Medical coverage in the Sea Org

[RLSteve]

[astra]

[RLSteve]

[astra]

Not that this was asked, but want to fyi everyone that on Staff (full, full fulltime or Foundation) we had no medical, whatsoever, either.

And since our pay was little, we could barely afford food with it.

Whenever any of us took ill, we were sent home, and took vitamins/natural stuff (like Cell Tech's Algae, remember that? ).

And if it was worse, we would be given assists here and there by fellow staff when they had time, but then we were on our own to beg from our families for money or wait it out.

Wisened One/Michelle

In the late nineties an auditor at ASHO was in the hospital due to a heart condition. A friend and I were asked to bring another SO member out to watch him to make sure that the doctors didn't give him any psych drugs. We agreed.

It turned out that the hospital was waaaay out, a catholic hospital at least an hour from PAC. I asked why would they send a heart patient so far when there are several world class hospitals within blocks of the complex?

I was told that it was because SO members don't get medical coverage, they rely on state welfare medical coupons, and that catholic hospital was the only one around that would accept them.

Then the snot nosed punk went on to complain bitterly about what dev-t it was that he had to go do the watch when the heart condition was just due to a ser fac.

I was still very much in at the time, but that whole conversation made my jaw drop, I couldn't believe the conditions or the inhumanity involved. One of many incidents that led me to leave.

No health insurance. The way it goes the church has to pay for your medical expenses if you are in the SO and they pay for it when they have money for it allocated. In 2000 I almost lost my hearing as the chruch refused to take me to a doctor with ear infection and they only took me after it was a bit late - but luckily I recovered my hearing. In 2003 I was predribed a drug as I was sick, they did not get it to me for weeks as they had no money for it allocated until I collapsed on a staff meeting. If you go for a long vacation you are on your own babe.

when i was a cadet we had a sort of MLO at the QI. It had vitamins and thay brown stuff u put on infected cuts... bandages and that's about it... if u got a cut no matter the gravity... no matter if in the normal world you would have to get it sewn... no! they just put a bandage and told u which vitamin to take. I got a 104 or 03 fever... they just sent me to bed and told me to sleep it over... In the MLO, which for non-sci people, it's like the local doctor i don't remember what the letters mean... they have one dentist for the thousands of staff they have and i don't have anything against him i actually liked that guy but when i came here my actual dentist told me i didn't have a real good job done on me and that it'd take very long to fix it... but again i'm not saying anything bad about him... the doctor.. well i don't think there was good service in that area cause my sister was assigned the MLO office for a few weeks and as inteligent as she is she has nothing in her knowledge about medicine... that's all i can say

you are right, that is the way it goes. Once I had an ear infection and the MLO sent me to a chiroproactor

[Dallas]

I went to Shaw before the SO, on the rare times my parents took us to any doctor. In the SO I went several times, after being so ill I was in Iso for weeks on end. But they never actually did anything or made anything better. Except for one time - this wonderful woman was working there, as a resident or something not yet a full doctor. She was so nice. She didn't make me feel like sh*t for being sick or anything. She even told me we would figure out why I was sick and not to worry. I wish I remember her name. She was tall and had long, dark, curly hair. She gave me a chest xray and there was a spot on it. She said I needed to go to the hospital and get a CAT scan to make sure I was ok. Then she went into the hallway and I overheard her arguing with another staff member of Shaw. The other woman said I couldn't get a CAT scan, because I was in the SO, and they would never pay for it. The doctor YELLED at her that it didn't matter, I was sick and needed it. I was so shocked I didn't know what to think or say. I didn't even thank her. I couldn't believe that anyone would say such a thing or stand up for me for anything. She was firm and nice and I should have thanked her profusely but I was also afraid she would be mad because I heard.

After that I went to the crap hospital for poor people, a few hours away by bus. They didn't help me unfortunately, gave me the run around and didn't know what to do with me (I was a minor without parents). But I never forgot that wonderful woman. She ended up leaving Shaw, which just proves to me that she was not a heartless jerk like everyone else there.