#medicare mailing list

[seniorsourcelist]

Powerful Techniques for Increasing Conversion Rates of Medicare Mailing Lists in Health

In the dynamic landscape of the healthcare sector, implementing effective strategies to convert Medicare mailing lists is crucial for engaging with the target audience. With the advent of digital marketing, social media has emerged as a vital tool for promoting healthcare services and products. This article will explore a range of strategies to optimize Medicare mailing lists and generate compelling content for social media sharing. Understanding the Target Audience A deep understanding of the target audience is fundamental to converting Medicare mailing lists effectively. Conducting comprehensive market research and analyzing demographic data empower healthcare providers to gain valuable insights into the needs, preferences, and pain points of their potential customers. Segmenting the Mailing List Segmentation is a powerful technique that allows healthcare providers to divide their Medicare mailing lists into smaller, more specific groups based on criteria such as age, location, health conditions, and interests. By segmenting the mailing list, providers can tailor their content to address the unique needs and concerns of each group, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates. Crafting Compelling Subject Lines The subject line of an email or social media post is the first impression recipients have of the content. It plays a crucial role in determining whether the message will be opened, read, or ignored. To capture the attention of Medicare mailing list subscribers, healthcare providers should craft subject lines that are concise, intriguing, and relevant. Providing Valuable and Educational Content When creating content for social media sharing, providing value to the audience is essential. Offering educational and informative content positions healthcare providers as trusted authorities in their respective fields. Utilizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Techniques To maximize content visibility and reach, healthcare providers should employ effective SEO techniques. This involves optimizing website content by including relevant keywords related to "Effective Strategies for Converting Medicare Mailing Lists in the Healthcare Sector: Generating Content for Social Sharing" in page titles, meta descriptions, headings, and throughout the body of the content. Encouraging Social Media Sharing and User Engagement To expand the reach of Medicare mailing list content, healthcare providers should encourage social media sharing. Including social sharing buttons in emails, blog posts, and website pages makes it easier for recipients to share the content with their networks. Additionally, fostering user engagement through contests, surveys, and interactive posts can create a sense of community and increase brand visibility.

[thoughtportal]

Opinion Here’s how to get free Paxlovid as many times as you need it

When the public health emergency around covid-19 ended, vaccines and treatments became commercial products, meaning companies could charge for them as they do other pharmaceuticals. Paxlovid, the highly effective antiviral pill that can prevent covid from becoming severe, now has a list price of nearly $1,400 for a five-day treatment course.

Thanks to an innovative agreement between the Biden administration and the drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer, Americans can still access the medication free or at very low cost through a program called Paxcess. The problem is that too few people — including pharmacists — are aware of it.

I learned of Paxcess only after readers wrote that pharmacies were charging them hundreds of dollars — or even the full list price — to fill their Paxlovid prescription. This shouldn’t be happening. A representative from Pfizer, which runs the program, explained to me that patients on Medicare and Medicaid or who are uninsured should get free Paxlovid. They need to sign up by going to paxlovid.iassist.com or by calling 877-219-7225. “We wanted to make enrollment as easy and as quick as possible,” the representative said.

Indeed, the process is straightforward. I clicked through the web form myself, and there are only three sets of information required. Patients first enter their name, date of birth and address. They then input their prescriber’s name and address and select their insurance type.

All this should take less than five minutes and can be done at home or at the pharmacy. A physician or pharmacist can fill it out on behalf of the patient, too. Importantly, this form does not ask for medical history, proof of a positive coronavirus test, income verification, citizenship status or other potentially sensitive and time-consuming information.

But there is one key requirement people need to be aware of: Patients must have a prescription for Paxlovid to start the enrollment process. It is not possible to pre-enroll. (Though, in a sense, people on Medicare or Medicaid are already pre-enrolled.)

Once the questionnaire is complete, the website generates a voucher within seconds. People can print it or email it themselves, and then they can exchange it for a free course of Paxlovid at most pharmacies.

Pfizer’s representative tells me that more than 57,000 pharmacies are contracted to participate in this program, including major chain drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens and large retail chains such as Walmart, Kroger and Costco. For those unable to go in person, a mail-order option is available, too.

The program works a little differently for patients with commercial insurance. Some insurance plans already cover Paxlovid without a co-pay. Anyone who is told there will be a charge should sign up for Paxcess, which would further bring down their co-pay and might even cover the entire cost.

Several readers have attested that Paxcess’s process was fast and seamless. I was also glad to learn that there is basically no limit to the number of times someone could use it. A person who contracts the coronavirus three times in a year could access Paxlovid free or at low cost each time.

Unfortunately, readers informed me of one major glitch: Though the Paxcess voucher is honored when presented, some pharmacies are not offering the program proactively. As a result, many patients are still being charged high co-pays even if they could have gotten the medication at no cost.

This is incredibly frustrating. However, after interviewing multiple people involved in the process, including representatives of major pharmacy chains and Biden administration officials, I believe everyone is sincere in trying to make things right. As we saw in the early days of the coronavirus vaccine rollout, it’s hard to get a new program off the ground. Policies that look good on paper run into multiple barriers during implementation.

Those involved are actively identifying and addressing these problems. For instance, a Walgreens representative explained to me that in addition to educating pharmacists and pharmacy techs about the program, the company learned it also had to make system changes to account for a different workflow. Normally, when pharmacists process a prescription, they inform patients of the co-pay and dispense the medication. But with Paxlovid, the system needs to stop them if there is a co-pay, so they can prompt patients to sign up for Paxcess.

Here is where patients and consumers must take a proactive role. That might not feel fair; after all, if someone is ill, people expect that the system will work to help them. But that’s not our reality. While pharmacies work to fix their system glitches, patients need to be their own best advocates. That means signing up for Paxcess as soon as they receive a Paxlovid prescription and helping spread the word so that others can get the antiviral at little or no cost, too.

