#health care

[alwayswiselight]

Every time I go on YouTube to view videos and posts regarding current US politics, the recurring comments are that the US is in decline. This old guy would say that it's been in decline for decades. But, with the internet, independent news and social media, we're seeing its impending collapse being accelerated by the new administration with the support of most in Congress. All empires rise and fall. And, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. The above is just one glaring example.

Source

[onlytiktoks]

So, telehealth coverage is set to end March 31, 2025

This means trump and the gop right now have the option to end telehealth coverage starting April 1st

No news organization is writing about this.

Representative Ro Khanna seems to be the only one to sound the alarm.

[rapeculturerealities]

Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared. — ProPublica

Pregnancy became far more dangerous in Texas after the state banned abortion in 2021, ProPublica found in a first-of-its-kind data analysis.

The rate of sepsis shot up more than 50% for women hospitalized when they lost their pregnancies in the second trimester, ProPublica found.

The surge in this life-threatening condition, caused by infection, was most pronounced for patients whose fetus may still have had a heartbeat when they arrived at the hospital.

ProPublica previously reported on two such cases in which miscarrying women in Texas died of sepsis after doctors delayed evacuating their uteruses. Doing so would have been considered an abortion.

The new reporting shows that, after the state banned abortion, dozens more pregnant and postpartum women died in Texas hospitals than had in pre-pandemic years, which ProPublica used as a baseline to avoid COVID-19-related distortions. As the maternal mortality rate dropped nationally, ProPublica found, it rose substantially in Texas.

ProPublica’s analysis is the most detailed look yet at a rise in life-threatening complications for women losing a pregnancy after Texas banned abortion. It raises concerns that the same pattern may be occurring in more than a dozen other states with similar bans.

[typhlonectes]

[crew-yah]

"hOw cAN YoU MoCk a DEaD mAn??"

Well, unfortunately, he was reckless and didn't prepare ahead of time, so he failed to meet the requirements that prove he actually NEEDS access to quality grief and mourning.

His limited plan only covered brief consideration as a passing thought, so unfortunately, he had to pay for his own consequences out of pocket. 🤷🏽‍♀️🫤🤷🏽‍♀️

[davidaugust]

Scares the Dickens out them. 😳

[liberalsarecool]

We need to end lobbyism as we know it. Corporate bribery is the worst way to provide a human right like health care.

Sad that $800 million/year in bribes costs us $650 billion/year in savings.

[reasonsforhope]

From a press release from the governor's office:

"Gov. Tony Evers... during his 2025-27 Biennial Budget Message, announced his 2025-27 Executive Budget will make sweeping changes to the healthcare industry in Wisconsin to address the frustrating challenges Wisconsinites face every day simply trying to get the healthcare they need. 

Gov. Evers tonight announced several key initiatives to crack down on insurance companies and prescription price gouging; reduce appointment wait times and enable Wisconsinites to get care closer to home; lower out-of-pocket healthcare costs for medication and insulin; require health insurance companies to automatically cover more healthcare services and procedures with no delays and hassles; prevent surprise medical billing and reporting unpaid medical debt to collections and credit bureaus; and provides new hospital investments to improve healthcare access statewide, including in Wisconsin’s rural communities. As part of Gov. Evers’ comprehensive plan to lower costs for working families, he is also proposing to eliminate the sales tax on over-the-counter medications, which would save Wisconsinites a projected $70 million over the next two years.

Gov. Evers hears from Wisconsinites who feel like they are not getting a fair shake from the healthcare industry, especially their health insurers...

Gov. Evers is proposing solutions to address the frustrating challenges Wisconsinites face with sweeping changes to the healthcare industry in Wisconsin: 

Gov. Evers is proposing to make Wisconsin the first state in America to start auditing insurance companies over denying Wisconsinites’ healthcare claims. If an insurance company is denying Wisconsinites’ claims too often, we’re going to audit them. 

The governor also proposes creating an office that, for the first time in state history, would be devoted to helping Wisconsinites hold health insurers accountable and ensuring folks get the health insurance coverage they pay for. 

Gov. Evers is proposing to create new standards to expand the healthcare services and procedures that insurance companies are required to cover. This means more healthcare services and procedures will be covered by Wisconsinites’ health insurance automatically—no delays, no hassle, no questions asked. 

Gov. Evers is proposing to require health insurance companies to be more transparent with Wisconsinites up front and before Wisconsinites purchase their health plan. Under Gov. Evers’ plan, health insurance companies would have to tell Wisconsinites from the get-go which services and treatments will require prior approval so Wisconsinites can find a health plan that is right for them. 

Wisconsinites should not have to wait weeks and months to get an appointment or have to travel long distances to get the care they need. The governor’s plan also helps to make sure Wisconsinites can get the healthcare they need when and where they need it—quicker and closer to home—by enabling the creation of statewide standards for maximum wait times for scheduling appointments. Gov. Evers also proposes to make sure the services healthcare insurance companies cover are available within a minimum time and distance of the Wisconsinite buying their health plan. 

