General Discussion

daredtowork

(3,732 posts)

17. Doctors don't understand welfare

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 02:16 PM

Dec 2014

Doctors, like most people in the upper middle class, are busy with their own lives and don't have time to understand the conditions their poor patients live under - even if they want to empathize.

I have a good doctor right now, and when I see her she encourages me to buy over-the-counter vitamins to improve my health. I then try to encourage her to prescribe them and briefly try to explain that "welfare" these days doesn't involve direct cash. She then proposes that I put vitamins "in my budget". Budget? What budget? Was that something that was once part of welfare? It's not in there now.

Well she didn't prescribe the vitamins, probably because Medi-Cal won't let doctors prescribe anything that can be bought over the counter.

Next appointment, she brought up that I should be taking vitamins again! lol!

Anyway, it would be AWESOME if doctors understood welfare. It would be awesome if they wrote their medical records in a way that jived with the patient's other bureaucratic needs (Dept. of Rehab, SSI, other services). It would be awesome if they realized what patients lacked and helped fight for them.

But I doubt doctors will do this, but it would require doctors bothering to learn about the conditions patients live under first - and that would take up there valuable time. And it would probably be a demoralizing bummer for them as well. (What - that's why the "lifestyle" speech instantly destroys the doctor/patient relationship? I had no idea!)

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Food Stamp Reforms Are Ruining Christmas [View all] n2doc Dec 2014 OP

In the words of the ever-immortal Emma Goldman, "Ask KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #1

...and they'll arrest you for that, throw you in prison where you will be fed. Frustratedlady Dec 2014 #2

You'll be fed crap food & forced to work for it to profit the system. NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #11

I suspect that is a feeling that most when waiting in any of the government offices. Often the jwirr Dec 2014 #3

The goal of food stamps is to dehumanize the receipient Prophet 451 Dec 2014 #6

Since they started issuing the EBT cards it is no different than where I get the rest of my money. jwirr Dec 2014 #7

Point, I'd forgotten about the EBT cards Prophet 451 Dec 2014 #14

In some states the EBT cards are very obvious. DLevine Dec 2014 #18

Didn't know that. Sorry that happens. jwirr Dec 2014 #22

Another problem w/Access cards: they easily demagnetize meow2u3 Dec 2014 #27

She didn't have to go in there helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #10

wow, could you have made a more clueless response? niyad Dec 2014 #15

huh ? helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #20

Nobody HAS to do ANYTHING. Quantess Dec 2014 #36

Pictures of Starving Children Need to Start Going Up daredtowork Dec 2014 #4

I was thinking last night that it would help if doctors whould organize to oppose the cuts to food jwirr Dec 2014 #8

Doctors don't understand welfare daredtowork Dec 2014 #17

Unfortunately you are most likely correct. By the way all insurance companies do not prescribe jwirr Dec 2014 #19

It makes no sense where there is no direct cash welfare daredtowork Dec 2014 #23

Exactly. It also hurts Seniors who use a lot of those items and if that Senior is on Medicaid which jwirr Dec 2014 #32

This is why it drives me nuts wealthy people know nothing about welfare daredtowork Dec 2014 #39

I know. It really is frustrating. jwirr Dec 2014 #42

I know someone in medical school. I plan on showing this post to them. They need this information. greatlaurel Dec 2014 #38

Yet they think they know what poverty means daredtowork Dec 2014 #40

Residents are under great stress and med school is demanding, but it is not the same as poverty. greatlaurel Dec 2014 #41

Please pass along this, too, while you're at it daredtowork Dec 2014 #43

You bet! Glad to do it. Good post, by the way. greatlaurel Dec 2014 #46

Do you think the affluent classes gives a damn about starving children? meow2u3 Dec 2014 #30

Putting up posters of children to shame people daredtowork Dec 2014 #37

All to make people even more desperate Prophet 451 Dec 2014 #5

yes yes yes yes yes! Thank you for this. Horse with no Name Dec 2014 #52

She can do everything on line without ever going into an office helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #9

In my state (WA) I gave up trying to get on the phone. It was always busy no matter NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #13

I know my state is easy helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #16

I get stalled at the initial online questions because I was out of work for more than three months NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #21

I'm sorry to hear that , I live in CT helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #24

Automated is great until you have a question daredtowork Dec 2014 #29

All other options exhausted, steal. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #12

Yeah, that's great advice. Just what poor people need is a record. No one's going to NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #25

What they need is food. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #33

It's relatively easy to get food: the state, soup kitchens, churches, subsidized school NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #44

I don't think the subjects of this post agree that it's easy to get food. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #45

I'm one of the "subjects" you speak so knowingly about. Telling poor people to NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #47

You act as if the poor are mindless children. True Blue Door Dec 2014 #48

No, I "act like" I'm one of the poor you so carelessly advise to rob and risk jail -- NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #50

It's those god damn republicans that are running Massachusetts and are pushing hughee99 Dec 2014 #26

No not at all helpmetohelpyou Dec 2014 #28

The article is largely about how changes in state legislation has maded it more unpleasant hughee99 Dec 2014 #31

This is a really important OP. Thank you for posting. greatlaurel Dec 2014 #34

She's hoping for breathing room. madamesilverspurs Dec 2014 #35

Temporarily low gas prices are helping some families cope with the cuts Warpy Dec 2014 #49

I think so many people do not understand the stress and strain on nurses Horse with no Name Dec 2014 #51