#top 3 health insurance providers

[naukrisambad]

How to Choose the Right Health Insurance for Your Parents?

How to Choose the Right Health Insurance for Your Parents: As our loved ones age, ensuring they have adequate health insurance coverage becomes increasingly vital. This guide aims to assist you in navigating the complex landscape of health insurance options for ageing parents. From understanding various plans to addressing common concerns, we’ll provide comprehensive insights to help you make…

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #35

Sep 20-27 2024

President Biden and Vice-President Harris announced new actions to curb gun violence at the one year anniversary of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The Office is the first ever White House office to deal with the issue of guns and has been overseen by the Vice-President. President Biden signed a new Executive Order aimed at combatting the emerging threat of machinegun conversion devices. These devices allow the conversion of semi-automatic firearms to a rate of fire that can match military machineguns, up to 20 bullets in one second. The EO also targets the threat of 3-D printed guns. The EO also addresses active schooler drills at schools. While almost every school conducts them there is little uniformity in how they are carried out, and no consensus on the most effective version of a drill. President Biden's EO directions the development of a research based active shooter drills, which maximize both student physical and mental safety.

President Biden celebrated the one year anniversary of the American Climate Corps and announced new Climate Corp programs. The Climate Corps has seen 15,000 young people connected to well paid jobs in clean energy and climate resilience jobs across America. The EPA and AmeriCorps announced a new Environmental Justice Climate Corps program which will connect 250 American Climate Corps members with local communities and over the next 3 help them achieve environmental justice projects. In addition HUD announced it will be the 8th federal agency to partner with the Climate Corp, opening the door to its involvement in Housing. Since its launch the American Climate Corp has inspired 14 states to launch their own state level version of the program, most recently just this week the New Jersey Climate Corps.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced that 4.2 million small business owners and self-employed people get their health insurance through the ACA marketplace. Up from 1.4 million ten years ago when President Obama and then Vice-President Biden rolled out the marketplaces. The self-employed are 3 times as likely as other Americans to use the marketplaces for their insurance, one out of every 5 getting coverage there. The ACA passed by President Obama, defended and expanded by President Biden, has freed millions of Americans to start their own businesses without fear of losing health coverage for them and their families.

The Departments of Transportation and Labor pressed freight railroad companies to close the gap and offer paid sick time to all their employees. Since 2022 under President Biden's leadership the number of Class I freight railroad employees who have access to paid sick days increased from 5% to 90%. Now the Biden-Harris Administration is pushing to finish the job and get coverage to the last 10%.

The EPA announced $965 million to help school districts buy clean energy buses. This comes on top of the 3 billion the EPA has already spent to bring clean energy buses to America's schools. So far the EPA has helped replace 8,700 school buses, across 1,300 school districts in all 50 states, DC, tribal nations, and US Territories. 95% of these buses are zero-emission, battery-electric. The clean bus program is responsible for over 2/3rds of the electric school buses on the road today.

The Biden-Harris Administration took another step forward in its historic efforts to protect the Colorado River System by signing 5 water conservation agreements with local water authorities in California and Arizona. The two short term agreements will conserve over 717,000 acre-feet of water by 2026. Collectively adding 10 feet to Lake Mead’s elevation by 2026. The Colorado River Basin provides water for more than 40 million people and fuels hydropower resources in seven U.S. states.

The Department of The Interior announced $254 million to help support local parks, the largest such investment in history. The money will go to 54 projects across 24 states hoping to redevelopment or create new parks.

HHS announced $1.5 billion to help combat opioid addiction and prevent opioid overdose deaths. The money will support state and tribal governments and help pay for mobile clinics, naloxone kits, and treatment centers. This comes as nationwide overdose rates drop for the first time since 2020, thanks to strong investment in harm reduction efforts by the Biden-Harris team.

The Department of Agriculture announced it'll spend $466.5 million in food assistance and development worldwide this year. Through its McGovern-Dole Program, the United States is the largest donor to global school feeding programs. The USDA will help feed 1.2 million children in Angola, Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Laos, Malawi and Rwanda. Through its Food for Progress the USDA will help support 200,000 farmers in Benin, Cambodia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Tunisia shift to climate-smart agriculture boosting food security in those nations and the wider region.

At a meeting at the UN First Lady Jill Biden announced a partnership between USAID and UNICEF to end childhood exposer to lead worldwide. Lead exposure kills 1.5 million people each year, mostly in the developing world.

