Ridleys from Snow, OK

[starfish]

Have the Ridleys from Oklahoma ever been on our radar? Evelyn Ridley fundie homeschooled her kids. She might have been called Evelyn Barnes back in the day. She seems fairly fundie and is an active participant in a variety of the MLM essential oil schemes. 

Stacey McDonald posted about her on her FB page that they are friends from their old homeschooling days--Evelyn was in a horrific car accident a few weeks ago. She fell asleep in the car about 10 miles from home. She got careflighted to Plano, TX because she required massive spine/neck/ surgery but her prognosis isn't great. But I feel sorry for the lady. She has no health insurance. Her husband (and she's only been married to him about 4 years) put out a GoFundMe and I thought it was kind of awful. Not that he's asking for help. But he was all "I can't go to the hospital because I have animals to feed" and "I've told her I won't be able to lift her since she's crippled now" (ok I paraphrased that last one but its not far off the mark). He also said their church couldn't help because it's an hour and a half from their house. All of Stacey's friends on FB were horrified that the Ridleys did not have Samaritarians insurance share scam. They didn't expect them to have the regular old insurance because that's of the Devil, but they seemed surprised they weren't in one of those scams. Just wondered if any of you have come across them. And how sad is it that they have no health insurance in their 70's.  

[JermajestyDuggar]

If they are in their 70s, they should have Medicare. I hope the hospital talks her into filing for it.

[starfish]

2 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

If they are in their 70s, they should have Medicare. I hope the hospital talks her into filing for it.

That's what I thought too. You know that modern big-city hospital isn't going to put up with their fundie nonsense regarding the evil government insurance programs. I mean, I'm pretty sure they are indigent. Pappy Ridley might have to sell a cow or something. I think I saw that her late husband was in the military but I guess she lost whatever military benefits she might have gotten from him (and to be clear, I'm not sure there would have been any) when she remarried Pappy Ridley. 

[feministxtian]

Yes, surviving spouses lose military benefits upon remarrying. Another reason why I won't remarry. 

If they're in their 70's, they should have Medicare, I think it's pretty much automatic at 65. The hospital won't give a damn how much they bitch about any ebil gov't crap. They probably also qualify for Medicaid. Give pappy the choice of either losing everything he owns or apply for aid and watch how fast he applies for that aid. 

[Giraffe]

If she hasn't worked enough taxable hours she may not be eligible for medicare which sucks for her. Her husband sounds like a real  arsehole!

[starfish]

I think that Evelyn is not in her 70's but her husband is.  This current husband is former military (so was her late husband) and he stated that she does not qualify for any of his benefits. I guess as long as he had a medical plan, he wasn't all that worried about her. They have a gofundme with a goal of $1,00,000. and they've raised over $7,000 now. It's such a sad situation. Evelyn needs to stay in the rehab hospital as long as possible where she can get care. But she still has surgery planned for now. 

[Howl]

On 12/31/2020 at 9:43 PM, feministxtian said:

I think it's pretty much automatic at 65

One is eligible to apply for MediCare at 65 -- you are not automatically enrolled.  It's also not free -- there's a monthly premium, and prescriptions and Part B (doctor's visits) have to be covered by a separate private policy. 

MediCaid could be available to a low-income older person; every state sets it's own policies and thresholds of eligibility.

 

[clueliss]

Medicaid application, even for the elderly, is a giant load of paperwork and requirements related to income, assets and expenses.  If she is married, it gets more complicated.  Supporting your parent?  Counts as income.  Your income, if you are accepted, becomes part of your side of the self pay.  (I had to put my mom on Medicaid after first putting her into memory care as private pay, working her bank balance etc down and then applying for Medicaid after the money ran out).  

[Soulhuntress]

On 12/31/2020 at 10:53 PM, Giraffe said:

If she hasn't worked enough taxable hours she may not be eligible for medicare which sucks for her. Her husband sounds like a real  arsehole!

