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Here is an article on Huffington Post about Ron and me. It is about us getting divorced so I can claim my first husband’s social security. We need to do this because both of us have medical problems and health insurance issues. In other words: get sick, find out insurance is worthless, file for bankruptcy, get sick again, incur bad credit cause you were sick and out of work, can’t get a job cause you have bad credit cause you were sick or can’t find work cause employers don’t want to pay for health care for people over 55 and, finally, fall behind in your mortgage and wonder how long it will take for the banksters to show up for your home. Getting divorced will give us $1200 more a month. This is not much money but is better than none. Excuse me while I go throw up.
Loving Couple Divorces To Stay Afloat…. |
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| By: marymccurnin Wednesday September 16, 2009 4:57 pm | |
36 Comments
Mary, unfortunately such has been going on a long time; wish you hadn’t had to go through such.
But you know what is good for continual nausea.
Hugs to you and Ron. You are a truly wonderful person to not only fight for your own health, but to fight for the health of your fellow citizens at the same time. That requires an enormous amount of strength, bravery, and determination.
Mary!! (:>)) The system that forces you to divorce Ron so you can get benefits from SS is really unfair!! Our best to you and Ron!!
Best from both of us Mary!!!
Single Option .. Public Option is the only way we can save the majority of American People from the dire consequences of the current health care system!!
Hi Mary,
It’s certainly terrible.
Best of luck to both of you, I hope it helps to keep the wolves away.
Hang in there–I am rooting for you! I hate this “system” that we have now in this country.
Thanks everyone.
((((Mary))))
Hugs Mary, I really hope this wakes some people up.
Good for you. I’ve been there and it’s no fun wondering when the knock on the door is a process server trying to get money you don’t have because there are more important things like making sure your ex has money to feed the kids and everyone has clothes and the medicine they need.
We are all in this together with absolutely no help from those who are supposed to be legislating for everyone’s benefit.
You’re in my prayers.
{{{{{ Mary & Ron }}}}}
(((Mary and Ron)))
You are in our thoughts and prayers. Read the HuffPo piece yesterday and thought about how often you have shared with us here about all you and Ron have faced.
Your courage and grace is beyond measure. Your love for one another is quite wonderful. Many would take such trials out on each other.
Your story of love and commitment to one another is a book to be written.
Mary glad you are getting the attention to this issue that you need.
Have met several older couples (in their 80’s) who had been married for 60 plus years who had gotten divorced so one of them could stay home in their homes and the other get the care that they need.
Pathetic…just pathetic.
Hopefully Rachel of Keith pick up on you and your story and have you on
It’s not just older couples. We are near 50 and in the late 50s and we are looking at this now.
This is not right. I am so sorry so many are having to consider this. It is heart wrenching.
I am sorry that this is happening. But can you imagine being in your 80’s and on your last legs I mean on your last legs. Paid into the system your whole life only to be humiliated at the end of your life by these circumstances.
Sorry to say but anyone in this situation has to be traumatic but I do have the edge (57) to see that folks in their 80’s are far more vulnerable than I am at this point in life
{{{Mary and Ron}}}
Are you able to stay together or do you have to get separate residences because the law will come after you if you don’t?
My beloved and I realize that we may well need to do this also, in order to get me the care I need to stay alive. It’s really difficult when you, later in life (mid-40s and mid-50s) find the love of your life, marry each other, only to learn later that one of you is catastrophically ill. That’s bad enough, but then to find out that you will probably have to get divorced, and have to plan and do it well in advance so that the government coming after the partner with the few remaining assets can’t claw them all back (they do so for five years)? Should a couple that loves each other and wants to stay together despite everything including catastrophic illness have to plan a divorce? It isn’t right. It isn’t fair. Not to you two and not to us.
So big hugs. I have some idea of what you’re going through. Good luck to you both.
Great article, Mary, and kudos to you two for sharing it with all of us.
Best to you and Ron.
so sorry to learn of this, mary.
this country is so f*cked up.
So much for family values and the sanctity of marriage!
Those things are all well and good. Up until they interfere with corporate profits and humongous bonuses to greedy insurance execs.
Thank you for sharing this deeply personal story. It matters to a lot of people, unfortunately none of them are in the health insurance, bankruptcy, or elder employment biz.
Very best wishes for health and wealth in the future.
(((mary and ron)))
i’m so sorry that our government, which prides itself on laws such as the defense of marriage act, forces married couples to divorce due to out of control health care costs.
fork
Bless you Mary and Ron. So many heros who refuse to be silent victims in this struggle.
I get your point but 1200 ain’t chump change, considering a lot of people live on less than that (take home pay) as full time employed minimum wage earners.
Mary, this sucks so badly that words fail. What kind of system forces people to make choices like this simply to survive?
It is called the Conservative System where you are on your own and the Rich and POWERFUL get what they want and all the rest get little or nothing!! this must be remedied!
Uniquely American isn’t it?
:-(
Sorry Mary
We haven’t done anything illegal. I called the Social Security Admin and they said it is no ones business why people get divorced and it certainly wasn’t theirs. And we can get remarried later. We will do that when Ron turns 65 in 11 months. Then he will be on medicare.
I am getting a little work here and there. Hopefully, it will get better soon. We are better off today than we were three or four days ago.
I love you all!
Thanks for sharing that story, Mary. There are millions like them in America these days. Many people either can’t express what’s going on, or have no one to express it to. You’re helping them, too.
Coming late to this. Mary, I’m so very sorry I wish there was something practical I could do but as there isn’t I’ll confine myself to telling you that I wish you both well and hope that matters improve.
Good – let’s hope it leads to more and more.
mfi
Thanks for having the courage to speak up and to show how heartless our country has become. Corporate profits are far more important than individuals’ lives. Can we ever restore a proper balance?
(((((Mary and Ron)))))
Fracking GOP Family values! I vote this gets front paged you’ve been a Great Friend and a long timer at the Lake.
This could be just the kind of issue Democrats can use to get Family values voters back forget Gay Marriage if you are against it don’t have one. Don’t like Abortion then don’t have one!
But Straight people having to get a divorce because of stupid Social Security rules trump the Sanctity of Marriage?
Because health care bills drive people to divorce!
Just where is Bill Bennett and the Outrage! Frackin Blow Jobs get more air time than regular people with real Family Values issues!
(((Mary and Ron)))
This thread might be a record of blessings, Prayers and (((hands on the screen sending you good thoughts)))
Which is all Prayer really is wether you include God or not. Do the Righty blogs ever do this for their commentors?
Our group dynamic is interesting :)
The anti family values people praying with or without God because they are concerned for their own:)
I expect the GOP to accuse you of Social Security Fraud soon. I hope so I want this story to get TONS OF COVERAGE! I want our Dems to fight on this one!
I made sure a 100 % that this was legal. Told by 3 lawyers and 2 social security admin works is was fine. But I do know what you are saying about the GOP, bless their hearts.
I’m sure it is legal but yeah the GOP will lie about anything. Reagan and Cadillac Driving Welfare queens who don’t exist come to mind. I’m sure Bobo however will say that Reagan was not a Racist and the GOP does not hate the poor.
Wishing you the best. The fat is in the fire, as they say. It was a hard lesson learned, but I think most people in America now see the impossibility of going back to Republicans and their failed governance model. As we slowly move back to the center, the misery continues for millions.