The Senate approved the appointment of Byron Conway to a federal judgeship in Wisconsin. This makes the 213th federal judge that President Biden has appointed.

[bebsibby]

The Top Surgery Log

Hello! I got top surgery yesterday! I want to catalogue my experience so I can remember it and provide some insight for people who want it but haven't gotten it yet. I will continue to update this post as my healing goes on. Everything under the read more!

Leading Up

My insurance is with Kaiser which has been an AWESOME experience so far. They do require a therapist letter, so no informed consent, but the process was very simple and there were a lot of people dedicated to getting me what I needed.

I had about 3 therapist meetings where she just asked me questions about my experience with gender and how my transition has gone so far, my support network, can I afford it, etc. Then she wrote my letter, sent it off to the surgical team, and I was approved within a few days!

After that I had my very first consult with the surgeon. He took pictures, did a breast exam, asked about general health and family health history, then gave me a little presentation of the process. It had post up photos of prior patients, a lot of explanations of the types of surgeries available that he does, and a lot of good information in general. He answered a lot of my questions and made me feel fully confident and prepared for the experience.

Also important to note: I told him the surgery I had been wanting ever since I started doing top surgery research was Inverted-T and I was curious of he knew of it/why that WASN'T an option they offered. He explained everything to me and showed me what he expected my results to look like if I DID want to go to a different surgeon outside of Kaiser. Said surgeon does NOT accept insurance, but would work with the insurance side of things to make sure they would reimburse for the expenses. I really appreciate that because it showed me they wanted to do get exactly what I wanted.

Based on all of that, I decided to just opt for Double Incision both to save me time and get a result that was aesthetically more pleasing to me. Loss of nipple sensation is unfortunate, but apparently IT only has the potential to bring a little sensation back, which wasn't worth all the extra hoop jumping for me.

After this consult, my surgeon told me to think about everything then email him a few days later with my decision. I did and then a few days later got my call to schedule. I got to pick my date but not the time of day, as I would later learn that's decided by the hospital and not me. Once my surgery was scheduled, another pre-op appointment was scheduled about a month before the surgery date. That appointment was very short, as it was just signing consent forms and confirming everything I wanted. He also gave me a packet of supplies I needed to get before the surgery.

After that, I'd occasionally receive emails with more pre-op instructions, like when to stop eating and drinking, showering instructions, when to stop certain medication, and how to care for my drains.

The Surgery

The day before surgery I had initially planned to do all of the last minute housework and leave for the surgery the next morning. HOWEVER, when I got my call to tell me the time, it turns I had to be there by 6 AM! The surgery center is over an hour away from me and the bus my wife and I were going to take didn't run that early, so we had to scramble to make other plans. Luckily the friend who was going to drive us back home was cool with us crashing on his floor for the night, so we were able to do the most important things at home then take the bus down the day before.

Once we were all set up for the night, I did the first cleaning routine that I was required to do, set my alarm, then tried to sleep. I didn't get much due to Hard Floor and also excited but that wasn't a biggie because I'd be sleeping again soon LOL.

Next morning I woke up, did my second skin cleansing, and we headed out! I checked in, waited a little in the waiting room, then got called back to start.

Everyone who was working with me was SUPER funny and kind. I got asked more questions, signed another form, took some pre-med tylenol, them stripped to switch into my gown, bonnet, and grippy socks (Got to keep those btw :>) My IV got put in my wrist which REALLY fucking hurt!!!!!! It never stopped aching. After that, the surgeon popped in to check on me and see if I had any questions, then they wheeled me in to the operating room.

I had gotten another premed via IV that was already making me tired, and I remember the last thing being the surgeon saying what to do with my removed tissue once he was done and I was gone!

The surgery itself lasted around four hours, but all I remember is waking up and seeing my wife and friend sitting at the foot of the bed. I said hi to them and that was apparently third time I had said it. I had been up and talking to them for awhile all loopy but also becoming suddenly very serious when talking with the nurses. I've had a few surgeries but I've NEVER been this way after so that was funny. The nurse had also been giving ME all of the postop discharge info and I don't remember it so thats unfortunate! I only remember her talking about the drains. I had to read it all again when I got home but it was all good.

