#american healthcare

[baybelletrist]

Fuck the American medical industrial complex and especially health insurance companies, which should all collectively be set on fire.

Blogging this tweet because this explains SO MUCH about the mindset of pretty much all the folks I’ve known who’re against single-payer, it’s not even funny…

[stellaltumi]

shoutout to any disabled or chronically sick person in america who needs labs and tests done that aren't covered by insurance because they're not "medically necessary" or considered "experimental"

this shit SUCKS

[chronicillnesshumor]

[leebrontide]

Ok so my kid had an ear infection, right? As kids often do.

The doctor scraped out a bit of earwax to have a better look inside.

I was sent a bill for $200 PER EAR for this 5 second procedure which I did not give permission for them to do.

That was key- they did not ASK me if they could do this "procedure". And, as I OWN a medical practice (it's me. The medical practice is me, sitting in my house on video calls) I knew to call them when this bill came in to be like "You did not obtain informed consent for this procedure, and it was not en emergency procedure. You had full ability to gain my consent and didn't. I'm not paying."

And the massive hospital who owned the bill said "yuh-huh you do have to pay."

And I said "I own a practice. I know these laws. I do not owe you money for this."

And they conducted an "internal review" and SURPRISE! Decided I totally owed them money and they had never done anything wrong ever.

And so I called my state's Attorney General office, and explained the situation because, as I mentioned, I know the law. The AG got in touch within a couple days to say they were taking the case and would send the massive hospital conglomerate a knock it off, guys letter.

Lo and Behold, today I have a letter where said hospital graciously has agreed to forfeit the payment.

"How not to get screwed over by companies" should be part of civics class.

Know your rights and know who to call when they're infringed on. This whole process cost me $0 and honestly less effort than I would have expected.

May this knowledge find its way to someone else who can use it.

[yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt]

In light of Brian Thompson being shot dead on my birthday (🎉🥳🎂) I'd like to share a personal story about UnitedHealthcare.

During the peak of COVID, my family all got sick. I couldn't be on my parents' insurance because they were both older and on Medicare. So, I had insurance through my University: UnitedHealthcare.

For some reason, rather than roll-over each year, I got a new plan each year that ended after May and didn't start until August, so I was uninsured for the summer months, but it was a weird situation that the university denied, and told us we were supposed to be insured year-round, it was messy.

Both of my parents went to the hospital, and I got sick too. I had to take care of my pets, and myself, and try to stay alive and keep my pets alive when I was so weak I could hardly move. When my parents came home, my condition got dramatically worse (I think my body knew it couldn't give out, because there was nobody to take care of me, so once my parents were okay, it completely crashed and failed.)

I started experiencing emergency symptoms. It was a bit hard to breathe, my chest hurt, and I was extremely delirious. I wanted to call my insurance to see if I was covered (this was during the summer) and I was connected to some nice person, probably making minimum wage, who told me with caution in her voice that my plan was expired. I had no active insurance, but she urged me to go to an emergency room. I remember saying something to the effect of "You just told me I don't have insurance, I can't go to the hospital, I can't afford it."

She sounded so genuinely worried and scared. I remember she said "You really don't sound good, you sound really sick, please call 9-1-1" and I think I just said "I can't afford it without insurance, don't worry, I think I'll be okay."

And she paused and said "I don't want to hang up the phone with you like this." And it sounded like she was holding back tears. And I don't remember what I said, I think that I would be okay, and I hung up.

I still think about her. I wonder if that phone call haunted her, or if she had dozens of calls like that a day. I wonder if she thinks about it at all, if she wonders if I died after she told me I didn't have insurance and therefore couldn't go to the hospital without incurring a tremendous financial burden. I wonder if she feels guilt or blame-- of course she shouldn't, it wouldn't have been her fault if anything had happened to me. Maybe it's self-centered to wonder if she thinks about it. I'm not the main character and it was just her job. But, still.

I think about how evil it was that we were put in that situation. Because offering year-long continuous coverage through the university plan would maybe cut into profits, maybe not benefit shareholders enough, maybe cut into Thompson's $10 million salary. While his minimum wage administrators have to feel afraid to hang up the phone, because on the other line someone might be dying, and they wouldn't know. While his patients hang up and decide to take their chances rather than put their family through that trauma.

This is UnitedHealthcare. This is Brian Thompson's legacy. This is why, understandably, an entire nation is jubilant that he was gunned down like the vermin he was. I don't care about his widow. I feel pity for his children, despite the fact that they will inherit millions, but I feel more pity for the children of his victims patients who are gone because they didn't want THEIR children to inherit crippling debt. Brian Thompson got what he fucking deserved. I pray that he not be the only one. I pray for continued safety, peace , and anonymity for his killer.

American healthcare is a disease.

[shinobicyrus]

Via Jason Linkins

Did you know among Trump's flurry of coronation-day executive orders included a halt to all research being funding by the National Institutes of Health?

It invests more than $40 billion in biomedical research per year.

[should-be-sleeping]

Is the "outpouring of kindness and support" in the room with us right now? 👀

[reasonsforhope]

"In a major change that could affect millions of Americans' credit scores, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday [January 7, 2025] finalized a rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports.

The rule would erase an estimated $49 billion in unpaid medical bills from the credit reports of roughly 15 million Americans, the CFPB said.

That could help boost those borrowers' credit scores by an average of 20 points, helping them qualify for mortgages and other loans.

"No one should be denied economic opportunity because they got sick or experienced a medical emergency," Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement touting the new rule.

She announced the proposal for the rule last June alongside CFPB Director Rohit Chopra.

"This will be life-changing for millions of families, making it easier for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan or a small-business loan," Harris added.

Major credit reporting agencies have already announced voluntary steps to remove medical debt from their reports.

The final rule is set to take effect in March [2025] – but that timeline could be delayed by legal challenges."

-via ABC News, January 7, 2025

[homkamiro]

I am buried in comms have a peak on solmed one. I quite like how it turned out

[ink-5oul]

[animentality]

[dzhokarr]

lazy edit, might draw this fucker later.

[themisinformer]

Tragic: Luigi Mangione Commits Suicide By Shooting Self in Back of the Neck While Tied Up to Chair

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK - In a tragic turn of events, Luigi Mangione was found dead in his jail cell Tuesday with a gunshot wound in the back of his head while tied up to a chair. The death was ruled a suicide by authorities. This came while Mangione was awaiting trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

“Cases like this are always tragic,” said Detective Roy Hansen, who was in Mangione’s jail cell seconds after his death to declare it a suicide. “He was just about to go to trial, and then boom, he’s just gone. It’s a real shame that we won’t be hearing from him anymore.”

Hansen also made note of the circumstances surrounding Mangione’s death. “He clearly went to great lengths to end his own life,” Hansen stated. “He was tied up to a chair with duct tape covering his mouth. There was a gunshot wound on the back of his head, maximizing the impact. It’s clear that this act of suicide was deliberate and not an accident. I just can’t believe it.”

With Mangione gone, he was posthumously found guilty and all evidence against Thompson and all evidence against UnitedHealthcare was summarily shredded.

[alethianightsong]

[h0mo-gatoxp]

WIPP SHOULD I FINISH THIS?????

[seagiri]

bottled up feelings