or We'll call them later or they'll call back..

Things we were told are going to make life much easier  or better, only made people more lazier and more worthless..

I'm 36 and was healthy as it gets.. Now 36 with a hip injury and walking around on a cane.. Worn down from the mind screw of how stupid this whole thing has become and how much faster i could have been healed, but only getting worse..

Work put me on workers comp , more than likely to save a safety record that they are not too truthful about in the first place, which was like torture having to be there in pain the whole time..

 

I'm just gonna stop on that part because it's really starting to make me really mad running back though all this..

I just know this.. I know I don't trust our government to put in place a good system and I am worn out by what free is getting me so far.. even when our family was on welfare years ago, anything medical was like walking through molasses..

But  I also know that it is even very costly if we use our own insurance..

Right now I'm just torn. On one hand there is slow as molasses which has been nothing but constant torture for me.. I don't say torture lightly like an expression.

but on the other hand there is the expense way. maybe a better chance at getting back in the saddle faster with my mind intact..

Both are damaging and life changing..

Honestly, I'm too bias right now to give a true answer.. But from the perspective I am looking from right now.. I can't begin to tell you how many times i wish I never signed the work incident report and just went straight to my doctor and started the process from there...

Instead I am stuck in their system now and doing things there way.. You have no idea how many times I wanted to just give up and quit during this..

Once I'm released I can then go and get a new job..Because nobody is going to hire someone that hasn't been cleared of a work injury..

Sorry, I think this went off track and probably more one sided.. It was just supposed to be about my perspective on one or the other and without reading back on it feel it's probably more to one side..

I think it's gonna be clogged up and still lazy no matter which way we go in the U.S. because of our population, unless you are dripping filthy rich..

 

sorry for the long post.

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by Ceka Cianci

[Luna Bliss]

11 hours ago, Ceka Cianci said:

Honestly, I think it wouldn't matter either way what type of system we have, i think  it's gonna be terrible either way.. This may be because of just frustration.. But I think just the size of our population brings on a lot of problems for any system they put in place..

It took me over a week just to get the place that is going to do my M.R.I. to finally pick up the phone to schedule my M.R.I.

I know that may not sound like a real long time, but I couldn't tell you how many times I called and how long each time I was on the phone to the point that a repeating add just drove me crazy to the point I had to hang up..

This company has, I wanna say just in the middle Tennessee area, 16 locations, all of which have different phone numbers, but probably all being funneled to one place to make the appointments..

I finally got through because I decided the last time to start ringing the phone at 7:59 because they open at 8:00..

I don't know if that really made a difference or not, but I finally got a human after 20 minutes waiting on the phone..

None of this has cost me a dime, other than all the work I have missed because of how lazy everyone else has been that I have had to deal with..

doctors zipping through because of how many patients they have, forgetting to fill out paperwork like work restrictions, getting the dates wrong as well as restrictions.. Forgetting to send paperwork to the other guy asking for paper work by a certain date or they are going to cancel the claim..

The guy threatening to cancel the claim being the one too lazy to inform either the place doing physical therapy that it's approved,let alone never answering.. then when they finally do answer the therapist, they say something stupid like, Oh yea, that's been approved already..

The therapist saying, Well when were you gonna decide to tell someone!

Everyone i talk to that has been hurt at work and other people from other places say's, oh yea, it takes forever..

you don't even wanna know what i found just on youtube when looking up work related injuries and dealing with, not just the insurance company, but the whole thing..

Every place I have tried to get on the phone you have to deal with a machine before getting a human, That's a system that causes delay's and has made many place lazy.. Just let the machine get it or We'll call them later or they'll call back..

Things we were told are going to make life much easier  or better, only made people more lazier and more worthless..

I'm 36 and was healthy as it gets.. Now 36 with a hip injury and walking around on a cane.. Worn down from the mind screw of how stupid this whole thing has become and how much faster i could have been healed, but only getting worse..

Work put me on workers comp , more than likely to save a safety record that they are not too truthful about in the first place, which was like torture having to be there in pain the whole time..

 

I'm just gonna stop on that part because it's really starting to make me really mad running back though all this..

I just know this.. I know I don't trust our government to put in place a good system and I am worn out by what free is getting me so far.. even when our family was on welfare years ago, anything medical was like walking through molasses..