Once I was awake enough, they wheel-chaired me down to my friends car, packed us all up and we headed back home. I napped about half the time but still kept my eyes closed when i was awake and talking bc my vision was still FUCKED and it was so bright out. We got home, I was lead inside, and that was that pretty much! I napped several more times, nibbled on some roast beef, emptied my drains (which made me very woozy, mostly due to the standing) and went to bed!

After Surgery

Day one! I woke up a few times in the night mainly to go to the bathroom, but slept REAL deep otherwise. It rained all night which was awesome. I woke up feeling very achy but not painful except for my throat. Those ET tubes are NOT easy on your body. Took all my meds, got out of bed eventually, and had cup ramen for breakfast. Now I'm just sitting on the couch with all my computer stuff moved from my desk to where I'm sitting. I got a long hdmi cable so I can just watch stuff on the big TV so I'm pretty set up!

My wife just brought me some cookies and overall I'm just feeling really good. Not really excited or emotional about it. Its just a very warm contented feeling.

I don't know what my chest looks like yet since my post-op binder got put on while i was still out, but everything gets removed next week! I'll probably update again after that appointment.

Feel free to ask specific questions! I'll be resting most of the time so I'll just be around!

[patricia-von-arundel]

FOR ANYONE IN FLORIDA:

Governor Ronald McDonald McDipshit is trying to require public colleges to hand over info on transgender (or, I assume, otherwise gender-nonconforming) students.

Under both FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), this is illegal.

FERPA protects your college records if that college receives federal funding. Under FERPA, even your parents cannot request your grades, your classes, or your medical records in the hands of the college (among other things). Circumstances under which records can be shared without your authorization are limited:

"FERPA generally prohibits disclosure without consent, either internally or externally, of personally identifiable information from education records. But it permits (although it does not require) such disclosure without consent in certain situations. These include:

1. to other school officials, including teachers, within the institution who the college determines have legitimate educational interests;

2. to the parents of a student under age 21 concerning the student's violation of any federal, state, or local law or school policy or rule governing alcohol or drug use or possession; and

3. in connection with a health or safety emergency."

(https://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/rpt/2005-R-0195.htm)

HIPAA applies to all medical records, whether held by a college, a hospital, or a private doctor's office. Again, there are guidelines for exactly when your information can be shared without express, written permission from you:

"The Privacy Rule sets rules and limits on who can look at and receive your health information

To make sure that your health information is protected in a way that does not interfere with your health care, your information can be used and shared:

For your treatment and care coordination

To pay doctors and hospitals for your health care and to help run their businesses

With your family, relatives, friends, or others you identify who are involved with your health care or your health care bills, unless you object

To make sure doctors give good care and nursing homes are clean and safe

To protect the public's health, such as by reporting when the flu is in your area

To make required reports to the police, such as reporting gunshot wounds"

In other words, DeSantis cannot legally access your medical (or other college) records, either through the college itself, a hospital, or an individual.

Both FERPA and HIPAA are federal programs, so they apply no matter where you are in the US and how much DeSantis stomps his little feet and yells. FERPA protects your educational records; HIPAA protects your medical records (specifically, PHI, or Protected Health Information). DeSantis could ask to know how many people at the Mickey Mouse Medical Hospital have received prescriptions for hormones, had top or bottom surgery, etc., but he cannot demand access to your name, SSN, birthdate, specific treatment records, etc., unless you provide written authorization for him to do so. Along the same lines, he could demand the College of Rats in the Kitchen and Gators on the Stage tell him how many students total identify as transgender, nonbinary, genderfluid, gender non-conforming, etc. He could even ask for the average GPA of trans students compared to cis students (as a whole). But he cannot - again - ask for your personal records, or any of the information therein, without your express permission.

Don't panic, okay? I know the federal government isn't always trustworthy, but I've spent enough time dealing with both FERPA and HIPAA to know that they take this stuff very seriously. If you need to contact someone about a violation of either -

FERPA (college records) is under the US Department of Education, and you can find more info on reporting a potential violation here:

HIPAA (which covers all your medical info) is under the US Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights, and you can find more info on reporting a violation here:

At the moment, DeSantis is requesting only information not covered by either HIPAA or FERPA: "Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking state universities for the number and ages of their students who sought gender dysphoria treatment, including sex reassignment surgery and hormone prescriptions, according to a survey released Wednesday."

Source:

If you are concerned that your records either as a student or a patient may have been shared without your permission, either because of this or in any other circumstance, you have rights.

