#rip medical debt

[spnscripthunt-inactive]

Script 1 of 7 donated by Kripke for our final fundraiser for RIP Medical Debt kicking off on April 25: an early draft of the Supernatural pilot!

Supernatural pilot script signed by Eric Kripke with a note from him on the cover page: "Original pilot that got tossed out — whole different story — enjoy this alternative reality Sam and Dean"

[odinsblog]

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs plans to cancel $2 billion in medical debt for up to 1 million residents. This is the biggest medical debt cancellation proposal in the country. The Governor plans to use $30 million in federal funds to buy and cancel the debt with RIP Medical Debt.

At least two other states — Connecticut and New Jersey — have moved to erase medical debt owed by their residents, in addition to a growing number of municipal and county governments across the nation.

(continue reading)

[angie-j-kay]

I MADE ANOTHER ZINE, FREAKING FINALLY! This one's free for downloading, too!

@orangezines, I'm tagging you in this, thought you might like it.

This one's an experiment. If it goes well, and folks want to read it, I'm gonna make it a monthly thing. It's pretty US-centric, because I mostly wrote it for my own community, but I geared it for everyone who happens to be below the poverty line.

It's available on my Ko-Fi. A free download includes a PDF you can read on your phone, and one that's ready to print and share. Or you can buy a paper copy for $2 shipping and handling, basically just the cost of paper and ink.

[drinkyourvillainjuice]

Monthly donation?

Helloooo, this is your secretary at the keyboard, hitting you with a new jam!

I have donated to this place in the past, and I am sharing it before posting. It is a foundation based on abolishing medical debt in the USA! While the xife and I are not Americans, we do believe that our cousins to the Southern deserve a fair chance at life, and that starts with freeing yourself from the debts from a fraudulent insurance system!

There is a newsletter if you want to subscribe.

Again, thank you for everybody who is letting this happen, and to those who are sharing, liking, and enjoying our work!

For those currently affected by the medical debt system, there is a list of resources that you can have access to right here:

[fuzzyizmit]

Fuzzy's Commissions to Reduce Medical Debt!

I have wanted to do something like this for a while. I can't do much on my own, but maybe my art will help get some people out of a hole. After the commission sheets I will have more info and links.

[text from images]

Fandoms: Fallout, Dragon Age, D&D

With some references, I am willing to consider anything. Please just ask!

Style: I am sticking to mostly illustrative/chibi/tattoo.

If you have another idea, I will consider it.

YES

Human

Non-Human

Ghouls

Synths

Animals

Furries

Light Gore

Romantic/Saucy

LGBTQ+

NO

Robots/Vehicles

Buildings

Lots of Gore/Body Horror

Nudity/NSFW

Racism/Hate/Bigotry

Underage/Pedo Stuff

Anything I don't/can't do

Complex Backgrounds

How it Works

1. Message me so we can discuss exactly what you want and if I can do it.

2. Once we agree on the subject and price, donate through my Tiltify campaign for RIP Medical Debt.

3. Once the donation is completed, I will put you on the list and start working as soon as I can.

4. I will try and send a WIP shot to make sure I am going in the right direction. I'll send you your art as soon as I finish it. Please keep in mind I have a full time job and a family. Art is something I do for fun. I will get exactly $0 of what you donate. If you are looking for a quick turn around or a piece where you can do massive edits, then I am not the artist for you. This is for charity. Please keep that in mind.

If you have any questions, just message me!

Now... for the important stuff! LINKS!

Tiltify Link. Tiltify is mainly used by streamers to raise money for charity. I chose Tiltify because they are trusted by many people to properly get the donations to the charities and I don't have to deal with any of the money handling.

My goal is to raise $100 for RIP Medical Debt. RIP Medical Debt is a charity that buys medical debt for pennies on the dollar and forgives it. They have been around for a while and I trust them. For every $100 they forgive $100000 of debt.

Here is a link to see my creative pursuits

Here is my Art Fight page to see more examples of my work.

[unitedfrontvarietyhour]

Connecticut governor Ned Lamont has announced a joint plan between the state government and the non-profit group RIP Medical Debt to abolish approximately $650 million in medical debt, using the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.

[spnscripthunt-inactive]

The 5th script of 7 donated by Eric Kripke as a raffle prize for our final fundraiser for RIP Medical Debt (kicking off on April 25) is...

4.22 "Lucifer Rising" (his director's copy!)

