Texas hates the poor
It took me an entire year to get Medicaid in Texas. When I first received disability benefits in Louisiana, I was automatically enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. I assumed that getting everything set up in Texas would be straightforward. I was wrong. After a long year of battling through paperwork and bureaucracy, I was finally approved for QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) and STAR+ (Medicaid managed care).
But then, I noticed something concerning. My application, which was supposed to include SNAP (food assistance), didn’t show any record of SNAP being applied for. So, I submitted a separate SNAP application.
The next thing I know, I wake up to a denial letter for SNAP, and worse, I find out that I’m now $200 over the income limit for the QMB program. As a result, starting in February, I’ll no longer have my Medicare premiums covered. That means my Social Security check, which is already low, will drop from $900 to $700 a month.
Why does Texas make life so difficult for the poor and disabled? I’ve never felt more defeated, and honestly, I don’t know what to do next.