Hang in there.

[mariacallous]

Abortion is a top issue in the 2024 election, with a “growing share of voters in swing states now say[ing] abortion is central to their decision this fall,” according to Times/Siena College polls published in August. It is the “single most important issue” for women under 45.

On September 3, Vice President Kamala Harris began a “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour in Florida, a state the Democratic Party has lost in the last two presidential elections, but which has abortion on the ballot this year. On November 5, citizens of Florida will be able to vote on an amendment that would restore legal access to abortion “before viability or when necessary to protect a patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” Florida currently has a six-week abortion ban, a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in the wake of Dobbs.

The Harris bus tour began about a twenty-minute drive from Mar-a-Lago, the home of the former president who has declared responsibility for the fall of Roe under the Dobbs decision. The decision spawned multiple state abortion bans with severe repercussions upon a woman’s ability in ban states to receive critical or life-saving health care that may necessarily involve an abortion. At the September 10 presidential debate, Harris directly spoke to the post-Roe experiences of women suffering miscarriages and bleeding out in hospital parking lots because they couldn’t get treatment from doctors who were afraid of being prosecuted.

The other presidential candidate, former president Donald Trump, has bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade as a personal achievement of consummate importance. Public opinion polling shows, however, that the majority of Americans support legalized abortion. Moreover, the pro-reproductive rights position has won on abortion-related ballot measures following the Dobbs decision in conservative states like Ohio, Kansas, and Kentucky, and abortion measures are on the ballot this November in key states like Florida, Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona. Trump is now trying to downplay his involvement because the issue of abortion has become an albatross around the neck of the Trump campaign and the Republican Party itself. No wonder, then, in recent comments Trump has stated that abortion policy should be left to the states, and he has been publicly unwilling to endorse a nationwide abortion ban. At the debate, however, he repeatedly refused to answer whether he would veto legislation containing such a ban if it were presented to him as president, rejecting the question as an unlikely hypothetical while claiming he did the country “a great service” by helping overturn Roe.

In the wake of threats to in vitro fertilization (IVF) spurred by the Alabama Supreme Court decision that frozen embryos are children and the corresponding religious view held by some in the anti-abortion movement that a fertilized egg is a full-fledged person, Trump said both that he would mandate insurance companies cover IVF and the federal government would cover it for all Americans in need.

Attempting to persuade women who want their reproductive rights back, he suggested that Florida’s six-week abortion ban is “too short,” stating that he will be “voting that we need more than six weeks.” Later, however, his campaign walked this statement back, indicating that he “has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida.” Trump attempted to rehabilitate his position on abortion further for his far right, evangelical base by spreading the disinformation that some states allow the legal execution of babies after birth. At the debate, he repeated this false statement, and one of the debate moderators fact-checked him on that. These are just a few examples of the ducking, bobbing, and weaving on abortion that Trump has been doing over the past few weeks. 

But Trump’s attempts to obfuscate the abortion policy of his party and his future administration are laid bare by what is stated in the 2024 Republican Party platform and in the 2025 Presidential Transition Project (also known as Project 2025), a detailed blueprint for overhauling the executive branch, published by the Heritage Foundation, which involves at least 140 people who worked in the last Trump administration.

The word “abortion” only appears once in the 28-page Republican Party platform with the statement “[w]e will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF.” But that statement must be understood in the context of the sentence that immediately precedes it: “We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights.” By invoking the 14th Amendment to the Constitution in the context of abortion, the platform projects consistency with a religious belief that fertilized eggs, or so-called “unborn children” are full-fledged people deserving all of the rights and protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution. Neither abortion nor IVF, where some embryos may be discarded, is consistent with this “personhood” view. The limited and coded treatment of abortion in the platform is, however, consistent with Trump’s stated belief that the issue is harming the Republican Party and his candidacy with women.

But the Republican Party platform’s concise treatment of abortion should not be separated from Project 2025—a 922-page document replete with instances of the word abortion, along with detailed plans for how a Republican administration should promote “pro-life” policies and, in doing so, further curtail reproductive rights and access to reproductive healthcare.

Project 2025’s explicit anti-abortion positions and goals are summarized in the forward section of the document, which proclaims that “conservatives should gratefully celebrate the greatest pro-family win in a generation: overturning Roe v. Wade, a decision that for five decades made a mockery of our Constitution and facilitated the deaths of tens of millions of unborn children. But the Dobbs decision is just the beginning.”