[histrionic-dragon]

This is really quite beautiful and quietly inspiring, especially the bit at the end about Casey McIntyre, who died of cancer a few weeks ago and who wanted to raise money to abolish other people's medical debt instead of flowers for her funeral. That is a really kind and powerful thing to do.

The fundraising for that is through RIP Medical Debt, which I've mentioned before. A penny destroys a dollar of debt, so basically, for your typical overpriced Starbucks seasonal drink, you can wipe out more than $500 of debt for someone.

It's Thanksgiving in the USA. I believe that gratitude for good things generally inspires people to share good things. If you have time and $5 (their minimum donation), consider expressing your gratitude for the good things in life by making a good thing happen for someone else.

Here's the link specific to Casey: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/campaign/andrewrosegregory-47569/?

And here's the general donation link: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/?form=donate

[dantayy]

DECEMBER 16TH W/ @dawnshadowx3 & COREY, MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW AND HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

[cinematicnomad]

andew is my brother-in-law's best friend, and next weekend i'll be in nyc to take care of my niece while he and my sister attend casey's memorial. if you're able, i'd encourage you to donate to her medical debt cancellation fund (the original goal was to raise $20k which would have covered $2M...now they've raised over $650k to wipe out about $60M) to help join in the cause in her honor.

[bucky-bucky-bucky-bucky]

“And no, Jensen, not in key.”

This script (and many others!) are official scripts from Eric Kripke himself, and are going to be part of a fundraiser for Undue Medical Debt (formerly known as RIP Medical Debt). They buy medical debt for pennies, and then forgive it! The fundraiser starts April 25th! That’s right, this script could be yours! Click HERE for more info!

[spnscripthunt-inactive]

Eric Kripke himself has resurrected us for one last fundraiser for RIP Medical Debt by donating SEVEN signed Supernatural scripts 🧡💚💙

Kick off is on 4/25: We got work to do.

[lactoseintolerantdaemon]

Need to stop spending my fun money on mid coffee and save up for swag jewellery

[noctxj]

hanahaki disease “… in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings, or when the victim dies…”

part i / part ii / part iii / part iv

˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚.

agent who slowly withdraws from poly!tf141 after the first episode of bloodied flowers (realising they’re in love), from declining offers to relax in the rec room, accompany them to the local pub, or even working out in the gym to sparring.

agent knows that they’re not being subtle, see’s the guys try and figure what is going on with them. but agent refuses to let them find out—never.

agent who finally manages (after ensuring they wouldn’t hack up another flower) to file a notice, a formality really, to john— captain price, for their absence in the oncoming month or two. as there are no current operations needing agents’ immediate attention, its an opportunity for agent to get their other affairs in order after months being on base with the taskforce. 

john— captain price, briefly glancing at the document before focusing his ocean blue eyes to search agents (tired) face, a frown creasing between his full brows.

pleasedontlookatme—

whatdoyousee—?

the captain getting up from his seat to circle around his desk to stand before agent, his scrutinising gaze trying to catch agents downcast eyes.

pleasejohndont—

“this wouldn’t be about you pulling away from us recently hm?”

bullseye— 

agent could feel a thorn piercing the walls of her throat, their jaw tightening in response. a reaction john notices, his face softening as he reaches out to tip agents chin back to finally see his now gentle imploring eyes.

soblue—

“just don’t forget to come back to us, okay little love?”

little love. a pet name that simon (proudly) started to refer to agent amongst the taskforce (and no one else, lest they meet ghost in the middle of the night) while the others also followed suit—

“or would you rather shorty? or tiny even?” simon had smugly responded after seeing agents offended (blushing) face.

ugh that big oaf of a man, not everyone needs to be the size of an industrial fridge—!!

johnny and kyle chortling in the background, seemingly forgetting they’re suppose to be supervising the recruits’ training.

the pinch of another thorn dragging up their throat throwing agent back into the present.

“of course, captain.”

lies.lies.lies.

⋆.✧̣̇˚.

agent whose kept a mental list of contacts who owe them favours, a debt that is finally being repaid: to find a cure for hanahaki disease. from the highest level of power and prestige in society, to the lowest trenches of the underworld. over the course of a few weeks, one by one, each contact falls short of delivering. but agent keeps digging. keeps searching.

there is never nothing. there has to be something somewhere. someone must have at least thought— until finally a contact (old friend) provides them with a lead. 

a doctor whose dedicated their life in medical research of hanahaki disease, searching for a cure— whispers that there is a cure. they’re located halfway across the world. but that doesn’t matter to agent, they’re leaving within an hour; flight booked and travel bag already packed.

washing the remnants of blood down the sink drain, tears wet on their cheeks. the episodes were happening more frequently.

agent is running out of time.

