Actually I am scared shitless.
They talk about healthy people, young people, old people, and people who have health problems. They do not talk about disabled people. Until now elderly and disabled were kind of put together but in other ways separate. I have a horrible feeling the reason they have not talk about the disabled is because we are in for the nastiest surprise.
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Once upon a time I was a professional with a job I loved and pay and benefits that put me firmly in the middle class. Then I came down with an illness that the doctors were unable to diagnose. As I grew sicker and sicker, I finally could no longer work and ran thru all my savings. Once my COBRA expired that was the final financial blow and I soon lost everything. It was sheer accident that I finally found out what was going on. My hot water heater was giving off the smell of gas, so I called public utilities. They tested the air in my home and all the alarm bells went off! Not only was the hot water heater malfunctioning, but the 50 year-old furnace in my house was also burning incorrectly and giving off high levels of carbon monoxide. The CO detector that I had thought was working was actually broken, so I had no way of knowing what was happening since you can't smell CO the way you can natural gas. This had been going on for at least two years and had become so bad the utilities worker told me that he was surprised I hadn't died in my sleep. Sometimes I wish I would have. By the end I had sustained permanent brain damage from lack of oxygen in my blood supply. My eyes and my heart were impacted as well. Thanks to the resulting loss of short term memory and executive function, I can no longer work. I tried and tried, but it now takes me forever to do the simplest thing and my employers had to let me go because I was too "slow." I'm just one of many Americans with an "invisible" disability. If you don't know me very well I seem fine when I'm anything but. It took me 5 years to be awarded SSDI because my damaged brain just couldn't cope with all that paperwork.
Now I depend on medicaid, a tiny SSDI check, and food stamps (SNAP) plus a housing voucher. Take any of those things away and my entire life falls apart. I've existed in a constant state of low level fear since that SOB and his death-dealing republican pals were elected. I am afraid that many disabled Americans will die early deaths thanks to them and their cruel policies. When I express my concerns to my roommate, he just blows me off and tells me I'm overly fond of "apocalyptic thinking." Yeah, right. What I'm doing is following the news about 45's plan to get rid of the social safety net, so he can build an even bigger army and enrich himself and his pals at the expense of the American people starting with the poor and disabled. I try not to give into my fears, but it can be very hard. God bless and good luck to us all. We're going to need it. 
your story. Having a COBRA, having it expire, all things that when you have them, seem unimaginable. I had a case once involving carbon monoxide poisoning. So many people go through the dr to dr and not getting a diagnosis. Very frustrating even if you can afford it.
Yes, there are so many of us. On the edge, and if a piece of the puzzle is missing, it won't work. I think it is going to happen to so many. The Dems have fought hard for those benefits.
I was the same with not having the capacity for applying for disability. I finally got an appointment with Social Security and they did the initial paperwork. Then, it went pretty fast, 6 months or less. My doctors sent in the documents, but SS kept losing them. Doctors do not like to do paper work, but they finally did. I had to hire someone to copy them and resend them several times. A friend came from out of state and helped me too with some of it. I had an ABA policy, but it only lasted a few years, but they sort of piggy backed it on SS. It was all overwhelming. The ABA wanted to know why it took me so long to apply, and I said, because I was planning on getting well and going back to work, which was true, but it was also overwhelming. I kept paying my office overhead for over a year, because I thought I would get well and return to work. Of course, that depleted my resources faster. Plus, I was in so much pain that I couldn't think, and I couldn't write. SS sent me to a SS dr for an independent evaluation, plus, he reviewed the other records, which were hundreds of pages. Then, that was it, and I was approved about 6 weeks later. Most people, 95pc are denied and appeal. I was never denied. It sounds like you were the same.
Yes
I did that once. Different story. We all may be facing that. Whenever I see the homeless, forever, i think, but for the grace of god go I.
Thanks for your story
OMG !
They will be toasting themselves.
"why not give him a chance?" that is the same response t
rump supporters said about 45.
It sends me over the edge that it takes charitable organizations to help support our disabled veterans. 
So many of our First Responders have already died from illnesses due to their exposure at Ground Zero. Remember Michael Moore's 2007 trip to Cuba with these folks to try to get them better medical care? The whole system is inexcusably messed up if we refuse to care for those who put their lives on the line for us. I'm proud of my senator (who used to be my congresswoman), Kirsten Gillibrand, who has been standing up and speaking out for our First Responders - and she's a strong voice on the Armed Services Committee, too - but it's an uphill battle and only getting worse. It shouldn't be like this in the wealthiest country in the world. 
I think we all did. I mean, the choices were never more stark. And if we took back the Senate, that would have meant that my other senator, Chuck Schumer, would have been majority leader. I kept pointing that out to people. Yes, he's also standing up and speaking out - and he works well with Kirsten. But if only he had replaced McConnell. Turtleman not only refuses to advocate for the people he represents, but he obstructed any progress at all, admitted that his only objective was to make President Obama a one term president. We should have been able to accomplish so much more in eight years...
Someone reminded me of that the other day and it's been sticking in my mind. And she certainly would have continued - and expanded - Obama's policies. And, given Obama's high approval ratings, it makes it even tougher for me to understand. Instead, people voted for an offensive bully blowhard who has no knowledge of history, no experience in government, and whose well known life story contains some obvious and serious lapses in judgment. I realize it wasn't a majority - which makes it even tougher to take - but enough that he lucked into the office. And even without a mandate, he refuses to listen or learn. 
Each gaffe and offense is worse than the other. I can't stand Mike Pence, he's an extremist of the worst kind, but at least he wouldn't set off a nuke because he lost his temper over Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A lot of us are really in danger and they are so nonchalant about it . But also I'm mad as hell.
We need an icon that shows kicking dictators butt.This is yet another thing Trump voters, third party voters, or non voters, will have on their conscience...if they have one.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/disability-rights-donald-trump_us_582487fae4b0e80b02cefa2f
