Obamacare and you

[Eddie Teach]

What happens if they're too big to fit through the hoops? 

[merithyn]

What happens if they're too big to fit through the hoops? 

That may be an automatic pass, but I'm not sure.

[derspiess]

That's a total joke to call it the "new welfare". There's a massive difference between the two.

Then what reason would you give for skyrocketing disability claims?

[Eddie Teach]

People ain't as tough as we used to be.

[CountDeMoney]

But I thought Clinton ended welfare as we knew it?

His goal was to end welfare as we knew it, not to end welfare, poors-hater. 

MAH GAG MISFIRE

[merithyn]

Then what reason would you give for skyrocketing disability claims?

Jeez, where does one start?

People don't take care of themselves like they used to, fast food is more prevelant, obesity, sit-down jobs, more people in the 55-65 range than ever before, etc, etc, etc.

[derspiess]

Oh and Meri your beloved NPR seems to agree:

http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

But disability has also become a de facto welfare program for people without a lot of education or job skills. But it wasn't supposed to serve this purpose; it's not a retraining program designed to get people back onto their feet. Once people go onto disability, they almost never go back to work. Fewer than 1 percent of those who were on the federal program for disabled workers at the beginning of 2011 have returned to the workforce since then, one economist told me.

[CountDeMoney]

Then what reason would you give for skyrocketing disability claims?

Doctors that diagnose it, and the lawyers that argue it.

[CountDeMoney]

Once people go onto disability, they almost never go back to work.

Yeah, little rat bastards should be growing back those vertebrae on their own.

[The Brain]

You can easily make $7500 a month at home by answering surveys, so how disabled do you have to be to be unable to work? Veggie-chick disabled?

[Caliga]

How do you know that she's "most definitely not disabled"? Chronic "back pain" can absolutely make it impossible to work. Ask anyone who suffers from it.

She used to come in to work walking all slow and hunched over, all dramatic-like, but when she was in hot water for nonstop absenteeism related to this, one of our HR dudes caught her at Kroger walking normally, lifting her groceries into her SUV with no problems, etc.  She also slipped a couple of times and mentioned how she had spent the weekend before waterskiing.  Trust me, it's an act.

[merithyn]

Oh and Meri your beloved NPR seems to agree:

My "beloved" NPR? I listen to NPR because it's convenient and the least biased newsource in the area. That doesn't make it infallible.

http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

But disability has also become a de facto welfare program for people without a lot of education or job skills. But it wasn't supposed to serve this purpose; it's not a retraining program designed to get people back onto their feet. Once people go onto disability, they almost never go back to work. Fewer than 1 percent of those who were on the federal program for disabled workers at the beginning of 2011 have returned to the workforce since then, one economist told me.

That's a ridiculous statement. Disability means that they are incapabe of working. How are they supposed to go back to work? If someone has congestive heart failure, they don't, generally, get better. If someone has missing or fused vertebrae in their back, it doesn't regrow. Lost limbs and eyesight from diabetes doesn't magically get better.

It doesn't make any sense to compare the two. Welfare is supposed to be a leg-up during tough times. Disability is supposed to help take care of people who are no longer able to work, but who haven't yet made it to retirement age.

[derspiess]

Those aren't the only cases where disability is claimed.  Quite a few are temporary conditions.

These people apparently got better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNbhrvXHzuc

[merithyn]

Those aren't the only cases where disability is claimed.  Quite a few are temporary conditions.

These people apparently got better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNbhrvXHzuc

How odd. This is what it says on the Social Security Online Benefits website:

What We Mean By "Disability"
Social Security's definition of disability is different than that of other programs. We pay only for total disability we do not pay for partial disability or for short-term disability.

Social Security's disability definition is based on your inability to work. We consider you disabled under Social Security rules if:

•you cannot do work that you did before,
•we decide that you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition(s), and
•your disability lasts or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.

Here is the list of allowed diagnoses: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm

[crazy canuck]

But I thought Clinton ended welfare as we knew it?

Some loopholes were left in.  And disability is becoming the new welfare.

Do you understand how draconian that makes your society sound?