But  I also know that it is even very costly if we use our own insurance..

Right now I'm just torn. On one hand there is slow as molasses which has been nothing but constant torture for me.. I don't say torture lightly like an expression.

but on the other hand there is the expense way. maybe a better chance at getting back in the saddle faster with my mind intact..

Both are damaging and life changing..

Honestly, I'm too bias right now to give a true answer.. But from the perspective I am looking from right now.. I can't begin to tell you how many times i wish I never signed the work incident report and just went straight to my doctor and started the process from there...

Instead I am stuck in their system now and doing things there way.. You have no idea how many times I wanted to just give up and quit during this..

Once I'm released I can then go and get a new job..Because nobody is going to hire someone that hasn't been cleared of a work injury..

Sorry, I think this went off track and probably more one sided.. It was just supposed to be about my perspective on one or the other and without reading back on it feel it's probably more to one side..

I think it's gonna be clogged up and still lazy no matter which way we go in the U.S. because of our population, unless you are dripping filthy rich..

 

sorry for the long post.

Wow whatever system going on at your workplace is so not working! I don't know exactly what happened with your hip, but in some cases if you don't get that treated promptly the condition can become worse or even permanent!    

Systems are complicated, no doubt. But I don't really see it as a battle between public or private health care (although I think the public option would reduce the middleman (insurance companies) and so reduce cost, and allow greater input than a private corporation via our ability to vote people in or out of office with the public option (in theory anyway).
 
I view the issue more as a battle between which system could better give dignity to those with less money, because we don't place enough value in people who are in poverty -- we don't consider them full human beings when lacking funds, and deserving of the most basic care (health care, food, housing). Even our systems to help those who are disabled are divided into the deserving vs the undeserving poor (SSDI vs SSI) where the deserving poor with higher income up until the point of disability receive higher benefits and rights.

Between 26,00 to 45,000 US citizens die each year due to lack of health care, and many more suffer needlessly without care. There is no line for them to stand in to receive care, as is the case in other more wealthy civilized countries, and even in many poorer countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/07/americans-healthcare-medical-costs

[Ceka Cianci]

1 hour ago, Luna Bliss said:

Wow whatever system going on at your workplace is so not working! I don't know exactly what happened with your hip, but in some cases if you don't get that treated promptly the condition can become worse or even permanent!    

Systems are complicated, no doubt. But I don't really see it as a battle between public or private health care (although I think the public option would reduce the middleman (insurance companies) and so reduce cost, and allow greater input than a private corporation via our ability to vote people in or out of office with the public option (in theory anyway).
 
I view the issue more as a battle between which system could better give dignity to those with less money, because we don't place enough value in people who are in poverty -- we don't consider them full human beings when lacking funds, and deserving of the most basic care (health care, food, housing). Even our systems to help those who are disabled are divided into the deserving vs the undeserving poor (SSDI vs SSI) where the deserving poor with higher income up until the point of disability receive higher benefits and rights.

Between 26,00 to 45,000 US citizens die each year due to lack of health care, and many more suffer needlessly without care. There is no line for them to stand in to receive care, as is the case in other more wealthy civilized countries, and even in many poorer countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/07/americans-healthcare-medical-costs

Honestly, I'm starting to think they don't think highly of anyone, even if they have enough money to get treated or not.. It all feels like herding cattle to me..

The big difference I'm seeing right now compared to the past is.. They are moving the herd so fast that they aren't even able to keep up with all the paperwork..

It's so sloppy right now.. This isn't just the insurance company that is at my work.. it's the doctor, the doctors office..

Therapy was about the only place that I have dealt with so far, that hasn't had their heads up their butts..

 

You're gonna get a kick out of this ,because i know I sure did.. I'm at the point where I'm laughing to keep from crying..

Because it's hard not to feel like I'm trapped in some goofy sitcom where I'm the one that all the funny crap happens to.. hehehehe

I am seriously at the point where I cannot do anything more than laugh..

I went for that M.R.I.  today.. We drove 40 minutes to the place and got there early.. I asked three times on the phone, Is there anything I need to bring to make sure everything goes smooth..

ARe ....You...Sure?!