O

If she did not apply when she turned 65 she has a penalty and a waiting period.  I think July 1st?

[church_of_dog]

Is the hours-worked requirement for Medicare the same as the hours-worked requirement for Social Security?  I hope?

I've had a nontraditional work history and I've got the 40 quarters needed for Social Security covered, though I won't breathe easy until that's confirmed.  I sure hope I don't also have to worry about whether I'll qualify for Medicare...

Although I'm already covered by Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid.  There is a variety of it for folks who have no/low income, regardless of assets, and I got dumped into that against my wishes several years ago.  I thought about what would be involved in objecting, and instead decided to just be ok with it.

[Howl]

8 hours ago, church_of_dog said:

I've had a nontraditional work history and I've got the 40 quarters needed for Social Security covered, though I won't breathe easy until that's confirmed.  I sure hope I don't also have to worry about whether I'll qualify for Medicare...

and 

On 12/31/2020 at 9:53 PM, Giraffe said:

If she hasn't worked enough taxable hours she may not be eligible for medicare which sucks for her.

MediCare is for people 65 and over. It's not tied to work history that I'm aware of. 

 

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Howl

[Giraffe]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

and 

MediCare is for people 65 and over. It's not tied to work history that I'm aware of. 

 

 

Part A is based on work history but parts b, c, and d anyone is eligible for at 65. The rules for everything is convoluted. Hopefully she gets her needs met in the end. 

[church_of_dog]

14 minutes ago, Giraffe said:

Part A is based on work history but parts b, c, and d anyone is eligible for at 65. The rules for everything is convoluted. Hopefully she gets her needs met in the end. 

Thanks, I will have to read up.

As far as you know is any work history requirement for Medicare matched up with (or lesser than) the work history requirement for Social Security?  

If it's more stringent I have some calculatin' to do.

TIA!

[Giraffe]

https://medicarehelp.healthpartners.com/blog/social-security-vs-medicare-whats-the-difference-infographic/
 

@church_of_dog and @Howl, here’s a comparison of medicare & SS with eligibility information. 

[church_of_dog]

14 minutes ago, Giraffe said:

https://medicarehelp.healthpartners.com/blog/social-security-vs-medicare-whats-the-difference-infographic/
 

@church_of_dog and @Howl, here’s a comparison of medicare & SS with eligibility information. 

Thanks for the link!  They both make reference to ten years of work history so I think I'm fine.

(I have around 20 years of decent salary work history but almost as many years of very part time or self-employed years of hardly making anything, and that's the more recent history, so I'm always afraid of being caught discovering I don't qualify but without having enough time/energy to go back and add in more good salary years)

I had never heard that Medicare had any work history requirement whatsoever, so I'm glad to understand a bit better.  Thanks again!

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by church_of_dog

[JMarie]

Medicare enrollment isn't automatic upon turning 65. I have a relative who retired in their 80s, and kept their employer insurance until they retired, then applied for Medicare. I have another relative who lives in an economically depressed region (I think that's what it's called), and their monthly premium is waived. And from dealing with Medicaid for my parents, many employees at the public assistance office are lacking simple addition and subtraction skills, and approval can take foooooreeeeveeeer.

[Cults-r-us]

On 1/6/2021 at 8:08 PM, JMarie said:

Medicare enrollment isn't automatic upon turning 65. I have a relative who retired in their 80s, and kept their employer insurance until they retired, then applied for Medicare. I have another relative who lives in an economically depressed region (I think that's what it's called), and their monthly premium is waived. And from dealing with Medicaid for my parents, many employees at the public assistance office are lacking simple addition and subtraction skills, and approval can take foooooreeeeveeeer.

The hospital social worker will be a Godsend. They are experts at knowing what to file to get the hospital reimbursed.

This a-hole spouse might find himself bankrupt before it is over.