A national abortion ban emerges as a prominent goal, as the document instructs that “[c]onservatives in the states and in Washington, including in the next conservative Administration, should push as hard as possible to protect the unborn in every jurisdiction in America. In particular, the next conservative President should work with Congress to enact the most robust protections for the unborn that Congress will support . . . .”

Some of the most noteworthy ideas and policies construed to achieve these outcomes presented in the rest of the document include:

A series of actions focused on preventing access to medication abortion nationwide. It is important to recognize that medication abortion accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023—and that number does not account for pills that were mailed to people in states with an abortion ban, so the overall percentage is likely higher. It can be a particularly useful way to circumvent abortion bans. From the perspective of Project 2025, “[a]bortion pills pose the single greatest threat to unborn children in a post-Roe world.” Accordingly, Project 2025 recommends, among other things, that the FDA “reverse its approval of chemical abortion drugs,” and “stop promoting or approving mail-order abortions.” It also recommends that the DOJ “enforce the Comstock Act,” a law passed in 1873 that would, if read literally, make the mailing of any kind of abortifacient unlawful, effectively resulting in a nationwide ban on medication abortion.

Preventing both HHS and the CDC from treating or promoting abortion as health care. Consistent with this goal, and in furtherance of a “Life Agenda,” Project 2025 states that HHS should be known as the “Department of Life” through “explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.” Accordingly, Project 2025 recommends that the next Secretary of HHS eliminate the current HHS Reproductive Access Task Force and replace it with “a pro-life task force to ensure that all of the department’s divisions seek to use their authority to promote the life and health of women and their unborn children.” With respect to the CDC, Project 2025 recommends that it “should eliminate programs and projects that do not respect human life and conscious rights and that undermine family formation.” This would include the types of research it chooses to fund.

Preventing any kind of federal funding from supporting abortion care, including helping women travel out of state to receive an abortion. Project 2025 would also prohibit Planned Parenthood or any other abortion provider from receiving Medicaid funds. Two steps recommended in furtherance of this goal are having HHS “[i]ssue guidance reemphasizing that states are free to defund Planned Parenthood in their state Medicaid plans” and “[p]ropose rulemaking to interpret the Medicaid statute to disqualify providers of elective abortion from the Medicaid program.”

In stark contrast, the Democratic Party platform, written when President Biden was still the Democratic candidate for president, has its own section on “Reproductive Freedom” that embraces the idea that abortion is health care. It begins by acknowledging that since the fall of Roe, “more than 20 states have imposed extreme and dangerous abortion bans—many of which include no exception even for rape or incest—that put the health and lives of women in jeopardy, force women to travel hundreds of miles for care, and threaten to criminalize doctors for providing the health care that their patients need and that they are trained to provide.”

The platform looks to the range of actions taken during the Biden-Harris administration as a foundation for continuing efforts to protect reproductive rights and health care. Some of the most notable actions mentioned, which are opposite of the policies promoted by Project 2025, include enabling pharmacies to dispense medication abortion and defending FDA approval of medication abortion in court, expanding reproductive health care for service members and veterans, defending access to emergency abortion care, challenging threats by a Republican attorney general to prosecute those who assist women traveling out of state for abortion care, and assisting states in expanding access under Medicaid for people who travel from states where they are denied access to abortion care.

Going forward, the platform states that Democrats will, among other things, work to restore abortion rights through legislation (assuming a Congress with sufficient Democratic control), protect the right to access IVF, strengthen access to contraception, and continue to support access to medication abortion. The platform also indicates that Democrats will work to repeal the Hyde amendment, which “restricts federally funded abortions under major federal health care programs.”

The contrast between the parties’ platforms and policies is clear. Simply put, the Democratic Party platform explicitly states that “President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats are committed to restoring the reproductive rights Trump ripped away.” As the presidential candidate who has proudly claimed responsibility for the fall of Roe, Trump’s rhetoric resembles the defensive moves of a boxer ducking, bobbing, and weaving to slip an opponent’s punches: he has tried to disavow Project 2025, tried to obfuscate Republican Party positions and plans, and backtracked on some of his positions in an attempt to portray his future administration as “great for women and their reproductive rights.”

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

A Guide for Writing Ed's Top Surgery!