No Mam, we have everything we need ,everything has been sent to us, Bring yourself and get here maybe 15 minutes early..

Well, we got there 20 minutes early.. They took my ID and then  came the look of confusion.. I knew right then and there I wasn't getting my M.R.I. today..

The packet the insurance company sent there, from her explanation, the information she has, nothing is matching..She didn't even have the case workers name that is in charge of the claim, which was the one that sent the information.. LOL

So now after trying to get through to numbers that I've never gotten through to as of yet, to get the information so we didn't waste a trip.. My new M.R.I. date is June 2nd..

 

I honestly don't know which one I would prefer at this point,between free or paying for it..

I really wish I didn't need either of them right now ..LOL

 

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by Ceka Cianci

[Luna Bliss]

2 hours ago, Ceka Cianci said:

Honestly, I'm starting to think they don't think highly of anyone, even if they have enough money to get treated or not.. It all feels like herding cattle to me..

The big difference I'm seeing right now compared to the past is.. They are moving the herd so fast that they aren't even able to keep up with all the paperwork..

It's so sloppy right now.. This isn't just the insurance company that is at my work.. it's the doctor, the doctors office..

Therapy was about the only place that I have dealt with so far, that hasn't had their heads up their butts..

 

You're gonna get a kick out of this ,because i know I sure did.. I'm at the point where I'm laughing to keep from crying..

Because it's hard not to feel like I'm trapped in some goofy sitcom where I'm the one that all the funny crap happens to.. hehehehe

I am seriously at the point where I cannot do anything more than laugh..

I went for that M.R.I.  today.. We drove 40 minutes to the place and got there early.. I asked three times on the phone, Is there anything I need to bring to make sure everything goes smooth..

ARe ....You...Sure?!

No Mam, we have everything we need ,everything has been sent to us, Bring yourself and get here maybe 15 minutes early..

Well, we got there 20 minutes early.. They took my ID and then  came the look of confusion.. I knew right then and there I wasn't getting my M.R.I. today..

The packet the insurance company sent there, from her explanation, the information she has, nothing is matching..She didn't even have the case workers name that is in charge of the claim, which was the one that sent the information.. LOL

So now after trying to get through to numbers that I've never gotten through to as of yet, to get the information so we didn't waste a trip.. My new M.R.I. date is June 2nd..

 

I honestly don't know which one I would prefer at this point,between free or paying for it..

I really wish I didn't need either of them right now ..LOL

Just wow. I've heard of the right hand not knowing what the left foot is doing in systems, but they don't even have the same body!

How did you injure your hip btw?  Or what are your symptoms?  Dr. Luna will give advice...lol.   Truly, I have fixed some of my joint problems by watching YouTube videos.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Luna Bliss

[Ceka Cianci]

24 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Just wow. I've heard of the right hand not doing what the left foot is doing in systems, but they don't even have the same body!

How did you injure your hip btw?  Or what are your symptoms?  Dr. Luna will give advice...lol.   Truly, I have fixed some of my joint problems by watching YouTube videos.

I was hit with a transmission in the right hip joint.. This is like the third time I've been hit by a part flying out of the dumpster where they throw bad parts from the lines, since I've been working there..

I spend most of my time in the office, So it makes me wonder how many times this has happened and found out it's only happened a few other times besides mine.. hehehe

They aren't supposed to be throwing parts into the dumpsters, but instead, placing them there..

They threw it in as I was walking by.. When they threw it, it skipped off the edge and into me.

The time before this which was like 5 years ago, a part flew out of the dumpster and hit the back of my left hand, again just walking by.. 30 stitches on the back side of my left hand..

The time before that I was hit in the shoulder.. The first two were much smaller parts..

The transmission was around 50 to 60 pounds, something like that..

I'm really small so I'm thinking they might just have a hard time seeing me.. hehehehe

Either way, they had a safety meeting and anyone caught throwing parts will be written up..  It was already a rule but they aren't letting anyone slide on it anymore..

The first two were with the old company and this one was with the new owners..

It's a pretty stupid thing all the way around.. hehehehe'

 

[Luna Bliss]

2 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I was hit with a transmission in the right hip joint

It could have caused a fracture even!  Crazy that they are taking so long to address it...