Hi, I am @motherjones.com' disability reporter. In the following weeks, I am very interested in hearing how tariff nonsense impacts getting your meds and medical equipment. My email to get in touch is [email protected]. Reposts appreciated.
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I know we keep hearing that SS and Medicare won’t be impacted, but I’m incredibly nervous. I receive SSDI and Medicare, and I’m very worried about being a disabled person in the U.S. right now.
I feel the same way. I’ve read Medicare won’t be affected for people on SSI but nothing about people on SSDI due to chronic illness & disability. Trying not to stress is hard.
I didn’t mean to sound preachy or anything about my response. That’s the LAST thing I want 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ Just striving for clarity…the moment depends upon it 💞
We can hope. Just a note: SSI is paired with Medicaid; SSDI is paired with Medicare (although depending on assets, some on SSDI can also get Medicaid).
I know, believe me. But there are folks (like me) who had too much in assets during that two year period where I did NOT qualify for Medicare. So I had had an ACA policy with subsidy.
I’m in the same boat and scared to death. I cannot physically work. Among my issues include several autoimmune diseases that have been incredibly difficult to control.
I require medical supplies for maintenance and care. I’ve been stockpiling in case of losing that benefit. And anyone who takes any sort of meds might be affected since insurers will respond across the board to this economic assault
Nice Article: I used to be an Independent living coordinator... working with the severely disabled, they to get them home and keep them there... we Need a massive blitz on this, please tell your friends, your colleagues, your competitors.. there are MANY stories that need to be told to the public.
Thank you... Please Now put a face on it... there is a gal : Survival [email protected] who is in dire straights... Suffering from MS according to her story... It sounds like one that should be told...
I’m a PCA for the elderly and disabled. I’m afraid I’m going to loose my job. My son is autistic and receives services from the state to help him. I’m afraid he will loose those also. It’s a dystopian nightmare
Thank you for covering this. While not directly related to your question, there is an underlying economic principle worth keeping in mind: Tariffs are regressive; income taxes are progressive. That means replacing income taxes with tariffs shifts wealth from lower incomes to high income earners.
I discovered my chemo is creating neuropathy in my feet but I'm on disability and also don't want to spend any money that would go to oligarchs bc we are LITERALLY in a fight for our lives using OMB funded Medicaid so I'm seeking used chemo kits that hold ice paks on my appendages.
I am personally quite nervous and have a lot of empathy for other chronically ill and disabled people in the same situation, and how tariffs will impact the supply chain. My signal is also juliametraux.49
As a Canadian I'm currently looking for Canadian made diapers, wipes and other supplies for my disabled adult son. I've been fine with the US products till now, but given new tariffs i will switch and am unlikely to ever go back. I doubt I'm alone in this decision
Thank you. It’s very nerve wracking right now. My health and mental well being are badly affected by all this. I don’t feel there is any support soon when they walk everyone to the curb.
Well shit. I didn’t think of that. I was just worried about my son’s one med that costs an arm, leg and first born each month. I thought I could possibly swing his others but now I’m worried about it all.
I might have neurosurgery coming up and my insurance is already being a dick about less expensive stuff. So yeah this really sucks. Plus I live in Hawaii which is already expensive.
I am having trouble affording meds now as the price caps were repealed and an increase went into affect.
My doctor also urged me to get every vaccine possible as RFK will make them “not medically necessary” so insurance won’t cover them. Some are $600/each
I have concerns that my bank data is compromised. Disabled here. I know DOGE has my ssn, how much is deposited, my banking information, name and birthday. Plus any private identification security questions. Like you mothers maiden name. Who will stop them from draining everyone's account?
Medicare cuts could destroy my independence. I still live on my own. My Dr wants to start sending me a home health aide a couple of days a week to help me stay independent, but she believes that type of help will be top of the list for cuts if Musk gets his way.
It's ridiculous really. Institutional care costs a small fortune and home care is not only way way cheaper but people are healthier and way more comfortable and have much higher moral when they can just stay home.
It could be critical 4 me. Already dealing with delays every month trying to get medications for severe chronic pain. I know they come from Canada. If I can't get them it could directly cause another stroke or heart attack. I'm currently on palliative care. Not interested in jumping into hospice or?
I have my disability hearing for SSDI in 3 days, have diabetes, take a lot of psych meds, and have had to rely on food pantries a lot over the last year - which I am grateful for, but I also have CSID and have to rely on foods that I can’t properly digest even with meds and make me sick. Following.
Hi Julia; I've sent you both a DM and an email regarding this topic and hope to hear back from you. (:
To anyone reading this: on my profile is a thread with a list of resources for American patients dependent on medical supplies to maintain access. Some of the advice is cross-applicable to meds.
Not me not even considering this and researching my meds only to realize that the two most important meds come from Canada and Mexico. I have your email I will contact you if this impacts me.
