Options: Don’t Work, Get a Divorce, Pass Single Payer, Move to Canada

November 9, 2009

Jill Pearson has been legally blind since she was eight.

Despite this, she got a degree from the University of Miami in 1987 in biology.

Jill is married to Kevin Morrill.

Kevin got a degree in 1980 from Cal State in rehabilitative counseling.

Kevin is a quadriplegic.

Kevin needs home health care.

Kevin and Jill live in poverty in Cairo, Georgia.

They live off of disability checks from Social Security.

Jill grows her own organic fruits and vegetables.

But even though they are frugal, the money runs out by the second week of the month.

Jill worked for years for the state and national park systems in Florida.

But now she can’t work.

Because Kevin’s home health care is being paid for by Medicaid.

And Jill fears that if she works, Medicaid will cut Kevin off from home health services.

Kevin worked for 20 years.

If he works now, he will be cut off from home health services paid for by Medicaid.

Jill is also concerned about something called the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program.

Under this program, if Kevin dies, the state of Georgia will put a lien on Jill’s house.

“I have a petition to put an end to this barbaric program,” Jill says. “I have over 700 signatures so far.”

So, the system says to Jill – you can’t work.

If you work, we’ll cut off Kevin from Medicaid.

If you don’t work, we’ll keep him on.

But if he dies, we’ll take your house.

Here’s what else the system tells Jill – get a divorce.

If Jill divorce’s Kevin and takes all the assets, then Kevin will have zero assets.

And Kevin will be eligible for Medicaid.

And Jill can go to work.

“My advice to people with someone with a spinal cord injury – don’t ever get married,” Jill says.

Kevin says – “The government has made me a liability to my family.”

“We are just two of many persons with disabilities who worked hard at getting degrees and contributed to society,” Kevin says.

“We worked for 20 years and the end result is having all of our assets taken away by the government.”

“Where is the incentive for the disabled to get a degree, work or acquire assets?”

Here’s another option for both Jill and Kevin – move to Canada.

Canada has a single payer health insurance system.

And Jill has started looking.

Don’t work.

Get divorced.

Move to Canada.

Or pass single payer.

Jill can’t sleep at night.

She’s trying to fix her family situation.

And she stays up searching for answers.

She had hope that this country would do the civilized thing.

And pass single payer.

“Single payer is our only salvation,” Jill says. “It will allow me to get the medical care I need and have been denied because of my forced poverty and no Medicaid. It will allow us to work and regain our dignity and independence. It will allow millions of others to work and make their contributions to society without fear of punishment. It will allow the elderly to live out their days cared for without fear of leaving their families with the debt of the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program.”

“We have been denied our right to work, our right to the ‘American Dream’ of owning a home, and we have been denied our right to a decent retirement since we are forbidden to work. What we have worked so hard for will be taken away when my husband dies as our punishment.”

“This is why Obama’s plan is not an option. Forcing people to buy private insurance will do nothing for the elderly and disabled. We still will not receive attendant care or get to keep our homes. We will still be forced to live in poverty.”

This morning, Jill heard Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) on Democracy Now saying it would be years before single payer became law.

So today, Jill again cranked up her search for environmental jobs in Canada.

“Not only do they have single payer, they have more jobs,” Jill says.

What a country.