⋆.✧̣̇˚.

“… it can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear…”

agent feels drained as the doctors words echo in their mind even hours after agents abrupt appearance in the doctors office. one look into agents (desperate) eyes and the doctor already knew why they had come, offered tea to soothe their throat (wash the metallic taste away, even if temporarily).

agent immediately coughing out both the tea, then one bloodied rose— then two— three— and finally four, as agent reaches to rip the tangled thorns from the back of their throat, ignoring the screaming pain of thorns dragging out of their mouth and past their stinging pale lips. 

the doctors face stricken with worry and sadness, trying to wipe the blood from agents face and hands; disposing of the thorny flowers in a sterile bin. the doctor concluding that agent does not have much time to deliberate if they wish to proceed with the experimental procedure. an incredibly invasive surgery that may not completely cure the victim; follow up surgery’s may be required. 

being split open from larynx to diaphragm, sown back together, only to be split open again if a single flower is coughed back up.

agent acknowledges this. pain is pain after all—

whats more to add to the pile?

˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚.

tric’s notes

added some dialogue in this part compared to the first part. unedited, also like the first part. i know nothing about the complexities of surgery (google images my saviour) so don’t try to make sense of it haha.

thanks for reading!! ♡︎♡︎

crossposted on ao3 (same username!)

[moonpascaltoo]

james buchanan ‘bucky’ barnes

masterlist • marvel • 04/04/24

˚‧⁺ ･ ˖ · ୨ৎ recs

𑣲 video games I @twoghostsfromeden

Sam Wilson attempts to teach Bucky how to play video games, but you have a different idea

𑣲 just like dad I @ladyfallonavenger

The Reader loses Bucky in the snap and life presents a whole new challenge.

𑣲 coming in hot I @nexusnyx (ao3 link)

When your best friend Sarah recommends you a mechanic of her brother’s trust, all you can think about and pray to is that he doesn’t rip you off. Your car is your prized possession and amidst all the worry and concern of your medical studies, drowning in even more debt sounds as suffocating as it would be. Of course, you never thought of the possibility of the mechanic being the problem. A hot, polite, gentle, and silent-type of problem. Drowning in debt would be easier to navigate than the blue of Bucky Barnes’s eyes.

𑣲 wallpaper I @cosmicbucky

bucky finds out how to change the wallpaper on your phone, and takes every opportunity he can to do so. until one day he doesn't have the heart to.

𑣲 consequences I @duuhrayliegh

𑣲 letters to santa pt2 I @ellemj

𑣲 need and wants I @/ellemj

𑣲 against the rules I @/ellemj

Bucky's trying to fuck you senseless so you'll have to sleep over. Isn't that how a friends with benefits situation is supposed to work?

𑣲 i hate you I @/ellemj

y/n has these weird mind powers where she can feel others feelings or make others feel hers...she accidentally during a very heated fun time projects everything she is feeling to Bucky, basically doubling his pleasure

𑣲 trust I @kgficz

Set during the end of ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. You had been forced to work as a nurse for Hydra’s soldiers, you never expected The Winter Soldier to be one of them. What happens when he starts to care about you?

𑣲 glitter and goo I @welldonebeca

When you have to go on a mission to a different planet together, Bucky is hit by a mating ritual flower, and some feelings you two have been hiding come up

𑣲 accidental pic I @mostlymarvelsstuff

Reader recives Buckys nudes accidentally

𑣲 just friends I @cadaverousnight

A night of drinking makes Bucky bold and a harmless text makes him bolder

𑣲 Worlds Collide I @espinosaurusrexex

The world is ending. And there are two types of people: The ones that embrace the last pieces of happiness left, and the ones that just don’t bother anymore. When those two clash, there’s no way of knowing what will happen. But maybe, some hopes and dreams aren’t so different after all and the both of them get a chance at becoming more than just acquaintances.

𑣲 refuge I @/espinosaurusrexex

You had a track record of cracking tough cases, but this one proved to be your breaking point. The Winter Soldier was out there, thirsting for blood, operating in total anonymity, and leaving a trail of bodies in the cold Colorado snow. Then, just as a snowstorm was about to paralyse the town, Bucky Barnes appeared on your doorstep – lost, sweet, and in dire need of help. It all seems too good to be true, but what happens when his secrets come to haunt him and Bucky’s blurred past reveals a predicament neither of you saw coming?