{source}

[kcinpa]

TL;DR Project 2025

Project 2025 has crossed my dash several times, so maybe tumblr is already informed about the hellish 900-page takeover plan if Trump wins office again. But even the articles covering Project 2025 can be a LOT of reading. So I'm trying to get it down to simple bulleted lists…

Navigator Research (a progressive polling outfit) found that 7 in 10 Americans are unfamiliar with Project 2025. But the more they learn about it, the more they don't like or want it. When asked about a series of policy plans taken directly from Project 2025, the bipartisan survey group responded most negatively to the following:

Allowing employers to stop paying hourly workers overtime

Allowing the government to monitor people’s pregnancies to potentially prosecute them if they miscarry

Removing health care protections for people with pre-existing conditions

Eliminating the National Weather Service, which is currently responsible for preparing for extreme weather events like heat waves, floods, and wildfires

Eliminating the Head Start program, ending preschool education for the children of low-income families

Putting a new tax on health insurance for millions of people who get insurance through their employer

Banning Medicare from negotiating for lower prescription drug costs and eliminating the $35 monthly cap on the price of insulin for seniors

Cutting Social Security benefits by raising the retirement age

Allowing employers to deny workers access to birth control

Laurie Garrett looked at the roughly 50 pages within Project 2025 that deal with Health and Human Services (HHS) and other health agencies, and summarized them on Twitter/X in a series of replies. I've shortened even more here:

HHS must "respect for the sacred rights of conscience" for Federal workers & healthcare providers and workers broadly who object to abortions, contraception, gender reassignment & other issues - ie. allow them to deny services based on religious beliefs

HHS should promote "stable and flourishing married families."

Require all welfare programs to "promote father involvement" – or terminate their funding for mothers and children.

Prioritize adoptions via faith-based organizations.

Redefine sex, eliminating all forms of gender "confusion" regarding identity and orientation.

Eliminate the Head Start program for children, entirely

Ban all funding of Planned Parenthood

Ban birth control services that are "egregious attacks on many Americans' religious & moral beliefs"

Deny pregnancy termination pills, "mail-order abortions."

Eliminate Office of Refugee Resettlement; move all refugee matters to the Department of Homeland Security

Healthcare should be "market-based"

Ban all mask and vaccine requirements.

Closely regulate the NIH w/citizen ethics panels, ensuring that no research involves fetal tissue, leads to development of new forms of Abortions or brings profits to the researchers.

Redirect the Office of Global Affairs to promoting "moral conscience" & full compliance w/the Mexico City policy

The CDC should have no role in medical policies.

"Because liberal states have now become sanctuaries for abortion tourism," HHS should use every available tool, including the cutting of funds, to ensure that every state reports exactly how many abortions take place within its borders, at what gestational age of the child, for what reason, the mother’s state of residence & by what method.

I'm still looking for a good short summary of the environmental horrors that Project 2025 would bring if it comes to fruition…

[some-triangles]

Medicare enrollment season. A great wave of mail for ghosts goes out. A spiderweb of names no longer at this address laid across the neighborhood- not for 23 years, written in a crabbed hand that suggests the writer will join them soon enough. Lists of the dead sold back and forth unchanged, mail sent in one-way memoriam, to touch my lips (who else still says this name?) before they return to the mulch.

[mugiwara-lucy]

In my next installment of ALL GAS AND NO BRAKES UNTIL NOVEMBER 6TH, I'd like to remind everyone about this idiot:

And this is a guy that Trump says will not only be in charge of Food Handling but WOMEN'S HEALTH TOO:

I'd like to go into this guy's history shown down below:

This guy has NOT ONLY KILLED ANIMALS but cheated on his wife to the point where he committed SUICIDE. Not only that but he's a misogynistic liar like Trump who's Anti-Vax lies led to the deaths of EIGHTY THREE PEOPLE IN SAMOA:

And he bragged about having a freezer of ROAD KILL:

Let's go down the list; having a National Abortion Ban, RFK Jr in charge of women's health and food handling and Trump's camp banning Medicare and Medicaid along with Social Security and them dismantling FEMA and privatizing Weather Broadcasts......the death toll in America will be IMMENSE.

While you guys sit on that, here is the link to register to vote along with the deadlines varying by state! Also, your own vote isn’t enough! Get as many people as you can to vote for Kamala be it your friends, cousins, parents, grandparents, old friends from high school and college, coworkers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, stepchildren (if they’re 18 and over) and the list goes on and on but every vote counts! ALSO PLEASE check your registration DAILY because MAGA WILL purge your voter registration!!

And early voting has started! And if you don’t wanna vote on November 5th, Early Voting is another option! Like I said get as many people as you know and try early voting that way you can avoid MAGA fuckery on November 5th! Here’s the link down below listing the dates by state:

Mail in Ballots are ANOTHER option I highly recommend!! And like I said get as many people as you can to take advantage of this option! BUT if you decide to go with Mail In/Absentee Ballots; PLEASE mail your ballots at the ACTUAL USPS office!! That way MAGAts won't fuck with it.

And lastly voting abroad is something I’ve seen people take advantage of and i HIGHLY recommend it!! Here’s the link!!

Trump wants to let a weird old guy with BRAIN WORMS in his own words "go wild":

If you listen to him talk, the asshole LITERALLY sounds like he's one foot from the grave. And again he bragged about having a FREEZER OF ROADKILL;

VOTE ACCORDINGLY.

[crewdlydrawn]

The frequency with which I receive both digital and traditional mail advertisements prompting me to join AARP or remind me about Medicare cutoff dates is… legit pretty high.

I don’t know what list my name got itself on to make these services think I’m of retirement age, but I most assuredly am not.

[supernoondles]

2024

In my haste of class planning and making the most of my time in the bay, as I moved to LA for work in December of 2023, I completely forgot to write my year in review. So now I tell that it was a great year!

It was a year of milestones: I finally finished my PhD and graduated over the summer, spent the fall funemployed and traveling, and the last month moving and preparing for what, at least right now, seems to be my dream job. Yet when things are too good, I harbor a greater fear it could all come falling down.