I'm getting my top surgery on July 3 (whoo!!!) and I'm using this as an opportunity to gather info for fic purposes. I love writing Ed as a trans man, and I love everyone else who writes and draws him as trans, so I wanted to share the notes I'm taking to help others who want to draw or write Ed's top surgery experiences! I'll update this as we go in sections (pre-op, the surgery itself, and initial recovery).

This is all just my experience with getting a double-incision with free nipple grafts surgery, and it's from a US perspective. Your mileage may vary and this definitely isn't meant as a medical guide. If you're having your own top surgery listen to your surgeon, not me.

Pre-op guide below the cut!

In the months before his surgery:

Getting insurance approval for top surgery in the US, depending on where you live, can be incredibly frustrating, dehumanizing, and painful. Ed will need at least one letter from a therapist or other mental health provider, and he'll probably feel very frustrated about being treated like a child who is unable to make his own medical decisions. I had several insurance denials, needed to switch insurance companies (currently having to settle for one that's more expensive in every other way but will at least approve this surgery), and needed three (fucking 3!!) letters from mental health professionals to get my approval. Hard to overstate how much it sucked and how much it makes you feel like the people writing state and insurance laws see you as a stupid child. Ed will very likely have Lingering Issues about this experience.

Ed will need an initial consultation to confirm he's a good candidate for surgery. Mine was quick and easy!

Once he gets his approval, or once he decides to pay out-of-pocket, he'll get his surgery date! Depending on his clinic, this could be years away or it could be as soon as a couple months out, so anything is realistic for your story. You could lean into the joy of a date that's sooner than he'd expected or he could be frustrated by the whole process grinding to a halt.

His pre-op appointment:

The pre-op appointment is when Ed will meet his surgeon and get the details for his surgery date. Mine was almost two weeks before my surgery. He'll also receive packets of information and his post-op check-up dates. If he smokes, he should be tobacco-free by this date.

This is when Ed and Stede will be able to ask any last-minute questions. Ed can ask here if the surgeon will be willing to give him heart-shaped nipples, but they'll probably say no

This appointment is also when Ed will be struck by the reality of having post-operative drains and not being able to shower for a week. This will be deeply upsetting for him

Ed will probably be very nervous for this appointment (what if something goes wrong and he can't get his surgery?) but he'll be relieved and comforted by the whole experience. The mood in the whole plastic surgery center, for me, was downright fucking jubilant, all the nurses who saw my name on the chart were congratulating me and telling me how happy they were for me! This WILL make Ed cry

The week before his surgery:

It begins to sink in that Ed is about to have major surgery. He's excited, of course, but he'll be a little nervous too! Stede will need to give him lots of cuddles and promise to take good care of him

They'll need to make lots of Ed's favorite comfort foods to freeze so he has something to eat when he can't raise his arms well enough to cook

Ed should practice doing things without lifting his arms above his shoulders. He'll have a great time stomping around and pretending to be a dinosaur

He'll want to prepare a selection of comfy clothes he can wear without raising his arms. Stede's robes will be perfect

The biggest struggle for Ed during his recovery will be the boredom. Stede should help him build up a stock of video games, books, Lego sets, sketchbooks, and model building kits to keep his hands and brain busy!

They should prepare Ed's sickbed. He might be more comfortable sleeping upright on the couch or in an armchair propped up by pillows. He'll have to see how he feels after surgery and what positions are most comfortable, so getting both the couch and their bed ready is a good idea!

At some hospitals, including mine, you won't know what time to arrive at the hospital for your surgery until the day before, when they'll call you to let you know (they do this based on surgery room flow to ensure you arrive at the right time). Ed will find this stressful; Stede will HATE it.

Ed may need to shower with a special antiseptic skin wash the night before and the morning of his surgery. He will not enjoy having to get up at the asscrack of dawn to shower

The night before Ed's surgery, he and Stede should pack bags, just in case. Top surgery is an outpatient procedure, but just in case anything goes wrong and Ed has to stay overnight, it's good to be prepared. A change of comfy clothes, a book, and Ed's Nintendo Switch are good things to pack. Ed will also love taking a stuffed animal to keep him company after Stede can't go any further with him (and he can use the plushie to cushion the seatbelt on the car ride home).