𑣲 happy little accidents I @/espinosaurusrexex

In a world after the war, Bucky tries to get pieces of his old self back by joining an art class. He meets you and instantly falls head over heels. Now he just has to work up the courage to ask you out.

𑣲 serious questions I @/espinosaurusrexex

Bucky agrees to go on a date to make his colleagues shut up. Now, he just feels sorry for the poor woman that has to spend an entire evening with him. He really tries to make it work, though, because he actually enjoys her company.

𑣲 bad boys don’t buy flowers I @/espinosaurusrexex

Bucky would have never thought, he��d be chasing after a girl. Not when all of them usually fell at his feet. But when he finds himself entangled in a deal born out of a desperate argument with his assistant, he realizes there is nothing he wouldn't do for you: The independent florist who is adamantly dragging him to the homeless shelter every chance she gets. There is just one problem: Bucky doesn't know how to tell you. And the teasing from his friends is certainly not making things easier for him...

𑣲 new slang I @/espinosaurusrexex

𑣲 remember me I @/espinosaurusrexex

After a fight against the most notorious Hydra agent of all, Steve and you discover that your assumed diseased friend Bucky is still alive. Old wounds resurface as you are confronted with the grappling reality that you have lived vastly different lives for the past 70 years. Will he remember your shared history? And most importantly: does he still feel the same?

𑣲 unexpected I @pellucid-constellations

With all of his rough edges and impassive glances, Bucky Barnes looked to be the last person you’d find at an elementary school bake sale. Too bad Steve couldn’t make it, and dealing with a class hopped up on sugar wasn’t a feat you could manage alone

𑣲 i need him like water I @/pellucid-constellations

You think Bucky’s having an affair. He thinks… well you aren’t sure what he thinks. But he must notice the living room light is left on. Every night.

𑣲 flowers in the compound I @/pellucid-constellations

That girl from the flower shop seems to be taking up a lot of Bucky’s time.

𑣲 grip I @/pellucid-constellations

You knew Bucky didn't like his arm. You just didn't know how much until he accidentally hurt you with it.

𑣲 counting I @/pellucid-constellations

Time heals all wounds. Bucky’d been holding onto that proverb ever since blip. But time had never been particularly kind to him, so he opted to keep track of the sweet girl’s in his apartment building instead, the one that made him banana bread and took him to diners at two in the morning. Sometimes, you didn’t keep the same schedule. That made Bucky panic.

𑣲 everybody talks I @nickfowlerrr

𑣲 come back to you I @buckyalpine

What happens when a time travel mission ends up with a version of Bucky from the 40′s standing on the time travel platform.

𑣲 did you hear I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 40s bucky w/ nurse!reader I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 sunshine I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 spiral I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 pick me I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 untouched I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 tongue twister I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 wait what pt2 pt3 pt4 I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 can you not pt2 pt3 I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 choices pt2 I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 drabble I @/buckyalpine

𑣲 aching I @bbyboybucket

After Reader gives Bucky a massage, he realizes how much he likes her touch

𑣲 tiny match maker I @jamdoughnutmagician

Adjusting to his new life outside of the superhero business, Bucky makes the acquaintance of a very young, inquisitive girl.

𑣲 metal arm brrr I @bombsonboard

Every problem needs a solution. Bucky just isn't the biggest fan of yours.

𑣲 the cards were dealt I @bucky-fricking-barnes

Bucky and Y/N are the children of the two most prominent mob bosses in New York. When their parents use them as part of a deal, they’re left to figure out how their lives fit together.

𑣲 a different kind of valentine pt2 I @holylulusworld

Your fiancé breaks your heart on Valentine’s Day out of all days.

𑣲 happy birthday big grump I @/holylulusworld

Your new neighbor is a professional grump. No reason to not be nice to him on his birthday.

𑣲 april fools day (stucky x reader) I @/holylulusworld

Steve and Bucky ask you to join their prank.

𑣲 siren be bound to me I @darkdemeter

He is your captain. There is no place you'd rather be than by his side, nothing you could ever want for that is not him. You owe everything, your entire self, to him. And yet overboard and on the tide you set sail across in search for a great and ancient treasure, a song continues to seep through the cracks of your heart and soul... a song so familiar yet unknown.Forgotten. And Bucky reminds you yet again that there no place else for you that isn't beside him, that there is nothing out there

𑣲 curiosity killed the cat I @queers-gambit

after rescuing you from kidnappers, you overhear your boyfriend-turned-savior complain about how clingy you've become

𑣲 i’d back off if i were you I @thighs-of-betrayal-blog

𑣲 an unforgettable love I @/thighs-of-betrayal-blog

𑣲 hold the door I @/thighs-of-betrayal-blog

You’ve never met your new neighbor, not until an incident happens involving the apartments elevator. 