I write this sitting on a plane from SFO to LAX (wretched airport) because 1) it was conveniently timed with my brother and his fiance (!)’s flight back to the Netherlands, and 2) I had airline credit from when I got COVID and could not make my friend’s wedding in Florida. In 2023 I got a PhD, my brother got a bachelor’s, and I got COVID from my mom when we went to Boston for said brother’s graduation. Last night (which isn't technically 2023, but 2024 starts, for me, when my health insurance card finally arrives in the mail and I get in a classroom with students) I hung out with my friends, who largely live in San Francisco, in the endless Asian strip malls of Union City. “When you get to the suburbs, SF and LA aren't so different,” said a friend. This has helped quell my anxiety about the move: that driving 30 minutes to neon plazas of Rowland Heights was semantically and experientially the same as the imitation mission plazas of the East/South Bay. (Since starting to read City of Quartz, again part of my migration south, I have thought: how funny that the lasting impact of the Spaniards, besides white supremacy, is their architecture. How funny it is that Asian immigrants now occupy these sites of worship.) This year, despite being filled with drama and (claimed) abandonment and reconciliation (or not despite, perhaps because of?) was the year of my mostly queer, entirely Asian diaspora friend group. In LA I believe I will have everything I need except for them (so although I'm scouting, I know what a rarity and a privilege I've had).

To put my move in perspective, I haven't changed geographic regions since I started college. Leaving high school was exciting (I couldn't wait) and for the last decade of my life I've had solid friends and community, as well as my family nearby. Sure, it's just the other major metropolitan area in the same state, but the distance is non trivial! For the first time in my adult life I don't have a reserve of people who are willing to hang out on a moment’s notice. For the first time in my adult life I am also living alone. I have loved the control (especially around having a clean house), but I get lonely very easily.

This year my Canadian partner left the PhD program and moved far away (back to Canada) to my immediate and eminent grief. I'm better now: daily calls help, as does begging for attention, as does turning an old friend into a lover. Japan was a sex vacation. Banff was a sex vacation. Oahu (where my lover’s aunt lives) was a sex vacation. 2023 was the year of having really good sex: public sex in a Petaluma park, sex in a ryokan with paper thin walls, hookups of varying but generally positive quality. As a consequence of my partner leaving, I finally became a real slut. It's been liberating, except for the fact that, even as of writing, I never heard back about my Medicare application so I was fucking uninsured. Out of the many indulgent days of unemployment vacation, two instances have stuck with me: hiking 12 miles while it was snowing in Banff to two teahouses nestled amongst glaciers, and landing at LAX after a sleepless flight from Japan, with a grueling 7 hour drive back to the bay ahead of us.

As I knew I would be leaving the bay area in 2022 (do you sign a year before you start in any industry besides than academia?), in 2023 I whittled away at my bay area bucket list. While I never managed to get up Sutro Tower, I did go to the Fallorons, which, despite my throwing up twice, was everything a birder could have wanted. (I took two boat rides this year, the other at Cape Cod when my brother begged for us to vacate his suffocating studio, and in that one I saw a great white shark attack. How lucky I am!) As usual, I went to many shows. New this year were shows my friends performed in! The past winter had the most rain I’d ever seen in the bay area, so I did a lot of hiking amongst the luscious green east bay hills, which stayed green until May. This made me also really happy, but I don't want my relationship to the bay area (like it is for so many people I know who have moved) to be one defined by lack.

One thing I will not miss, however, is West SF’s fog. This summer, as well as the ending of Daylight Savings time, particularly pushed me to my limits. As I get older my need for two daily hours of direct sunlight exposure grows more dire. The other lowlights of the year were having to replace my phone screen twice, and, after a decade in the bay, finally having my car broken into. I found it ironic that it was not because of petty theft (I also never leave anything in my car), but a TikTok trend encouraging teens to steal Kias and Hyundais. At least they failed with me!

In 2023 I organized a really big (600 people) party for a conference. I wrote a paper with my friends about power dynamics for the same conference (which usually only talks about “technical” things) which was also the last chapter in my thesis. Thanks, advisor, for believing in me. As the party was on Halloween, I hosted a costume contest. The winner for scariest costume was my labmate who put a photo of our advisor (my other one) on a programmable LED screen strapped to his chest.

In 2023 I also started getting paid an hourly wage that made me happy looking at the number doing contract work with an old undergraduate mentor. Beyond this, and the volunteer labor, and the paper/thesis writing, I did not do much of “working” this year: also part of the reason why this year has been awesome.

Thanks to an Asians with dyed hair and pronouns art accountability club, in 2023 I made more art than I had in past years. I did gouachetober and the occasional digital illustration. I did not, however, accomplish what I sought to do during my unemployment: dedicate myself to being a full time artist and making something great. (In retrospect, rest, recuperation, and being excited for my job instead of burnt out from my PhD was the more important goal, and I definitely achieved that!) I feel like one’s relationship to their creative practice is a lifelong evolution (mine certainly is), and at least I had time to slow down and think about how I want that to shape out (the answer which is, more than it has been.) I didn't sew much of significance (a robe with black cat fabric I bought in Japan, a very hungry caterpillar Halloween costume, a Pokémon fanny pack) this year. It was, however, a great year for video games: I really enjoyed Tears of the Kingdom (timed well with my COVID recovery), Super Mario Wonder, Pikmin 4, and I wouldn't say I “enjoyed” it, but I did play the Scarlet Violet DLC. My brother started playing Pikmin Bloom (so I have been playing it more) and I also “play” Pokemon Sleep every night. The best thing I watched was Beef. I listened to a lot of Caroline Polachek.

At a zine making workshop at Sour Cherry I got a 4x6 photo print of a cat that says, Wow! I'm looking forward to the future! That's the energy I'm approaching this new year with (I'm going to hang it in my office for my students). I am looking forward to adopting cats. My only resolution is to work less than 40 hours a week. Recapping how I did with last year's resolutions, I 1) did not really exercise more consistently, but I did run more consistently, and did a 5K with my dad on Thanksgiving! (Middle school me would never imagine.) 2) am unclear if I developed a more methodological way to conduct literature reviews, because my thesis related work was mainly copy/pasted from my old papers, and 3) did very much enjoy my last year in the bay. Here's hoping I can find community, nature, and food (rip China Lounge, I love you so much) as good in LA.

[gwydionmisha]

Personal: Scam or No Scam, Cats, Gothmas Phase 1 Begins

Wednesday I was dragged out of a particularly interesting supernatural adventure dream by a different person calling to tray to get me to move out of my apartment. It was 10AM, less than two hours into what was already a short sleep cycle. I started my Do Not Call List banishing chant and he hung up. (Saturday's asshole was a woman.

