- Joined
- Oct 29, 2014
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Posted on December 4, 2017
JANUARY RENT AND UTILITIES EMERGENCY -- ALL HANDS ON DECK NEEDED!
The holidays - supposedly the whole stereotypical time of people being happy and getting together and giving each other presents and...
Another government institution -- Well, two government institutions: called Social Security Adminstration and the Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services seemingly once again have it out against me because I exist as a disabled, neurodivergent Latina Trans Woman.
Here's what happened: As of this month, Social Security has begun deducting Medicare premiums from my monthly disability benefits ($134.00 a month for anyone making under $85,000 annually) - These are premiums I absolutely cannot afford because I make less than $11,000 a year on disability. This problem was entirely by Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services and their failure to properly set up my QMB (Qualified Medical Benefit) that I am eligible for due to low income when I moved from California to Oregon when I got permanent housing last year. Also, Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services constantly engaged in disinformation, gaslighting, and an assortment of manipulation tactics over my OHP (Oregon Health Plan) coverage multiple times throughout this past Summer, where the State of Oregon is responsible for paying my Medicare Problems and not Me out of Disability benefits.
Today, I (with an advocate taking me there and supporting me) am going to Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services to remedy what seemingly should be from an objective viewpoint should be a relatively simple fix of filling out forms - but what I have been previously subjected to in my pervious dealings with Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services - I have zero faith or trust in this institution to get anything right, let alone competency on Transgender issues regarding Trans healthcare or the many other oppressions and marginalizations Trans Women face for just existing - I am coming into this expecting more of the same manipulation and gaslighting tactics just as before - the same approach applies to Social Security Administration - Being a Trans Woman in the United States, especially in this political climate - is an act of dissent and resistance the government at all levels from interactions with the police to interacting with a federal agency, seems dead set to quash.
In short, regardless of what happens today with the superfluous and ableist bureaucracy calling themselves the "Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services" - I am calling for January's Rent and Utilites to be completely covered as well reimbursement for any further deductions for Medicare premiums I cannot afford should Social Security do that again out of January's Disability payment and further malice towards my right to exist. I am not going to have a "Happy Holidays" if I cannot pay my rent because of government agencies trying to hurt me for being a disabled Trans Woman in this society not built for me.
Isabel Rosa Araujo
4 December 2017
That's one wordy salad