On medicare and not a senior

Doctors and others have questioned my entitlement to Medicare just because I am under 66.

yesterday, an eye doctor asked me what I was doing on Medicare?

I again felt guilty like I was taking from the government.

I have an Axis one MI.

That also gets me. I don't want to tell doctors, esp the ones who might have attitudes that I have a MI.

Any ideas on what to say to these doctors?

I am disabled and can't work or pay for my health care.

And I don't like feeling guilty about it! Or being under someone's verbal gun about it.

Carol

i am on medicare too. i have not ever revealed anything about my MI. No one has ever asked me about it. i also have diabetes so...maybe that is why no one ever questioned me.
May i ask what is an axis? i do not mean to pry. i just did not understand what an axis one MI.

I am 61, and nobody questions it! Maybe because I have white hair?? But I know what you mean. I had to get my bus pass replaced because they put the wrong code on it when they renewed it. They put on there that I was poor. I went back and said, I'm not poor, I'm crazy - fix this! Now my bus pass doesn't renew until I'm 65, and does THAT ever get the looks from the drivers!

I would just look at your providers with a straight face and say, I have a disability. Period. I mean, I tell people I'm crazy, but that's because they don't believe me, so it's okay. I think..!

They always ask "what disability". It is none of their business. But they always effing ask. "What disability?" Argggg.... . Maybe i need to toughen up and say, "none of your business"? I don't like being this way.

thanks,

Carol

According to the Diagnostics Statistics Manual (the book that pdocs use to diagnose patients; DSM, an axis one MI is one that qualifies you for disability or for mental health care on govt insurance.

As opposed to an Axis 2 (bpd, ptsd or DID) that does not qualify you.

Carol

((BrokeNBeautiful))

That is so ridiculous that a doctor would be asking you why you're disabled! I'm not sure how I would react either ~ as I have both mental and physical illnesses that are disabling. Still, it's none of their beeswax why you're on Medicare.

I live in a subsidized apartment building, for disabled people. Some of us are visibly disabled, and some aren't. Unfortunately, people often jump to ill-conceived conclusions by just the "looks" of a person ~ underestimating the value of lots of visibly disabled people and overestimating & hurting the invisibly disabled people. It really sucks, because it does hurt. I'd much rather be underestimated than overestimated!

Maybe you should leave it as that you are unfortunately permanently disabled. Go on to ignore the Q's, and simply state that you're getting all of the help that is available to help you battle this disease. Then, let it go. If they continue to push it, tell them that you really don't like to discuss it ~ the illness can be hard for you to discuss at times. Please, let you be. Thank you.

Hopefully, they'll let it go at that! Very best wishes to you....

I am on disability as well for a MH diagnosis, under 65, and get asked this a lot. If telling them it is "due to disability" does not suffice and they try to probe further, I just tell them that, "I prefer not to (or do not) discuss it" and will "thank them for their concern though", even though I know they are being nosy, to soften it. This is something that is very personal and is on a need-to-know basis for me. I also do not discuss my other medical conditions either except as needed, so this is no exception. Find what works best for you with your comfort level in whom you disclose your information to as it is purely up to you, and truly isn't their business unless it is a part of your treatment plan, to help you with your care, or for your continuing disability reviews. Otherwise it is just curiosity and being nosy.

Sorry you've had to put up with that kind of prejudice, Broken. I think one of the other posters response of . . . "I don't discuss that but thanks for your concern." is a great way to shut down the person's prying without him/her getting all defensive.

I did want to add that your description of Axis I vs. Axis II was a little bit misleading. Here's a great description of the difference:

Axis I includes the following: Disorders evident form infancy/childhood/adolescence. (ADHD, eating disorders, tourette's) , Organic Mental Disorders ( Dementia arising from Alzheomer's,basically anyhting that has a physical medical cause ie a brain tumor), Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders ( drug dependence), Psychosis (schizophrenia,) Mood Disoders ( depression, bi-polars disorder) Anxiety/ Neuroses ( panic disorder, phobias, OCD, PTSD,) Somatorform Disoders, Dissociative Disorders (DID, psychogenic fugue), Sexual Disorders (exhibitionism, fetishism, etc) Sleep Disorders

Axis II refers to the following : Personality Disorders ( paranoid, avoidant, obsessice compulsive, passive agressive, histrionic, borderline (BPD) Also includes Developmental Delays (mental retardation, autism, language ans speech disorders, etc)

Hmm. Maybe I look old. I have been on medicare since I was in my forties. I don't remember anyone specifically asking me why, but if I get a puzzled look, then I just say, "I'm on disability." That's all I say.

I wish I could work! (See my post in the grief forum.) If you truly aren't just trying to rip off the government, then there's no need to feel guilty. Besides, I did pay into the Social Security system for twenty years, so I really don't feel guilty. Just sad.

Trust me, it's not that you are being judged at all, it's just unusually...Now doctors are going just by the nature of the business they are in - deal with more disabled people of all aged - but unless something sticks out that makes it obvious are are disabled, it's out of the ordinary.
Keep going to the same guy, the question generally only comes up once, and the attitude quickly goes away believe me....
I went through all that, occasionally still do (if so, when I need yet another type of doctor) - and I have been on Medicare since I was 18, and while there are plenty of physical issues with me, they are not all that noticeable until you really start paying attention to things, and observing.

sorry, sorry, sorry I am so embarrassed.

Yes... tell them it's none of their business.

I had a scheduling question my medicare last week. She's lik "is this your insurance, because you are so young..." all I said was "yep". none of their business. as long as they don't pry, great, but if they did, I would tell them it's private/none of their business

Oh, gross...

Good for you, you handled her.

Carol

I'm not on medicare right now, but I am waiting on a disability hearing. I've had people say the same thing: "What disability?" I've had people get on my case because my disability is not obvious, but some of these people who jumped all over me also had "invisible disabilities." I don't even talk about it anymore, but it's different when you have a doctor visit and the doctor is making an issue of it. I mean really, it IS none of their business--even if they're the doctor. Their job is to be the doctor, not your judge or case worker.

I suppose i'm lucky that i have both mental and physical disabilities that can explain my medicare entitlement.... i can just say my physical ones when they ask why. but they really shouldn't be asking why....... unless they're a GP but not an eye doctor..........

Riiiight on!

What job are they really doing? Really!

Carol

Some people are just so judgemental and rude. Good grief!

I think, if a doctor or anyone for that matter asked why I was disabled or why I was on Medicare I would just tell them the following:

"That information is only given on a 'need to know' basis and from what I can see, you don't need to know."

I am not sure I said this already, but I joked with the doctor when he said that, even though I was dead serious.

I told him in a silly voice; jesting: "Oh, excuse me for sponging off the govt." I think that embarrassed him.

I forget if I mentioned that.

Carol

Guess I look goofy cause no one has ever asked me and I got Medicare when I didn't want it. But I'm deaf so people assume thats why. I've been deaf since I was 3 and THAT was never a reason for my disability-some folk think I can't drive------I'm not blind. Once long ago when I was working during summer break a guy I worked with told me I was taking a job away from a normal person and I shouldn't be working I could get money from the feds!!!! He felt the same way about my going to the U, I paid for all my classes by working! Some also think I can read Braille( I used to, but only because I worked at a school for the blind), Really my ears have nothing to do with my intelligence, sight, or ablity to drive a car.

Tell them dim docs, you earned it with scars upon your soul. They only show their own ignorance when they question you. Who said you had to be smart to get a PhD? (said with tongue in cheek) Keep your head up, you never signed up for a mental illness, and thats all it is, an illness-like diabetics.