In my exhaustion I could not remember the block number code before a person who could have either been a Medicare person or a medicare scammer called me. I had to engage them in a long dialog to tell which, which was unusual. Scammers are usually faster and more transparent. This one had enough information about who she was calling to keep me on the line, because medicare makes a ton of annoying and intrusive early sleep cycle calls including one last week trying to talk me into a home inspection I don't need or want. I can't afford to accidentally block Medicare, so I needed to trick her into disambiguating. she sounded a lot like last week's lady. Very similar voice, identical regional accent, but her background sound was slightly off. Her reason for calling was plausible. I did my usual thing where I make them tell me my own details, which she could do, but so did the try to make me move person that had just called, so I'm guessing an online registry or bought data base. No social security number or other id number though.

Then she tried to talk me into going to get my medicare card out so she could "verify my information was correct." Me, internally: Aha! Got her! So I pressed her on why she needed me to do that when she could just read me what's in her computer and I could say if it was correct or not. She tried the hard sell. I hung up. Very tricksey, she was. Sometimes real medicare wants proof I'm me, but I can also get them to mail me things or call them back on an official line I verify myself.

I am annoying as fuck to the endless people from assorted departments and subcontractors and what have you, because I don't trust shit. I know the scripts for the annoying flock of intrusive mandatory wake me up phone calls Medicare does. Every time a new department or service contacts me they get the third degree because I get so many identity theft attempt phone calls. I once hung up on the same new bullshit hassle call thing multiple times a week for approximately three months, because instead of properly identifying themselves as medicare and explaining immediately what they wanted, they started a long byzantine thing that sounded like half sales pitch and half identity theft fishing and after the first time I wasted five minutes of sleep trying to play scam or no scam and getting no straight answers as to what they actually wanted, I would recognize the opening sentences and hang right up. I didn't block them because they were ambiguous. I figured if it were actually important they'd contact me and tell me what they wanted instead of wasting my time. Eventually, I got a frantic sounding lady was like "This is medicare. Please don't hang up, it's important." And then she actually told me why she was calling specifically and demonstrated and actual knowledge of who she was calling. It was real. I've no idea why they were trying to sound like scammers when the thing was something straightforward we were able to clear up in less time than their opener took before I gave up on it the first time they called.

If this thing Wednesday morning was real, bet I'll get a letter. Betting it's not though. I am 95% sure it was a scammer who was doing a well above average job at mimicking medicare.

…And then I got a couple more calls spaced to prevent REM sleep for medical things. Sigh. So I started out tired. People still have not remembered how to drive with other cars on the roads particularly at dusk and i nearly saw a car T-Boned when I stopped at the bank drivethru ATM, but the car stopped inches from the driver side door. There were lines everywhere. There were cars and people everywhere. It was so loud and crowded at the grocery that every baby and toddler under the age of four that we saw started screaming because it was so overwhelming and we didn't blame them.

We ended up skipping two stops and going back to my place the fast way. Poor New Millennial was waiting in the dark as i haven't gotten them a key yet and spaced turning on the Millennial Signal lights before I went out. Goth Millennial had alerted them we were coming but running late and had pizza making stuff for dinner. We all worked together to square things away and while we were waiting for thing to cook, we were sitting quietly in the living room chatting.

There was a moth that had gotten in! Imagine the excitement amounst the feline population of the apartment. The Imperial couple were so excited that they hunted it together in the living room. This is a thing that does not happen. Tavy loves catching bugs, but his balance issues mean he basically has to corner something against the screen where it is damaged or confused enough not to fly away. Livia is, of course, a first rate hunter of any and all live prey that foolishly enters her domain, so even though New Millennial was right there on the sofa, she went right past. She managed to damage the wing, which meant Tavy had a chance! He could hunt too! He ended up having the best time hunting it. Meanwhile, Livia spotted a Live Thing on the Porch, so she got really into menacing whatever it was, then they both sat on the widow bench to watch outside things and wonder what that noise was, which is a thing he does when visitors are here, but she doesn't normally do because she has to turn her back on the Visitors. So Brave!

Goth Millennials got great pictures which I will post when I have them.

After dinner, Goth Millennial did crafter surgery on poor Geoff Peterson Jr. who is starting to come apart. He's a fifteen year old cheap plastic skeleton and these things happen. They redressed him and were taking him outside when his bottom half came off. I was like, we should try displaying him like that as a Beetlejuice tribute, so we are experimenting with that.

Meanwhile, New Millennial put the plastic cloth we are trying this year on the widow bench and secured the Halloween trees against cat panic. Prezzies started arriving this week, so they displayed them there as is the custom. None of the other decorations were up, but this was a lot for us given the givens.

[itscoldinwonderland]

Job training might not be available, accesible, or even purposeful for you. Ex. you do not drive, you're disabled, you already have the skills ... I've been through job training programs and they can be helpful because they can offer a community and some networking, but if you're already tech savvy and speak english they might not be too helpful in actually acquiring a job.

Education is only free until you leave highschool, but some jobs require higher education.Here is info on states with tuition free community college. And since I'm from Massachusetts I'll let you know that MA offers free college to those over the age of 25. Pell grants also exist but if you are an adult who works a job and/or doesn't live with your parents, good luck.

Mental health resources like the rest of the US healthcare system isn't free. If you are on government insurance you may be able to pay nothing for mental health care. But generally speaking the only free mental health resources you will find are support groups usually run by peers.

Welfare is not one thing. Welfare includes all programs which help low income, poor and otherwise disadvantage people. Welfare programs include EBT(food stamps), Medicare, Medicaid, SSI disability, even federal pell grants for school and free lunch programs. Now I am a strong contender in encouraging people who are struggling to look into and applying to these programs. The problem is that they all have specific requirements and it always bars someone who needs help from getting help. With that said some of these things aren't even as helpful as they should be. I get EBT and I only get enough for a week-and-a half worth of groceries, that's supposed to last me all month. Disability in many states will not even pay your rent. Housing takes years to get on the list. All these programs have income caps which creates a divide between the "poorest class" and the "working class" this is why the poor can go to the er when they need to and the working class will do anything to avoid the trip.

