work/medicaid/medicare whatthefuckery

In case you didn't know, I work at a Medicaid HMO.  I was talking to one of our members yesterday, and  I noted that her coverage was ending 2/28/2009.  She explained that she just qualified for Disability Benefits, and she was told that her monthly benefit payment now makes her income too high to qualify for Medicaid.  BUT.  She won't qualify for Medicare until she has been on Disability for 2 years.  I looked it up on the internets, and it seems she is right.  So if you have a work history (which is required to qualify for Disability Benefits), and you qualify for Disability, you can lose your Medicaid, and not qualify for Medicare for 2 years.  But if you have no work history and are permanently disabled, you just qualify for SSI, which automatically qualifies you for Medicaid.  I know as a social worker this shouldn't be a shock to me, but it is.  Our country is so fucked up sometimes when it comes to health care.  I don't know what to adivse this woman to do at this point.  She certainly needs medical coverage, but her disability payment is only about $1,100 per month, not enough to pay for rent, utilities, groceries AND health benefits.

Anyone have any ideas?

buy my pricier stuff, part 74

I have a mint in box, approximately 30 inches tall Angel puppet from the episode "Smile Time."  It looks like this:

( clicky for piccy )

I'm asking $60.00 (plus shipping if you're not local) for the Angel puppet.  Most recent listings on eBay have gone for $100 - $200, but I'm offering it to LJ friends first before taking the eBay route.  Laziness, I guess.

I have four mint-in-box Swatch "Bunnysutra" watches for sale:

( clicky for piccy )

I've seen these on eBay from $80 - $200.  I'm asking $75 each, free shipping if you aren't local.

Anyone interested?  If you know someone who might be interested, please feel free to pass the info along to them as well.