#fuck you Medicare

[doilyboily]

God knew if he made me not have treatment resistant depression, that I would become an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. Or, a rant.

I'm going through Venlafaxine/Effexor withdrawals and HOLY FUCK this is terrible, I spent months tapering down to 75mg but I couldn't wait any longer to get off this capsule of hell. But now I'm going to try Bupropion AKA Zyban which isn't covered by the PBS for depression, it's only covered for smoking cessation, which makes no fucking sense bc its apparently quite an effective antidepressant, which means that it costs ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT SIX DOLLARS (186 AUD or 125USD) which means that I'll probably only try this one only until the box runs out bc I do NOT have the money to spend on a medication that, with my luck, wont even fucking work and I'll feel waaay too guilty if my dad pays for it, even though he can afford it and it is his legal obligation... so my options for treating my depression, not including therapy bc that is also too expensive and I'm too self aware for it to work, are:

spend over 1,200 dollars per year and take the Bupropion/Zyban, if it does work.

try MAOIs, which means I'll have to go through MORE withdrawals and most likely have to stop taking my ADHD meds.

try and see if Ketamine therapy is legal where I live for minors and just in general, then try and get a job to pay for it bc holy shit it is expensive.

try even MORE SSRI's even though I've already tried six different ones since I was eight years old and I'm almost seventeen.

try electroconvulsive therapy, which will most likely not be covered by either my insurance OR Medicare and will one hundred percent cost a LOT of money to have done regularly.

and my final option, which is to follow in the footsteps of my paternal half siblings and all my paternal first cousins, which would be succumbing to drug addiction as a way to numb myself and pretend that everything is fine.

Basically, I'll either spend a ton of money which I do not have, and also need to save for top surgery, which may or may not end up actually treating me, or I follow in the footsteps of pretty much everyone on my dads side of the family and repeat the cycle of generational trauma.

So, either way, I am absolutely fucked.

[harmcityherald]

Top Treasury official quits as Musk allies seek to control Social Security, Medicare payments - Alternet.org

[skylarkblue]

"hi skylark hope all is well your initial appointment will be $510 and subsequent appointments will be $270"

bruh.

just. bruh.

[anteroom-of-death]

I think the only thing Drake can do now is shoot Kendrick.

[explode-this]

The phrases “during covid times” and “during the pandemic” drive me bonkers because hi babes, it’s not over. If you mean the lock down period, say that. But covid is still very much around and mutating like a motherfucker, so if you care about the immunocompromised people in your life for the love of god take some precautions and stop acting like it’s done. The effects of covid are far-reaching (for e.g., I’ve been told I have to be “past this covid cough” to have abdominal surgery or I’ll “tear everything open,” like sir, I don’t really have much of a choice in what my lungs are doing now or how long it will take for them to calm down, if ever). Those of us with shitty immune systems aren’t “scared” for no reason. If you’ve ever gone from “perfectly healthy” to “need a steroid shot to not die” then you’ll understand.

FUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

[kg-clark-inthedark]

Trying to finish writing my week 4 dhkinktober smutfic while everything is on fire at work and I’m hopelessly anxious and depressed is… challenging lmao

[mrgaminduck]

My friend has asked that I share this.

Her grandma has had a massive stroke and she and her family are struggling to pay the bills for hospital care and rehabilitation.

If you can afford to donate that would be awesome.

[tiktaalic]

Being in a society is great you go can I have a raise and the CEO who makes CEO money goes ummmmmmm.no and then it’s lab week and they’re like to show our deep sincere appreciation. Here is a notebook or cup with our company name on it. You may have free food for a week

[lunarflare64]

AUSTRALIA'S ME/CFS CLINICAL GUIDELINES ARE BEING UPDATED! THE GOVERNMENT APPROVED FUNDING FOR THE RESEARCH! FUCK YEAH!

[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.

[geezerwench]

Call your reps and demand they protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Here's the number for the Capitol switchboard. Tell them your ZIP code, and they'll connect you to your representative.

[willowdove]

I mean the land is very wet. They had to drain the swamp to do construction. The people, though. The people are creepy.

[bartohenchmanb]

It’s remarkably rare among my coworkers, but working in health insurance, specifically in Medicare Advantage and having to deal with all of the rules and regulations and stupid things that can fuck up a person’s insurance just makes me MORE supportive of Medicare for all.

Half of these stupid rules and regulations wouldn’t be necessary if everyone just had fucking coverage.

[skin-slave]

That's what blows my mind. You can straight up show the math, the comparisons to other countries who are kicking our ass, and it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter bc the belief that we can't possibly do any better (while simultaneously being awesome af, the best country, everyone is saying it) isn't based on evidence. It's blind faith and fear.

[applejuicebegood]

I’m going to blow up service New Brunswick