Gov. Evers also proposes cracking down on surprise medical bills and the healthcare industry sending unpaid medical bills to collections or reporting to credit bureaus. Gov. Evers’ plan would require health providers to give Wisconsinites notice of unpaid medical bills and would give Wisconsinites a six-month grace period by banning healthcare providers from reporting unpaid medical debt to collections or credit bureaus during that time. 

No one should be in a mental health crisis wondering whether insurance will cover an in-patient stay to get help. Gov. Evers also proposes banning health insurance companies from requiring pre-approval for in-patient mental health services so Wisconsinites in crisis can be safe and get life-saving care."

As part of Gov. Evers’ plan to lower out-of-pocket costs for working families, make healthcare more affordable, and crack down on price gouging, Gov. Evers last month announced his “Less for Rx” plan to lower prescription drug prices, improve oversight of drug companies, and protect consumers from price gouging on their medications, including removing the sales tax on over-the-counter medications, which will result in a projected total of $70 million in annual savings, setting price ceilings for prescriptions, capping the cost of insulin copays to $35, and protecting Wisconsinites from price gouging on prescriptions."

-Press release from the office of the governor, via WisPolitics, February 18, 2025

[politijohn]

Source

This entire article is worth the read. Fuck Gilead

[creature-wizard]

Since folks are exhausted from hearing about Project 2025 and Agenda 47, here are some reasons to feel hopeful about Harris

(It would be wonderful if folks could reblog this, a lot of people are feeling very discouraged right now and could use the morale boost!)

[rosethornewrites]

True. But I’m worried specifically about SSDI, which I’m in the process of investigation for. I need it to survive til then.

I saw my new PCP on Monday and got the fun job of explaining my conditions. I’ve previously had doctors who ignored my needs or told me to lose weight, so it’s scary to have to try to convince them that, yes, I am very sick, too sick to work, but I don’t want to be that sick. I miss working. I miss keeping my mind engaged.

So I decided to preface everything with, “You know, a year ago I was a professor at a state university, living in my own apartment. Before I got sick I used to go to a ton of events and travel places. And I spent so much energy pushing through to try to keep going that I burned myself out. Now I am in so much pain and have so much brain fog that even getting out of bed is a challenge. It feels like my life has crumbled around me, and I want to get it back.”

And then I discussed my medical history, what I’ve done to get treatment so far (getting on Medicaid, getting a behavioral health specialist, a dermatologist, a rheumatologist, etc., all involving dozens of phone calls each just to find someone who specializes), the setbacks I’ve faced and how it’s changed how I face seeking healthcare (that all my providers are women is not an accident), and the medications I’m currently taking and what they’re for. How I discovered I can’t have sulfa antibiotics.

It’s a lot—just the medications, I take a biologic injection every two weeks, 2 anxiety medications, an antidepressant that also helps with fibromyalgia, a controlled substance for my pain (NOT an opioid), a medication to control my insulin resistance, an anti-inflammatory, a low dose of antibiotics, and blood pressure medication. Oh right, and birth control, which is supposed to help with the HS. That’s just the prescriptions—I take OTCs and supplements that are meant to help keep my conditions under control because I researched copiously while trying to push through.

How long it took me to be diagnosed with HS (despite telling my PCP at the time I thought I had it, I was diagnosed on sight by a gynecologist two years later, who then referred me to a dermatologist), and the story of how I realized something was terribly fucked up with my body. The struggles with pain. How I take cannabis but hate that it doesn’t allow me to have a clear mind. The years of insomnia, which is a symptom of multiple conditions I have.

I have so many horror stories about my health that my horror stories have horror stories, and those are fun to relate, in graphic detail so they know exactly how bad it is.

It’s this fucked up cycle of having to convince a doctor you’re sick (apparently they don’t want to believe you if you say you are) and actually get treatment, except you get stuck on step 1 because everything must be weight-related and therefore I should just lose weight.

I been fat my whole life. This other shit is new. Catch up.

But then they get mad if you’re “difficult” aka advocating for your health.

Knowing that nearly everyone with chronic illnesses goes this, and even worse than me typically, is distressing.

I knew my chronic pain was fibromyalgia because my mom struggles with it and eventually got diagnosed after being told half her life it was in her head. I was lucky. I have to consider inheriting a debilitating illness from my mom lucky because at least I knew what it was from her experiences.

Every new doctor I see, I feel like I have to vet for egotism because that’s generally the mark of a hot dog who won’t listen or care.

All I really want is treatment so I can maybe get my life back.

[astrafiammante]

I hope the CEO of united healthcare gets stuck in queue at the pearly gates indefinitely while terrible Muzak plays and an angel’s voice very occasionally calls out “Your afterlife is very important to us. Please stay in the line” and then his entrance is denied.

[undergirlsden]

In the wake of the CEO shooting, Michael Moore has uploaded his full documentary, Sicko, on youtube to be watched for free. Moore is one of the most known criticizing journalists of corporate america, and his work is cited in the alleged killer's manifesto. He's given us a christmas gift, by making his comprehensive knowledge free for everyone to look at If you got two hours, go watch. Share it with friends and family https://youtu.be/YbEQ7acb0IE

[animentality]

[whatevergreen]

On that last point about Brian Thompson as a "father", how many children have lost a parent needlessly because of the disgusting, profiteering health insurance and healthcare industry?!