𑣲 out of practice I @drabbles-mc

reader is a mom, bucky hasn't dated in like 70 years

𑣲 next door to love I @jobean12-blog

When you made the move to the city you never expected your new neighbor to be so sweet and helpful...or hot.

𑣲 this spells love I @/jobean12-blog

Bucky is your best friend and he really is the best but he wants more, he wants everything, but the idea that it could ruin your friendship and he could lose you is too much...

𑣲 boom clap I @/jobean12-blog

Before tonight you wouldn't have been able to label your relationship with Bucky but after he gets home earlier than expected from a mission and shows up at the bar everything changes.

𑣲 everything you want I @/jobean12-blog

there’s no one you trust more than your husband and he always knows exactly what you want.

𑣲 meet my family I @skaye44

Your parents want to meet your boyfriend Bucky which you agree, but the whole family invites itself along for the meeting.

𑣲 my sun my star pt2 pt3 I @cosmos-coma

You wait up late for your boyfriend Bucky to return from his mission, but it isn't Bucky who finds you

𑣲 my everything I @mrsbarnesblog

The last thing that Bucky ever expected to see was the love of his life from the past trapped in one of the Hydra bunkers in the cryofreeze chamber. Yet here he was almost two days later, staring at your still unconscious body through the window at the medical wing, imagining the horror and disgust on your face when you found out that he was no longer the innocent and happy boy you knew before

𑣲 i trust you I @/mrsbarnesblog

when Bucky comes back from a mission with a knife wound there is only one person who can convince him to get help

𑣲 5+1 I @mrs-elsie-barnes

Whether it's on a mission, a work event or a holiday, your sleeping arrangements never seem to work out as planned. It doesn't really bother you until...it does. Confronted with a night sleeping apart, you and Bucky finally talk

𑣲 just like that I @navybrat817

Bucky suggests staying in a hotel together before an undercover mission, which would be fine if you didn't have a massive crush on the super soldier.

𑣲 begin again everything i wanted I @sergeantbuckybarnes

When you go to meet your friend at her work you see a cute guy had been stood up, so you’re going to be the best date of his life.

𑣲 amnesia I @/sergeantbuckybarnes

During a fight in Madripoor you get hit in the head resulting in forgetting the last ten years of your life. And most important, your boyfriend.

𑣲 diamonds I @angrythingstarlight

𑣲 chubby!bucky I @/angrythingstarlight

𑣲 more chubby baker! bucky I @/angrythingstarlight

𑣲 blow me away I @/angrythingstarlight

You just discovered that your boyfriend has never had a blowjob before and that’s a travesty. Good thing you’re about to blow his mind.

𑣲 not so bad I @literaryavenger

It's Bucky's birthday, but doesn't want to make a big deal out of it.

𑣲 happy birthday I @/literaryavenger

It's your birthday and the only person who doesn't seem to be excited about it is you

𑣲 body and soul I @theladybarnes

Reader has a conversation with Sam that leaves her a little confused before her date with Bucky. Includes probably the best romance movie quote to ever grace films.

𑣲 you’re my desire pt2 I @marvelouslizzie w/ @/notafunkiller

Your best friend drags you out on a double date. You were supposed to be Steve Rogers' date, but plans change pretty quickly and you end up in Bucky Barnes' arms.

𑣲 she chose me I @notafunkiller

Steve's hopes get crushed when he wrongly assumes you'd choose him over Bucky.

𑣲 bucky has a crush I @assembletheimagines

𑣲 buckyvision pt1 pt2 pt3 pt4 pt5 pt5.5 pt6 pt7 pt8 pt9 pt10 I @fictionalmemoirs

𑣲 eye for an eye I @christowhore

you come home one night to find bucky in bed with another woman. after threatening divorce, he begs for your forgiveness and tells you he'll do anything. he should’ve known to always be careful with what you wish for.

𑣲 just one more minute I @/christowhore

you grow tired of bucky constantly leaving you in dark when it comes to his feelings. finally, you have enough.

