Readers on Oklahoma’s immigration bill, helping with Medicare enrollment | Letters

Help your elders with Medicare enrollment

“Honor your elders for they have wisdom to teach that we have not learned yet.” ― Native American proverb

As we emerge from our nation’s dedicated day of Thanksgiving, our family dinner table would not be the same without our parents and grandparents, those who are seasoned with time.

We are currently in the annual enrollment period for Medicare, with a looming Dec. 7 deadline ― hence the tsunamis of commercials and spam calls targeting our 65-years-and-older population. The information regarding Medicare comes in the form of a 200-plus page information guide. All of the data flooding may be too much for you and especially your older loved ones.

As a family and community, we must help our elders to navigate what could be a confusing and tedious process. If family assistance is not possible, find a local independent licensed insurance agents to ensure the best medical benefit package based on the needs of the insurer. Most local licensed independent insurance agents represent multiple insurance companies, which enable Medicare-eligible elders the opportunity to make decisions based on their needs.

You may also get direction from Medicare by calling 800-633-4227 or from the Oklahoma Department of Insurance, 405-521-2828.

― Theresa Hinman, Norman

More: Medicare Advantage is a huge disadvantage for my rural hospital | Opinion

HB 4156 would demonize the Latino population

House Bill 4156 will make it acceptable for law enforcement to racially profile Latino people of Oklahoma. It is unacceptable how much America loves to benefit from immigrants but will continue to make them feel inferior.

Oklahoma is still fighting as of September 2024 to challenge HB 4156. This law is to allow law enforcement to arrest people who came to the U.S. illegally, which causes a lot of anxiety for the Latino population. The way that immigration is handled in the U.S. makes it seem that everyone who came into this country without legal permission is a criminal, and it demonizes a population that often is not able to advocate for themselves because of the language barrier.

As a child of parents who speak a limited amount of English, there is this fear that my parents and many others who do not speak English will be put in a situation where they won’t be able to defend themselves after being profiled and detained for being a suspect as someone without legal permission to be here. The National Institute of Justice funded a study in Texas that shows that native born U.S. citizens face more arrests for violent, drug-related, and property crimes than those who entered the country illegally. This is relevant data to look into because Texas is one of the states that makes contact with the border as well as housing one of the largest percentages of immigrants in the U.S. with their population making up about 39% of the Texan population.

We need to put a stop to the madness that says all immigrants are dangerous and put this country at risk. A lot of immigrants who entered the country illegally have been here for decades, paying taxes and contributing to our society and economy. America always finds a way to demonize this population instead of acknowledging their contribution to society. I urge Oklahomans to educate themselves on their language and prejudices against immigrants who do not yet have legal authority to be here because it creates such a division in this country and opens spaces for bills like HB 4156 to be created and corrupted by those who are enforcing it.

― Mariela Gomez, Oklahoma City

More: ‘I’m afraid.’ OKC Latino community speaks on election, immigration, their concerns

DDS is fulfilling its pledge to help Oklahoma families

Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) recently announced it has reduced the wait for Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) from 13 years to just two. We were one of those families who were on the 13-year waitlist, so we truly understand how monumental this achievement is.

When my son, Julian, was born in 1998, he was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Later, as a teenager, he was also diagnosed with autism. Julian is non-verbal, and he needs a full-time caregiver. As a single mother with other children, I needed to work full-time, so I made the difficult decision to place him in the care home where I was employed. Fortunately, I was able to see him every day, but it wasn’t the same as having Julian at home with our family.

Finally, in 2023, Julian’s name came up on the DDS list, and he was approved to begin receiving services. I was able to bring him back into our family home and employ my partner, Warren, as his full-time caregiver. Warren is more like a father to Julian, and they have an incredibly special relationship. Knowing Julian is home and getting one-on-one attention while I’m working is a true blessing. Being on services also allows Julian to attend occupational and physical therapy. His quality of life is dramatically improved.

When we first attended one of the regional family meetings and learned the Legislature had provided funding to end the waitlist, it was like the rain stopped, and the sun came out. DDS really came through for us, and they’ve fulfilled their promise to help Oklahoma families.

― Tonya Henley, Crescent

More: Election, Oklahoma education were top Viewpoints in November

Walters should pay for Trump Bibles

Ryan Walters needs to reimburse the taxpayers of Oklahoma for spending money for Trump Bibles.

Our teachers need a raise, not Walters’ so-called profile. Since we are 48th in the country for education, he should work on that instead of playing the blame game.

― Jan Dixon, Noble

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Opposition to HB 4156, support for vets and the disabled | Letters

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