Despite receiving $2,065 per month in Social Security benefits, 74-year-old Cincinnati resident, Rebecca Walriven-Lawson, is struggling to meet her basic needs after losing her Medicaid coverage. Her unexpected predicament highlights the challenges that many older Americans face when monthly checks barely cover rent, utilities, and medical care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walriven-Lawson\u2019s sole income was deemed too high for Medicaid eligibility, leaving her without vital assistance. Her rent is $835, plus about $125 for electric bills, and she also has to cover a $177 Medicare premium. With her son out of work, her expenses stretch every dollar of her monthly check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne more raise in my rent is going to put me out on the street,\u201d she said. \u201cI am fighting a losing battle trying to stay afloat.\u201d She explains that she needs back surgery to regain mobility, yet she must now find a part-time job just to afford this procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, there have been days when she and her son get by on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. \u201cI have slept on a couch for three years, but cannot afford two bedrooms,\u201d she added. \u201cI have no food. No money. Unpaid bills, no car.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walriven-Lawson\u2019s story echoes that of countless older Americans who find themselves short on funds once rent, healthcare, and other essentials are paid. She started working in factories at age 18, later driving trucks and serving as a travel agent. However, as her health declined in her late 40s, expenses continued to rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She has fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease, and osteoarthritis, forcing her to leave the workforce in 2000. Now, she faces a collapsed disc and needs further tests on her hands, which have undergone surgery. With Medicaid gone, those out-of-pocket costs are unmanageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below is a brief snapshot of her monthly outflow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n