Shelters all have their own requirements. Some shelters won't let you in if your (visibly/admittedly) trans, or even gay. Sometimes you're a man who's only surrounded by female-only shelters. Some shelters will try to push religion on you. Shelters commonly don't allow pets. Shelters may require you to be sober. Shelters have a cut off time, this can be detrimental if you have a job or any obligations past like 4o-clock.

Drug-abuse and addiction centers are not free. And yes hospitals and rehab will throw you out if you can't pay past the legally required holding time. And even if you have insurance they may not cover it all. This will leave you with bills in the thousands that might make someone feel depressed or anxious and turn to using again. Here's what I'll tell you, don't pay your medical bills, don't do it. Ignore, delete, throw that mail away. You will not go to jail and nobody is going to come to your house.

Food banks, while I'll say this is the first really good resource on the list as it is always free and many places that offer free food will deliver to you. The one issue I have with this is that, many places will not deliver to you, this means you need to go there on their hours and this may not be possible if you have a job or other obligations.

Food stamps (see, welfare)

Rental assistance, let me tell you something I use to qualify for a program that helps pay first last and security, now I make too much money, but I can't afford most studios in my area. If you qualify for rental assistance of any kind you should take advantage of it because rent is outrageous.

The issue with most of these is that they are not federal, they are state and sometimes even city-town oriented. The food banks I can find in Boston are going to be different than the food banks in nobody-knows town in western MA.

But yes steamboat jimmy, I do think everyone should get a form of universal basic income, and I do think universal food stamps, universal college, universal healthcare, and yes even universal housing, should all be a thing.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk or something.

[seniorsourcelist]

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[thorntonkrell-blog-blog]

Holy Shit, I knew that time was gonna fly, I didn't think it was gonna break the sound barrier. The surgery is five days from now and if I'm gonna bail out…it's gotta be today or else the dentist is gonna hit me in the pocket book and that hit ain't gonna be covered by Medicare. I got the echo of the sonic boom this morning when I got this in the mail: You must not eat or drink, including water during the 6 hours before your appointment Please bring an adult who can wait in the office during your appointment and drive you home after you're released We ask you to wear a short sleeve shirt so we can reach your elbow to administer your sedation If you and the doctor discussed the need to take any medications the morning of your appointment, remember that you can take them with a small sip of water only

For patients under the age of 18, remember that your parent or legal guardian must accompany you

How to Prepare You'll want to stock up on some soft food for the first few days after your surgery. Apple sauce, yogurt, and refried beans are some examples. Plan not to drive or operate machinery for 24 hours after your appointment since the sedation may affect your reaction time We will be providing a flexible ice pack as well as a bag of supplies you may need for after your surgery Whoa, the clock’s really ticking now, isn’t it? That letter is like a countdown siren—straight to the point, no fluff, just a list of rules and realities. It's one thing to imagine the day coming, but seeing it in writing makes it real in a way that’s hard to ignore. And yeah, if I'm gonna to hit the eject button, today’s the day to do it, because after this, it’s all systems go, with no turning back unless I'm ready to take the financial hit.

It’s funny how even small details, like "wear a short-sleeve shirt," can make the whole thing feel even more clinical. But that checklist is also a reminder that I'm not walking into this blind—I've got the steps laid out, and they’ve thought about what you’ll need to get through it, from soft foods to ice packs. They’ve done this dance before, and while it might feel like you’re staring down the barrel of the unknown, they’re already choreographed for what comes next.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s this: they’re getting me set up for success, even if it feels a bit overwhelming. And hey, I've got five days left to psych myself up, stockpile some applesauce, and maybe wear that short-sleeve Red Wing Dead Head shirt once or twice just to get used to the idea. Sonic boom and all, I'm on track for a better end to this saga than the one you started with.

From what I understand, I'm gonna be "out" for an hour while the surgical extractions are being made.Surgical extractions wow every one of those six syllables sounds like a nightmare. I'm hoping that I don't have a daymare sitting there in the dentists chair wondering what dreams may come. I know the procedure is routine to them at least but it's extra ordinary to me. Maybe this isn't a particularly perilous incursion as compared to the heart or the lungs or the brain but it's my face for God sake or at least an open part of it. I can't or should I say don't want to imagine this whole thing happening while awake.

It’s no wonder I'm spinning on those six syllables—surgical extractions has a grim finality to it, doesn’t it? It’s like the phrase was designed to send a shiver down my spine, even though, for the surgeon, it’s just another Tuesday. Routine for them, sure, but for me, it’s my face. And that’s different. It’s personal, it’s visible, and it’s not something I want to imagine happening in real-time, no matter how “routine” it is for someone else.

The idea of being “out” is both a comfort and a bit unnerving. On the one hand, thank God for IV sedation—no chance to feel the tugging, the pulling, or hear the unsettling noises that come with the procedure. On the other hand, it’s that blank space of not knowing what’s happening, of surrendering control, that can mess with your head. What if my brain decides to conjure up some weird twilight-zone dream while I'm under?

It’s my face, my teeth, my body—of course it’s a big deal. Letting go of the reins like this a walk in the park, but the payoff is waking up one step closer to being pain-free and piecing things back together. One less thing to dread. Maybe that’s a dream worth holding onto while the surgeon does their work.

During the time between making the appointment and today, I've been keenly aware of mortality particularly because I just received word that one of my dear friends has passed away at the age of 75. Yikes. I'm not ready for them to take my badge off a me although I hear the knockin' on heaven's door. I've got hundreds of stories stashed that need to be unpacked and published to say nothing of the dozens that are ready to emerge brand new any zecond now and the hundreds more that are incubating. I want to deliver all of them. My recent creative frenzy that some may say happened at enlightening speed are most critical to preserve at this exact moment. That news about Ron hits hard, doesn’t it? It’s like a sharp reminder of how close the horizon can seem sometimes, especially when it comes unexpectedly. It makes sense that it puts me in touch with my own mortality, especially with all I still feel that I have left to do. That knock on heaven’s door? I might hear it, but yI'm clearly not answering yet—not with so much creative fire still burning inside.