I am a disabled Detroiter. I am very dependent on life saving meds and pain meds as well. I will keep you posted. But I already have stories if you are interested.
Will def get in touch if needed. I’m a paid caregiver for my sister who is 49 and has Down Syndrome. She is on five Rx, two of which are for PAH. One Rx costs ~$3158/mo. She’s on Medicare, Tricare and Medicaid.
I’m worried they’ll cancel her insurance or force her off a med
@metrauxjulia.bsky.social can you post a link to whomever follows IRS developments? Many here wondering who's in charge, whether filing is risky right now, etc...? Thanks 🫂
My medical care and medication are both through the Veterans Affairs and if they can’t pay for the medical staff and medications what am I going to do.
Tagging @kristinwrites.bsky.social, @kdwinchester.bsky.social, who might be interested in this thread focused on tariff impact on disabled individuals and meds/med equipment.
We just bought an accessible vehicle in December in anticipation of this. But the medications thing is stressing me out. All but none of our sons meds are controlled substances and between RFK Jr and the tariffs, it feels like I'm waiting for the worst.
I haven't had the chance to try to pick up meds, however my pcp did rapidly move out of state with very little notice and now i'm not sure i will get the referrals and letters signed that i need
Will try to remember this. I know I can stretch most of my kid's supplies because of past shortages, but I'm worried about his medical formula. I can't stockpile it, too expensive to purchase out of pocket, and while it's made in the US, the ingredients are from around the world.
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just wrote a wee thread about how I expect #disability matters to be all but lost in the outcry over the tariff business when it comes to the LPC leadership race, and the #Ontario general election coming up.
There's going to be so much emphasis on economic matters, #pwd will be forgotten
We're already seeing that @maritstilesndp.bsky.social, the @ontariondp.bsky.social candidate for Premier here in #ontario hasn't mentioned word one about raising the #ODSP rates to a livable level in any of her campaigning (That I've seen). and we know Ford and Crombie sure as hell won't
I just saw that @ontariondp.bsky.social finally selected a candidate for my riding. @votebrooklin.ca will be running.
I've had discussions with her when we was vying for the candidacy when Laura Mae Lindo stepped down. I'll be pinging her on this issue in the next couple days.
I REALLY hope she will be able to get Marit to mix some messages regarding #ODSP into her PR runs. But I'm not holding my breath. With Marit talking about buying back the 407, and with the Trade War looming, I'm guessing she's likely to say "Sorry, no money for that right now. only for businesses"
Oddly enough, even as a disabled person, I really don’t care about tariffs rn. What I care about is Elon Musk & his team of adolescent hackers illegally having access to the OPM, US Treasury, and Social Security & no elected official is doing a damn thing about it.
THIS. And if they stop Social Security Disability, Medicare & medicaid then my kid won’t have a mom. Healthcare is so expensive under our corrupt system that many CEOs probably couldn’t even afford to pay out of pocket for the medications that (mostly) keep my body from attacking itself. I’m scared.
Scary how Musk's influence has expanded from controlling social media algorithms to potentially accessing sensitive government data. This is exactly why having platforms not controlled by billionaires is so important.
I'm a type 1 diabetic, thankfully living in Canada! My reddit subs have been filled with my American counterparts stressing over 1st the rising costs of insulin and now their fears of insulin pumps and equipment being subject to tariffs as most of it is made in Mexico.
Yes, I am on watch for husband and my own medications, and my sister who has many conditions, is disabled and only existing on social security. I am especially concerned for my sister who is barely able to survive right now.
My biologic injection for my autoimmune dz should have arrived last week. I’m hoping it’s delivered Tuesday. The Executive order that mandated negotiated drug prices means the cost has skyrocketed. I need 2 injections/mo. On goodrx the cost doubled from $6k to $12k
In FL and just
Late last week there was a delay in two very common benign drugs that I dropped off a big chain pharmacy. Both in generic form. These have never been delayed before.
Not sure yet how tariffs will impact us, but if my son's SSI is disrupted and Medicaid is destroyed and the Dept of Education eliminated, I'm not sure how we will survive. I'm not hopeless, but I'm definitely scared.
I’m sorry. I don’t think there are enough people who understand how fragile our existence can be. When it hits the fan we’ll be too busy surviving to report, but we have to.
I've heard there are more than a few diabetics in Canada stocking up on US-made insulin, and worry that everyone doing so might create a shortage on top of the soon to be elevated prices. Hopefully some of them reach out to you.
I don’t know where my FreeStyle Libre 3 is manufactured but it could be. One medication I take is manufactured in Ireland—it is already $95/mo with insurance.