[starfish]

I read in the Go Fund Me that someone (guessing the hospital social worker) got Evelyn insurance through "VACHamp". Her deceased husband was a vet and her current husband is also a vet. Supposedly it will cover about 75% of her medical bills. 

The ACA's prohibition against "pre existing conditions" exclusions might not look so bad now, eh fundies? But her condition is still so terrible. I cannot see her fundie husband helping her with toileting at all. Right now she has no movement or feeling from about her chest down. She has movement in her arms and hands, but no fine motor skills yet in her hands. 

[Howl]

Hope there is some (evil socialist) funding for home health care to assist them, or else their church will turn out in droves to help. 

Reaching over and lifting/turning someone is guaranteed to create back issues for any older person, or anyone, for that matte.r 

[feministxtian]

58 minutes ago, starfish said:

read in the Go Fund Me that someone (guessing the hospital social worker) got Evelyn insurance through "VACHamp". Her deceased husband was a vet and her current husband is also a vet. Supposedly it will cover about 75% of her medical bills. 

That's CHAMPVA. It's what I have for insurance. It's not great but it's better than nothing. Unfortunately, with working now, I make too much $$ to qualify for Medicaid anymore. 

[starfish]

Evelyn got transferred to a rehab place in Sherman, Texas.  The staff there found a terrible 

deep tissue bedsore that required immediate surgery. She had to be transferred to a hospital and have the surgery right away. Now she's tested positive for Covid and is quarantined. I wonder if that gives Pappy Ridley a reprieve from visiting his sick wife? Her Caring Bridge page is written by her brother, who seems to be a smart guy. He mentioned that he hoped the days she is spending in quarantine and with the surgery won't be counted in her time allotted by insurance for the rehab. He knows poor Evelyn needs to stay at the rehab as long as possible. He's also a decent writer.  I wonder if Evelyn will qualify for social security disability, with that debilitating injury. She might get further insurance if she qualifies, I think. I really wish one of her biological family members could care for her.  Not the patriarch. 

[Howl]

This is so painful to read.  This poor woman. Once something goes terribly wrong there's such a vulnerability to complications.  

I really hate to drive at night these days and incidents like this confirm my sense that driving is better left to the day time and a good night's sleep. 

[EmainMacha]

She shouldn't have been able to get bedsores bad enough to require surgery while in hospital. If I were her I would actually sue the hospital. That is a major safe guarding issue. It's really awful that that could happen.

[Black Aliss]

On 1/6/2021 at 6:08 PM, JMarie said:

Medicare enrollment isn't automatic upon turning 65.

It depends. If you are already getting social security, enrollment is automatic. Otherwise you have to sign up. If you don't enroll in Part B within three months of turning 65, unless you can show you had coverage through a spouse or your employment, there's a penalty. If you choose to purchase supplemental insurance (Part F or G) you can always switch over to an Advantage plan later, but if you sign up with an Advantage plan, you cannot switch back to Part B +supplemental without passing a physical. Likewise, if you don't sign up for Part D (prescription drug coverage) when you first become eligible, you will pay a late enrollment penalty, not just once, but forever.

[Sarcastically spinster]

23 hours ago, EmainMacha said:

She shouldn't have been able to get bedsores bad enough to require surgery while in hospital. If I were her I would actually sue the hospital. That is a major safe guarding issue. It's really awful that that could happen.

Yeah.  I've worked in hospital and in rehab.  Developing some level of sore in hospital can certainly happen, especially if you've got the kind of mobility restrictions she would with her injuries.  But to have a wound that's bad enough to require emergency surgery, AND it's not found until she gets to rehab?  That's horrific.  Somebody should be suing for negligence.  

From what I remember, too, time back in the hospital doesn't count against time in rehab, because the rehab hospital can't bill for that time while she's not under their care.  The sore may also qualify her for extra time in rehab.  If she's back at the hospital for long enough, then they'll have to discharge her from the rehab facility anyway and she'll get a new assessment of what she qualifies for at rehab.