[telomeke]

ID text–

The first post by Tumblr user @‌reasonandempathy starts with a series of images comprising a Twitter thread posted by Sayed Tabatabai, MD @‌TheRealDoctorT at 5:01PM UTC 16 September 2020:

“Why do you want to be a doctor?” I answer without hesitation, “I want to help people.” “There are many ways to help people.” “I want to save lives.” “There are many ways to do that too. So I’ll ask you again, why do you want to be a doctor?” “Because I believe in it.” I think about that exchange now and then, some times more than others. Why do we do the things we do? What do we really believe in? My next clinic patient is one I’ve known for many years. He is visiting me today via Zoom. I always look forward to talking to him. As soon as the visit begins, I notice that his camera is angled off-center so I can’t get a clear look at his face. I ask if he can adjust it, but he says he’s having technical issues. No problem. I can adapt. It isn’t just the camera though. Something feels off today. Almost immediately I can tell that he sounds subdued. He isn’t cracking his usual jokes. I’m comfortable with silence, even in the heart of a busy clinic day. Silence is often where the healing happens. After asking how he’s doing, I let the silence between us grow. The question, when he asks it, is one I don’t expect. “Doc, which kills you faster? Blood pressure you don’t control, or blood sugar you don’t control?” The surprise on my face must register, because he explains further. “I just can’t afford all these medications anymore.” He continues. “The way I see it, doc, I only need to stick around 4 or 5 more years. That’s how long my pet dog has left, then I ain’t got no more family and it’s me all on my own. So I figure maybe take the diabetes ones and skip the blood pressure? Or every other day?” As I review his meds and start discussing our options with him, he adds one last remark. “And I’m real sorry doc. I know we go back a ways, but I can’t afford my co-pay. I’ll pay you later. Promise.” And just like that, I understand why his camera is angled. And just like that, I’m again struck by the cruel illusion of what I do. The system I’m part of. This patient did everything right; got insurance, paid his taxes. And he still has to barter years of his life. And he can’t bring himself to look me in the eyes as he does so. Our healthcare system is too often unethical, immoral, unsustainable. The insurance paradigm is focused on revenue generation. It strips the basic human dignity from patients, to the point where they can’t even make eye contact anymore. I know that I’m part of this system. He’s old enough to be my father. Some part of me imagines that he is my father. Tears threaten my vision, as a hot anger floods me. Now I wish I could angle my camera away. I ask him if I can write about him. Because people need to know. His response lingers with me. “Sure you can doc. But people already know. Lots of people deal with this. It ain’t that people don’t know. It’s just that nobody cares. Nobody gives enough of a damn to change anything. Nobody… cares.” The visit ends. My Zoom window closes. His window closes too. I feel it. There’s something insidious here. A casual cruelty we’re all complicit in. “I can’t go to rehab, insurance won’t cover it.” “Insurance won’t pay for that medication.” “I can’t afford any of this.” “I’m uninsured.” This isn’t right. None of this is right. Twenty years ago, I gave a medical school interview. I wore my best suit. I sat up straight. I said I believed in medicine. I meant it. Some part of me once burned brightly, but that fire is down to flickering embers. Our lives mean more than this. More than this.

This is followed by a screenshot of a tweet by Albert Lee @‌AlbertLee2020:

In America, you and your doctor can both agree that you need a surgery but you have to get permission from a third-party for-profit insurance company or it can't be paid for. It's called freedom.

Tumblr user @‌reasonandempathy's post was then reblogged by Tumblr user @‌nateconnolly, who added a link to the donor page of recommended charity RIP Medical Debt (a charity that buys medical debt and forgives it), as well as a screenshot rating its trustworthiness as a organization to be supported with donations:

Rating Information Great This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence. This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 32% Accountability & Finance, 50% Impact & Results, 7% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.

Our system is broken.  It is cruel.  It is dehumanizing, degrading, and it’s vile nature is so, so unnecessary.

We need universal healthcare today in America.  We needed it 40 years ago.  It’s cheaper, it’s simpler, it’s more efficient, it’s more effective and it is so, so, so much less cruel than what we have.

Additional sources/references:

Universal Healthcare Cost in America would be cheaper by trillions of dollars

The US has worse life expectancies than socialized healthcare countries

We have worse generalized healthcare results

We have the most expensive care

Our system is so cruel and unique that doctors from other countries literally can’t believe what happens here

I can’t tell you where or how to activate to help solve this.  There are politicians, groups, and activists pushing for this in so many ways.  I can tell you when, though.

Now.