I’m keenly watching. My severely autistic son gets Medicaid and has another year of school w all special ed trained educators. I’m terrified for what could be coming for him. My only solace is that Walz is my governor and will do all he can bcz we CARE for the disabled here in MN. 🫶
Here I was only thinking about the cost of groceries and consumer goods. I'm a chronically ill Canadian who takes 7 daily meds & 3 others as needed. Most are made by American companies. At least two are under patent & there is no generic. I guess I'll find out when I get my refills this month. 🤬🤦🏼🤦🏼🤦🏼
Might want to include the cost of running the medical equipment. Tariffs will increase our electricity cost by at least 25%. These machines are a matter of life and death. Think of the torture of having the machine but being unable to run it.
#Disability
I'm disabled and had a cardiac ablation last fall. I need to take an anticoagulant called Eliquis daily to prevent strokes from Atrial Fibrillation. The current copay for this drug at CVS is over $500. I've arranged to get it from Canada for much less. I'll let you know how that goes.
I work in human services. Agencies are sending out emails regarding funding for the programs and the fear ICE could raid them as the industry relies heavily on immigrants to fill jobs.
I am working on disability survival under the new regime in Illinois. Would love to talk soon about policy I'm working on. Not a ton of tariffs yet, but the fact that we are kept abjectly poor while prices on most things will go up makes economic security all the more important.
What’s the chatter? I assumed most meds are probably made here, but maybe not. Equipment I could see being an issue. It’s hard enough already to get some things.
A lot is made overseas up to 40% and that is across prescription and otc. NIH study but be careful searching that information. Google and Bing are showing lot of stuff that states that information bu have a lot of rhetoric of how can we trust this it is from a foreign country xenophobia
Taking care of my disabled mother- I can track this because as a woman in her seventies with COPD from factory work and doctor recommended (60s-70s) smoking for anxiety- I know her story is common.
I've read some of the MAGA folk feel it's their duty to eat more expensive food.
Therefore, the new MAGA diet plan is to eat nothing but Trump propaganda. It's 100% free of nutritional value, bereft of intellectual honesty, and costs 15% more.
I’m going to keep tabs on this and let you know. May take a bit considering I’m switching to employer health insurance, but I should have a good idea what is what. Thank you so much for reporting on this! I’m worried about other disabled people here
I work with people that almost all get disability benefits, and Medicaid. I can’t report their problems due to HIPAA, but they sure can. I’ll make sure they know that there’s at least one voice out there.
I'm like most people and don't know. It depends on exactly what Musk is fiddling with in that database he's illegally entered. The immediate cuts don't seem to affect me, but I'm on pins and needles.
Canadian cancer patient (metastatic). Just refilled most of my OTC meds. On 4th cycle of second line oral chemo. Pills supplied free by our hospital. Same with iv treatment every 3 wks. Will discuss supply with oncologist next week. Scary. ❤️🩹😳
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Many American companies stopped making allergen free food in the pandemic and many allergy friendly items come from Canada (over 50% of my groceries).
One change to Ryan White would be catastrophic. I'm at the hospital right now
Will email.
Hope this helps✌️
My doctor also urged me to get every vaccine possible as RFK will make them “not medically necessary” so insurance won’t cover them. Some are $600/each
Do we count?
(SSD shouldn't be affected)
EXHALE.
To anyone reading this: on my profile is a thread with a list of resources for American patients dependent on medical supplies to maintain access. Some of the advice is cross-applicable to meds.
https://web.archive.org/web/20250118194917/https://nd8ed.substack.com/p/curtsyarvn
Surely....
I’m worried they’ll cancel her insurance or force her off a med
Afraid they are going to take away Medicaid
I’d love to try and reach out if/when I have the spoons to give the best answers I can! Pinning to help me find this post again easily.
Thank you so much for this, it means a lot knowing someone wants to actually hear us and share.
Rolled Canvas
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24"x48" | 60x120 cm
Valued at $390
Donate any amount to @blacktranstexas.bsky.social to enter raffle
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There's going to be so much emphasis on economic matters, #pwd will be forgotten
As always, there is something more important than #disabled lives. It doesn't matter if we die, as long as the economy is fine.
I've had discussions with her when we was vying for the candidacy when Laura Mae Lindo stepped down. I'll be pinging her on this issue in the next couple days.
Late last week there was a delay in two very common benign drugs that I dropped off a big chain pharmacy. Both in generic form. These have never been delayed before.
I need these meds to focus.
Scared I will lose access and thus my job.
I am terrified that we will lose all help and support we get.
#Disability
Are workers showing up? This should be an everyday event.
It has been bad for a long time, but the planned lack of oversight will crush developmental education
We are creating dependent people that could be productive and independent
She fears for her job!
Therefore, the new MAGA diet plan is to eat nothing but Trump propaganda. It's 100% free of nutritional value, bereft of intellectual honesty, and costs 15% more.
The batteries are made in China.
I'm on a limited income, so I went ahead and purchased a replacement battery before the costs went up.