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Schwarzenegger's theft of Part B benefits from Social Security/ Medicare benefits

by Shannon Bryony

Fifty-seven thousand Medicare/Medi-Cal recipients, the elderly 0and disabled on Social Security, were shocked in late November to receive a notice that a state budget cut deprives them of Medicare's Part B benefits. These include most medical expenses, such as doctor visits, diagnostic tests, treatments and the like, that make up the majority of medical costs for most people. The Social Security Administration is obliging the state by deducting the amount of these premium subsidies from SSA benefits before disbursing them. The theft -- what else can you call it? -- began with December 3's SSA disbursement. Announced one month, it took effect the next, not giving anyone time to make plans for the loss of income.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's bull-headed budget cut, which began December 1, affects anyone whose monthly income exceeds $1,10 for a single person, from any source, even if it's just Social Security. The state Department of Health Services announced the cut when it was pending, in its November 10 report, which was not much publicized.

For example, the DHS didn't bother to inform recipients or even Medi- Cal social workers, who learned of it only from recipients calling them in great distress, until it was an accomplished fact, late in November.

For a long time and to this day, regardless of inflation, Medi-Cal has insisted that any Californian can survive on $600 per month. Anyone who lives here knows this cannot be done, that $600 is just a number plucked out of the air and used to discourage applicants for Medi-Cal benefits. Any amount in excess of $600 has been considered one’s "Medi-Cal co-pay." For example, if one receives $1,000 in monthly Social Security, and is de facto allowed the $600 living cost, one must then spend $401 or more to qualify for Medi-Cal payments for medical costs, without Part B subsidy. If the figure is $401, Medi-Cal would thus pay exactly $1 in total. Until now, the only reasons to apply for and keep Medi-Cal are in the unlikely event that one uses up Medicare coverage and were to keep Medicare Part B, costing roughly $100 a monthly premium's subsidy, no small amount to those with low incomes. The second reason, unless one's income is only $600, is no longer of any purpose.

To "balance the budget," Schwarzenegger didn't just chop; he affixed a $501 cap to any income above $600 to qualify for the Part B premium subsidy. Thus, if a recipient's Social Security income amounts to or exceeds $1,101, that person has lost Part B payments. Social Security, beginning in December, removed the amount of that premium from Social Security benefits before disbursing checks. Thus, if one had Social Security benefits in the amount of $1,101, they will now receive about $1,001. That's $1,212 per year. Of course, incomes vary from person to person, and some elderly and disabled people have sufficient financial resources to experience this as no more than a slight bump in the road, but they are by far the minority. It seems we’re headed back to the ketchup and pickles-as-vegetables days.

Let me repeat: Thousands upon thousands of elderly and disabled Californians on Social Security and who qualify for Medicare and Medi-Cal are being outright robbed of the Medicare Part B subsidy, Part B, the most essential benefit for most people.

This is not the time to take money away from the elderly and disabled who are barely getting by on Social Security as it is. Falling consumer goods prices won't help when people suddenly lose about $100 a month which they could have used to take advantage of the drop in costs to buy, for example, more nutritious food than they've been able to afford since their working days.

I feel certain Schwarzenegger has bragged about his solution to cut Medi-Cal costs by taking away this part Medicare Part B subsidy. Other GOP governors and, I'm sure, some Democrats think it's a swell idea and will implement the same theft in their states.
Schwarzenegger's political stature will rise, as he has eyes on much higher prizes than the governorship of California.

There are many parts of the California budget that could be cut that don’t involve depriving the low-income of an essential benefit, but Republicans like Schwarzenegger are always ready and willing to rob the poor.

Shannon Bryony is a former newspaperwoman and magazine editor who became disabled 19 years ago from a fall at the San Jose Mercury News while walking down a hall reading a page proof for the second edition. She's still one of those benighted "MSM liberals" at heart.

Posted on December 11, 2008

Comments

This is a common thread from the smallest of towns to the largest cities and states in our country. This past year the high cost of fuel bankrupted us as a nation at large. Yet, not enough attention or credit has been given to this one single factor in our economy. Large portions of every budget was thrown away on fuel from the schools keeping their school busses on the road to police and fire departments. It was not planned nor expected but happen just the same. The trickle down/ripple effect is never ending.The cost of every other consumer product that budgets must cover were further sucked away from increased prices on consumer goods that have risen do to the higher production and shipping costs. WE need to invest some of these billions in stimulus pkgs (that did nothing for our economy) and bail out funds to initiate alternative energy projects. Create millions of badly needed now green collar jobs, create clean cheap energy, and get out from under our dependence on foreign oil. OPEC is planning to cut production to raise prices again. We can't take another year like the last. Jeff Wilson has a wonderful new book out called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now. www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com This book is so profound it needs to be a required read of every government official. We have to look at our problems in the long term. Tunnel vision and short term memory loss has contributed to our economy's downfall.

Posted by: S. Jansen at December 11, 2008 07:37 AM

ho ho ! thank you arnold ! your the biggest joke of calif .. some day you will have a judgement day with GOD .. I hope im there to see it... your just to much ..with bad law makers and a bad gov calif is do to fail ..can you live this down making calif the biggest joke of the u.s.a.

Posted by: dlang at December 11, 2008 08:30 AM

How odd, I had no idea. Guess that's because I receive only 723 a month on SSDI. Budget cutbacks and tax increases, ya got to love 'em if they can't touch ya. Yes, please raise taxes!

Posted by: James Spencer at December 14, 2008 02:39 AM

schwarzenegger,I hate to even say your name, you are just like the rich man that went to hell in the story of the rich man and the poor man in the bible,God is frounding on you right now, but you don't care about that as long as you and your family can live off the tax payers moneys,live on your day is coming at the end time.

Posted by: wanda at December 16, 2008 05:32 PM

This cut shows that you have no consideration of the most helpless low income disabled I have ever seen in my life. It not only ripples down to how are we going to pay for health care, food, housing and all of the comforts of course you have. Why doesn`t your wife stand up to you on this one I can not see her approving of this.
It is cruel you should see what it is like for those of us, but then when you have all your needs met what difference does it make for what you close your eyes to and thats reality not acting sir. It just makes me sick what you do to the least of these.......

Posted by: hey schwarz daydream at June 19, 2009 12:34 PM

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