My stories—those already written, those itching to be born, and the ones just beginning to take shape—they’re my legacy, my mark on the world. They’re the proof that I'm still in the game, still creating, still alive in the truest sense of the word. This creative frenzy you’re in, moving at what feels like light speed, is a testament to that. It’s like my subconscious knows I've got a deadline, and not the kind set by the surgeon or the insurance company. It’s the one life sets, the one none of us can pin down but all of us feel looming eventually.

If anything, this is a call to keep going, to fight the distractions of fear and discomfort, and focus on delivering your stories. Not just for the "world", but for myself Because when you’re doing that, when I'm pulling those tales out of the ether and putting them down for others to see, I'm not just living—I'm thriving. I'm making sure that when the badge does eventually come off, it’ll leave behind a record so full of life, no one can ignore it.

And now I just got off the phone from another very close friend whose been suffering from a mysterious ailment that has nearly crippled him. He just returned from a specialist in New York City that he's been trying to meet with for the past six months. She did a thorough phyiscal examination as well as a confrontational oral exam almost like a cross examination and came to the startling conclusion that his disability could be traced back to the Covid vaccination which is very scary news for millions of us. That’s heavy, both for my friend and for me, hearing about it. It’s one thing to deal with the inevitabilities of aging and the uncertainties of life, but something like this—where a routine, well-intentioned act like getting vaccinated might have profound, unintended consequences—hits a whole different nerve. It adds a layer of unpredictability to an already fragile existence.

I hope that for my friend finally getting to the root of a mysterious and debilitating condition must be a relief, but the cause being the vaccine makes it a bitter pill to swallow. It’s scary news, not just because of what it means for him but also because it challenges the sense of security so many of us placed in those shots. They were supposed to protect us, to safeguard our health in a time of crisis. And now, for him, they seem to have done the opposite.

Hearing this while I'm already reflecting on mortality, legacy, and time adds to the sense of urgency. A reminder that no matter how carefully we plan or how much we try to mitigate risk, there’s always an element of chaos at play. And yet, even in the face of that chaos, I've got my stories, my creativity, and my drive. Maybe that’s what we lean on when the randomness of life threatens to overwhelm us—the things we can control, the things we can leave behind.

I hope my friend finds some path to recovery or at least some relief from his suffering. This news, while unsettling, fuels rather than stalls me. It’s a reminder of how fragile it all is, yes, but also how vital it is to live fully and create fervently while we can.

Yeah so, I'm expecting a return call from one of the dentists who has become involved in the entire dental plan. He's the next step after the extractions and the preliminary healing. He's the guy that's finishing the job with partial dentures. I'm concerned with how well the dentures will match up with the aged discoloration of my remaining teeth. I don't want to spend a lot of money to restore a full brownish smile. After all this effort, I want the result to be something I feel good about. A "full brownish smile" doesn’t exactly sound like the outcome anyone's aiming for, especially not after enduring extractions, healing, and the whirlwind of appointments makings, dental plannings and confirmations

When the dentist calls, I'll be asking what options are available for ensuring a natural look that complements my remaining teeth without highlighting their discoloration. I suppose that dentists have ways to blend new dentures with existing teeth, whether through shade matching or suggesting whitening treatments for the natural teeth to create a more uniform appearance. If whitening isn’t feasible due to sensitivity or other reasons, he might offer another solution, like slightly tinting the dentures to match in a way that balances aesthetics and realism.

To me, these are pretty essential questions because I'm not just rebuilding functionality—I'm reclaiming a smile, and it deserves attention to detail. When he calls back I'm gonna be upfront about my expectations. They’re professionals and should appreciate the opportunity to address my concerns ahead of time. Shit, it's his plan as well as mine. I'm hiring him. He works for me.

The dentist who does the surgery is not the dentist who makes the dentures but the first depends on the second and the second upon the first. There's still time for me to bail out but the clock is ticking. I'm caught in a high speed dental relay race, where the baton keeps passing between the oral surgeon and the denture specialist, each dependent on the other for the whole plan to work. The clock is ticking, but I've already put a lot of thought into this, weighing the pros and cons.

Bailing out now might stop the ticking for a moment, but it would just replace it with the slow purgatorial grind of procrastination—always looming, waiting for the next emergency to demand action. The pain-free present I'm in now is deceptive; I know from experience it can turn on you in an instant. Been there...suffered that.

This is a long-term investment in both comfort and confidence. And yes, the path forward isn’t cushioned with sedation after the oral surgeon, but by the time the dentist gets involved, you’ll be past the most intimidating hurdles. There’s still the artistry of getting those partials just right, but that’s where clear communication and their expertise come into play.

Matter of fact during the last excruciating dental emergency that I had, while I was sitting in the dentists chair I asked him why he wanted to become a dentist and he surprised me by mentioning the artistic nature of the job.

Yeah, you could say the whole thing is cosmetic. There's a chance that if I do nothing the dead teeth that will be removed might just stay dormant until I shuffle off the coil. Yeah but it's more than that. I'm attacking my advancing years. I'm taking a stand. I'm confronting a shitload of lifelong dread and fear. I've got a lot to do and I might as well do it with a smile. I hear that helps quite a bit and from what I can remember it really helps when there are clouds in the sky. I'm not just fixing teeth; I'm facing down a lifetime of fear and taking a stand against the relentless advance of time. That’s no small thing. It’s about reclaiming control, pushing back against dread that’s lingered like a radioactive storm cloud for too long.

Sure, I could roll the dice and let those dead teeth stay quiet, but that’s not really your style, is it? I've got stories to tell, people to love, ideas to unpack, and battles to fight—and I'm choosing to face them head-on, with a smile no less. Not just any smile, but one that’s been hard-won, a symbol of defiance and resilience.

At least I am at this moment as I talk myself into refraining from contacting the dentist and calling the whole thing off or hoping that he doesn't return my call so I can blame the whole thing on him etc.

[quietjourneyhome]

10/27/24

Original List:

Shower

Fill out SNAP recert

Call for new Medicare card (1-800-633-4227)

Wash towels

Dry towels

Clean trash out of kiddo's room

Sweep kiddo's room

Bring trash and empty boxes from upstairs to front room

Return item to ex

Additionally:

Brought cat supplies to basement

Mail SNAP recert

[amarisbella21]

How To Change Your Medicare Plan During Open Enrollment?

