Minimum amount of $$ needed to run the Maxwell household.

[Coco]

Wow. That really pisses me off. But it's all okay I guess, because Nathan Maxwell can't be expected to pay for someone who needs medication as a result of poor diet or smoking. You know, like Jesus said.

Samaritan is pretty popular with mennos now. They used to be able to just do this without a company name, but now that the government is regulating (thank FSM) they have to use a more structured plan. Mennonites are not supposed to have ANY insurance because somehow it shows lack of faith in God. They spout some nonsense reasons about depending on the brotherhood and not being unequally yoked with unbelievers. The way they got around the liability auto insurance in our area was to give church members group cards, and this was legal. It was just another way they trapped people in the group, really. Maybe already legal practices like that auto insurance are why the ACA had to allow that exception. I don't know what Mennos do about homeowners insurance, probably call it a tax and say it's not ungodly to render unto Caesar. But Samaritan is pretty low though if they're trying to game the system by calling their customers uninsured. It reminds me of something a fundie midwife told me when my hubby and i couldn't afford her services out of pocket after finding out my employer-provided health insurance would pay almost everything for an OBGYN. (a fundie "Christian" clinic). She said she'd just charge me double, accept whatever the insurance company paid her, and write off the difference. This clinic also fudged a little bit on the paperwork with a friend of mine when her iron levels were dangerously low after giving birth, to keep their success rate looking good. Anyway, it just goes to show that even supposedly holy Jesus followers aren't above being scumbags. When this midwife said that about cheating the system for her payment, i was shocked. I couldn't believe she would just openly admit to doing that sort of thing and we were just on a basic tour of the clinic at the time. (this was just an obscure fundie midwife, not someone midwife that we talk about on FJ) so yeah that experience was a huge red flag and we didn't go to that clinic.

My hubby was injured on the job and his boss (an elder in the church) tried to dodge workman's comp by asking my hubby to have MY legitimate employer-provided health coverage (from a non-church employer) pay for my hubby's surgery. After the church had already thrown all kinds of shade at us for leaving the church and me continuing to work as a wife. But yeah it's fine to depend on something the wife earned when it's inconvenient for their business to be responsible for an injury. :evil: Eventually they found an excuse to lay off my hubby which really hurt our family because it was after i'd quit work to be home with our child and during the holidays. So much for being brothers in Christ.

The religious group insurance thing just gives them chances to control their members and show preferences for the people that leg-hump the most or are considered worth more to the church. If they provide the work, the housing, the religious life, the school for the children, the entire culture of their people they can make them do whatever they say because leaving is almost devastating. Control, control, control.

[nokidsmom]

My mother served in the Navy in the 1950s, for three years. My dad also served, and retired after more than 20 years. They divorced in the early 80s. My mother is eligible for VA health benefits and uses them. I asked her if it was because of Dad's service or her own, and she said it was due to hers. I double checked with my FIL who is an expert in VA benefit matters (he's retired Navy and has worked with the VA for awhile), and he says that yes, she's correct. So apparently you don't have to put in 20 years or have a service-connected disability to receive VA health benefits. Which means that Steve probably does qualify. :?

My Dad served in the Army for two years and he is eligble for and uses his VA benefits. Also took advantage of education benefits under the GI bill when he was laid off at 55 and that was 30 years after being discharged. Steve would have that too and IIRC he went back to school after his service and may very well have used the education benefit to do so. At least I hope he did because that's a good benefit IMHO and he hadn't gone down the rabbithole yet.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

The biggest expenses most American families have are childcare, mortgage and, with older children, perhaps education. The family has none of these costs. Some of their goes to utilities, insurances and property taxes, some goes to groceries, the rest is disposable income that they can buy their high-end appliances and gadgets.

You are forgetting transportation; for most American families the second biggest expense after the mortgage is the car-- payments, insurance, gas, and maintenance especially since most families have two or more. Uriah must cost a ton to drive because he probably gets pretty poor gas mileage. That's the thing about older cars that are paid off, they are often cost just as much to drive as new cars because of the maintenance costs.

[anjulibai]

My Dad served in the Army for two years and he is eligble for and uses his VA benefits. Also took advantage of education benefits under the GI bill when he was laid off at 55 and that was 30 years after being discharged. Steve would have that too and IIRC he went back to school after his service and may very well have used the education benefit to do so. At least I hope he did because that's a good benefit IMHO and he hadn't gone down the rabbithole yet.

Yeah, all you have to do to get VA benefits is serve; doesn't matter what you did, though definitely you qualify for more if you are injured in the line of duty.

My mom was in the Marines in the early 70s - she is officially listed as a Vietnam era veteran, despite never having served in Vietnam. She's got GI housing loans twice and assistance from the VA when she was out of work.

I don't think Steve would go for VA benefits though. Just doesn't seem like something he'd sign up for.

[Coconut Flan]

I'm surprised, but yes it's pretty easy to qualify for VA medical benefits. I'm kind of shocked my dearly departed husband would have qualified and he never said anything. But they have priority groups and such so regular health care was a better option for him.

[nokidsmom]

I'm surprised, but yes it's pretty easy to qualify for VA medical benefits. I'm kind of shocked my dearly departed husband would have qualified and he never said anything. But they have priority groups and such so regular health care was a better option for him.

My FIL served 4 years in the Air Force and has never used his benefits at all. He does have a retiree health insurance plan but maybe there's been some changes to it because finally he's talking about trying to qualify for VA.

[Coconut Flan]

I continued reading after handling a minor medical crisis and found possibly why my husband never mentioned VA health benefits. There is an income ceiling. That could be why it might only become usable in retirement for some vets. The income ceiling could quite possibly disqualify Stevehovah if the family earns as much as has been speculated here.

There is also a net worth limit which would have also disqualified my husband and Stevehovah.

I did my learn something new from Free Jinger again.