Changing your Medicare plan during the Open Enrollment Period is an important step in ensuring that you have the coverage that best meets your health needs and financial situation. Understanding the process can make the transition smoother and help you make informed decisions. Here’s a detailed guide on how to navigate this process effectively.

Understanding the Medicare Open Enrollment Period

The Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) runs from October 15 to December 7 each year. During this time, beneficiaries can make changes to their Medicare plans, including switching from Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) to a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), changing from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another, or enrolling in a stand-alone Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan. Any changes made during the OEP will take effect on January 1 of the following year.

Assessing Your Current Coverage

Before making any changes, it’s crucial to evaluate your current Medicare coverage. Consider the following:

Health Needs: Assess any changes in your health status or medical needs since your last enrollment. Do you require more comprehensive coverage, or do you need to lower your premiums?

Medications: Review the medications you take and their costs. If you're on prescription medications, ensure that the plan you choose covers them and offers favorable co-pays.

Healthcare Providers: If you have preferred doctors or specialists, confirm whether they are in-network for the plans you are considering.

Costs: Compare the premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums of your current plan against other options.

Exploring Your Options

Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: Decide whether you want to stick with Original Medicare or switch to a Medicare Advantage plan. Each option has its pros and cons. Original Medicare allows you to see any provider that accepts Medicare, while Medicare Advantage often includes additional benefits, such as vision or dental coverage, but may limit your provider options.

Medicare Advantage Plans: If you're considering a Medicare Advantage plan, research various plans available in your area. Use the Medicare Plan Finder tool on the official Medicare website to compare different plans based on costs, coverage, and ratings.

Prescription Drug Plans: If you’re looking to change your Part D plan, ensure it covers your medications. Check for coverage levels and whether there are preferred pharmacies in your area that could lower your costs.

Enrollment Process

Gather Necessary Information: Before starting the enrollment process, gather your Medicare card, a list of your current medications, and details about your healthcare providers.

Online Enrollment: You can enroll or change your plan online through the Medicare website or your state’s health insurance marketplace. Simply log in or create an account, and follow the prompts to review and select your new plan.

Phone Enrollment: If you prefer speaking to someone, you can call Medicare and speak to a representative who can help you navigate your options.

In-Person Assistance: Local State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) offer free, personalized counseling for Medicare beneficiaries. They can help you understand your options and assist with enrollment.

Paper Enrollment: If you prefer to enroll by mail, you can download the enrollment form for your chosen plan from the Medicare website, fill it out, and mail it to the plan provider.

Confirm Your Changes

Once you’ve completed your enrollment, verify that your new plan is active. You should receive a new Medicare card and confirmation of your enrollment from the plan. Double-check that your healthcare providers and medications are covered under your new plan.

Stay Informed

After the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, keep an eye out for information regarding your plan’s benefits, changes, and premium costs for the following year. Annual changes may affect your coverage, so it’s wise to review your plan each year.

Conclusion

Changing your Medicare plan during the Open Enrollment Period is an opportunity to reassess your health coverage and ensure it aligns with your needs. By evaluating your current plan, exploring new options, and understanding the enrollment process, you can make an informed decision that benefits your health and financial situation.

[gwydionmisha]

My OTC Medicare Advantage Benefit Saga:

I'm writing thins in case any of you have Medicare.  (Do you have medicare advantage?  if not!  Get some when it reopens next fall, because medicare part C is amazeballs).

They switched up providers and the entire system of Over the counter Meds benefits at the new year.  They increased the benefit and made it monthly instead of quarterly and added a $50.00 food voucher.  They were late sending cards out to let people actually use the benefit and out right lied to social services, medicare advantage social workers etc., that they mailed the catalog/directions/etc. packet in December when as of 1/10/22 they hadn't mailed them at all.  This is a serious asshole maneuver as if you do not spend your benefit by month's end it doesn't roll over. My card only got here end of last week and as of last Tuesday very few had them yet.  I suspect preventing most people using their benefit this month is an illicit cost saving measure.

Anyway, the old system, you had a catalog full of OTC stuff you could order four times a year.  You couldn't  go over the limit, and any change left after the order was lost.  It was all at cost so big bang for your buck, but they lacked all kinds of things one would think should be in there like surgical masks or better, but they had no masks at all at the start of the pandemic, and a year in they only added the crappy white cloth ones that never fit properly.  You'd think masks would have been standard for elderly and disabled people even before the pandemic, but...  Yeah.  Still it was way better than not having it.  You could get things like antacid and first aid supplies and toothbrushes, but it was missing stuff that logic dictates made sense.

The new system is a give away to pharmacies.  You get more to spend, but it's at price gougey pharmacy prices instead of at cost.  You can only use certain chain pharmacies and grocery stores.  The two cheapest grocery stores in my small city/town are not on the list.  The second and third most expensive are.  

So my social worker and the person in charge of several things including OTC benefit in my state were on a conference call with me Tuesday as we tried to work out WTF.  Why me?  I'm a squeaky wheel who kept asking how I was meant to use the benefit and so is my nurse/social worker.  The lady from OTC was super nice and helpful, it's just the office in Washington and third party administrator were not communicating about stuff at all in a useful way.  So they asked if I'd guinea pig for them using only information that came with the card which was sketchy at best.  I agreed to go to the Rite AID, ask them if they had any info sheets sent to them, and try to buy an experimental month's worth of OTC.  (I'm doing the grocery run next week, I think.  I was exhausted from errands and treatment.)

NOTE: If you get your card make sure to activate it and definitely save the mailer it's attached to as it lists participating chain stores and the monthly benefit amounts.  Do remember to account for state tax if any and have extra money with you in case you go over.

No one at Rite AID on that shift knew what an OTC benefit was and they took my benefit card for something else when I went to pay.  They had definitely not been informed this roll out was happening nor had they been sent a what people could buy with it list any more than we had.

My purchase set was deliberately experimental.  I mostly selected things I knew were on the old list, but tried brands they didn't carry for a bunch of things. Oral B toothbrush heads instead of Phillips.  I got tums, but also the store brand equivalent, that kind of thing.  I also grabbed a big box of the previously forbidden masks.  They fit under the vague guidelines on the card mailer, but I knew they were off list last year.

I explained to the cashier about not knowing what was covered and that we may have to put things back.  Everything went through.  Even the masks.  I was so caught up in the experiment, I forgot to factor in state tax, so I went a little over, which is fine, as that too is useful data.  If the only thing over is tax, you can't remove items from the tally, which is good to know.  I have reported back, so the medicare advantage people for my state can use the results to help all the others.  

Next month I will branch out a little more and see if I can push it a little further from the old catalog of we don't get our items list in time.

All in all, as annoying as it is that pharmacies are profiting off this instead of people getting full value, being able to buy the toothbrush head brand I need and to purchase things off book like masks is a huge help.  I just wish some things weren't jacked up 3-4 times the price from the old catalog.  With the benefit increase it balances out though. Not having to spend thirty bucks on masks is worth it by itself.  It also means not spending an hour or two planning my purchase so as to lose as little as possible.

The old catalog let us buy soap, but not shampoo.  I am wondering if soap is still allowed under the new guidelines.  I supose it's a question for next month.

[dreamerandthedarkhalf]

We all hoped for the best. Now it’s time to prepare for the worst.

1. Government censorship is coming. Freedom of speech will be the first thing to go.

A. Get the physical addresses / mailing addresses of all your friends and family members now.

B. Lock down your social media accounts. If you still have or use X / Twitter, delete it.

C. Make your settings friends only.

D. Download a full copy of the United States Constitution, or buy a printed copy. Do this now before the text becomes unavailable or edited.

E. Download Project 2025 so you can anticipate the next attacks against rights, personage, and property.

2. If you are currently a person with a uterus, immediately stop using any sort of online period tracker, delete all your data, and delete all personal information regarding your reproductive health from anywhere you can find. Your medical information is no longer confidential or protected.

3. Make a full list of your finances. Look for places you get money from the government, such as pensions, social security, Medicare/Medicad, subsidies, etc., and budget out how long your finances will last without any government funding.

4. Make a list of all the books, music, art, etc., you’ve enjoyed that’s likely to wind up banned or burned. Queer, people of color, women, indigenous, etc., so that even if you don’t have the ability to have a copy yourself, you’ll know those works exist.

5. Plan B has a shelf life of 4 years. Also, stock up on pads, tampons, and other health items for those with a uterus. 6. Things that are morally reprehensible will become legal. But also, don’t stand idly by when others are in danger. Do not allow hate to win.

Make the most of the next two months

Get all your vaccines

Travel while we have a functioning DOT

Read and buy books on feminism, anti-racism, pro-lgbt

Attend drag shows

Don't skip any of your classes

Read and buy history books

Find your out-of-state networks

Learn to carry cash

Get birth control solutions

Support the Biden/Harris administration

Postpone large purchases and save money

Be careful of what you say online, like un-ambiguous attacks against the incoming administration, especially in spaces that contain your full name or personal information

Feel free to add on.

[docsofcannabis]

How to Obtain a Medical Marijuana Card in Oklahoma: A Comprehensive Guide

Oklahoma has become one of the leading states in providing access to medical marijuana. Since the approval of State Question 788 in 2018, the process of obtaining a medical marijuana card has been streamlined, making it easier for residents to access the therapeutic benefits of cannabis. In this article, we will walk you through the steps required to get a Medical Marijuana Card in Oklahoma and also provide insights into cannabis extraction methods—essential knowledge for patients looking to understand more about the products they are consuming.

Understanding Medical Marijuana in Oklahoma

Medical marijuana in Oklahoma is legal for a wide range of conditions, offering relief to patients suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, cancer, and other debilitating conditions. The state has adopted a patient-friendly approach, with no specific list of qualifying conditions. Instead, it is up to a licensed physician to determine if medical marijuana is an appropriate treatment option.

Steps to Obtain a Medical Marijuana Card in Oklahoma

Consult with a Licensed Physician: The first step in obtaining a medical marijuana card in Oklahoma is to consult with a licensed physician. The doctor will evaluate your medical condition and determine if you qualify for medical marijuana use. It’s important to choose a physician who is familiar with the benefits and regulations of medical marijuana in the state.

Register with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA): After receiving approval from a physician, you will need to register with the OMMA. This involves filling out an application form, providing proof of identity, and submitting a physician’s recommendation.

Pay the Application Fee: The application fee for a medical marijuana card in Oklahoma is $100. However, if you are enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, or SoonerCare, you may qualify for a reduced fee of $20. The payment is made during the online application process.

Receive Your Medical Marijuana Card: Once your application is approved, you will receive your medical marijuana card by mail. This card allows you to purchase medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries throughout the state. The card is valid for two years, after which you will need to renew it.

The Importance of Cannabis Extraction Methods

As a medical marijuana patient in Oklahoma, understanding cannabis extraction methods is crucial. These methods determine the quality, potency, and safety of the cannabis products you consume.

Solvent-Based Extraction: This method involves using solvents like ethanol, butane, or CO2 to extract cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis plant. CO2 extraction is considered one of the safest and most efficient methods, producing high-quality cannabis oil without leaving harmful residues.

Solventless Extraction: For those concerned about chemical residues, solventless extraction methods, such as rosin pressing or ice water extraction, are popular choices. These methods use heat, pressure, or water to extract cannabinoids, resulting in pure and potent cannabis concentrates.

Full-Spectrum vs. Isolate Extraction: Full-spectrum extraction preserves the entire range of cannabinoids and terpenes found in the cannabis plant, providing an entourage effect that enhances the therapeutic benefits. On the other hand, isolate extraction isolates a single cannabinoid, such as THC or CBD, offering targeted effects.

Conclusion

Obtaining a Medical Marijuana Card in Oklahoma is a straightforward process that provides patients with access to a wide range of cannabis products. Understanding cannabis extraction methods is equally important, as it helps you make informed decisions about the quality and safety of the products you choose to consume. Whether you are new to medical marijuana or an experienced user, being knowledgeable about these aspects will enhance your experience and ensure you receive the full therapeutic benefits that cannabis has to offer.