Ed's super excited and everything's set for him! Good luck, Ed! 🥳

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dan Pfeiffer at The Message Box:

Amidst the political tumult of the last couple of months, one thing has remained constant — the economy is the top issue for voters. More specifically, concerns about elevated prices — despite declining inflation — continue to drive the political conversation. In the most recent New York Times/Siena poll of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, 22% of likely voters said the economy was the single most important issue in deciding their vote — 8 points higher than abortion and 9 points higher than immigration. Dissatisfaction with the economy helped propel Trump to a lead earlier this year despite his convictions, indictments, and involvement with insurrections. This week, Trump gave a speech in North Carolina that was billed as a major economic speech, and on Thursday, he gave an interminably long press conference at his golf club regarding high prices. Yesterday, also in North Carolina, Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first major policy speech of the campaign. She also focused on high prices. Head-to-head engagement on this issue tells us a lot of very good things about how Harris and her team are messaging on the economy. Others are more qualified than I to weigh in on the substantive merits of her proposals, but the politics are promising.

Read the full policy paper on Harris’s proposals HERE, but the major tenets include:

Lowering grocery costs with the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries;

Restoring the Child Tax Credit that provided $3,600 per child for middle and working class families;

Cutting taxes to help Americans afford health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace;

Capping the cost of insulin at $35 and out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs at $2,000 for everyone;

Calling for the construction of three million new homes to end the housing shortage in four years; and

Providing $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homeowners.

Even though these items represent a piece of her broader economic agenda, it is impressively comprehensive for a campaign created out of thin air less than a month ago.

[...]

3. Harris’s Economic Message

Because his fake persona as a business tycoon was imprinted on the American psyche via tabloids and reality television, Trump has always had an advantage on the economy. That advantage was magnified this cycle because he associated himself with the economic stability and lower prices during the pre-pandemic era. The best thing the Trump economy achieved was not massively fumbling all of the work Barack Obama did to rebuild the economy after the Great Recession — but I digress.

Kamala Harris’s message on the economy is what America needs.

[ladali12345]

How to Choose the Right University in Germany for Your Study Abroad Journey

Studying abroad is an exciting opportunity that can significantly enhance your academic and professional journey. Germany, known for its high-quality education and diverse cultural landscape, has become a top choice for international students. However, with so many options available, choosing the right university can feel overwhelming. This guide will help you navigate your decision-making process and find the best fit for your goals, highlighting the top universities in Germany, along with tips from a study abroad consultant.

1. Identify Your Academic Goals

The first step in choosing a university in Germany is to identify your academic and career goals. Are you looking for a program with a strong emphasis on research, or do you prefer a more practical approach? Different universities have varying strengths; for instance, some are renowned for engineering, while others excel in business or humanities.

Research Programs: Explore the specific programs offered by different universities. Look for those that align with your academic interests and career aspirations.

Check Rankings: Consider the rankings of the top universities in Germany in your field. Institutions like Technische Universität München (TUM), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), and RWTH Aachen University are often recognized for their academic excellence.

2. Consider Language of Instruction

While many universities in Germany offer programs in English, particularly at the master's level, it’s essential to verify the language of instruction for your desired course. If you’re proficient in German, consider programs taught in German, as they might offer deeper insights into the local culture and job market.

English-Taught Programs: If you prefer to study in English, ensure the university provides a range of courses in your field of interest. Many top universities in Germany cater to international students with English-taught programs.

3. Evaluate University Reputation and Accreditation

The reputation of a university can significantly impact your future career opportunities. Look for universities that are recognized internationally and have strong ties with industry partners. Accreditation from relevant educational bodies is also crucial as it assures the quality of education.

Accredited Programs: Check if the program you are interested in is accredited by relevant institutions. This can enhance your employability and make your degree more valuable globally.

4. Assess Campus Life and Support Services

Campus life plays a vital role in your overall study experience. Consider the university’s facilities, student support services, and extracurricular opportunities. A vibrant campus culture can enrich your personal and academic growth.

Student Support: Look for universities that offer services for international students, such as orientation programs, language courses, and counseling. These resources can help ease your transition into a new academic environment.

5. Location and Cost of Living

Germany is home to diverse cities, each with its own unique character and lifestyle. Consider the city where the university is located in terms of cultural offerings, job opportunities, and cost of living.

Urban vs. Rural: Larger cities like Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt offer a bustling urban environment with numerous networking opportunities but may come with higher living costs. On the other hand, smaller cities may provide a more affordable living situation and a closer-knit community.

6. Explore Financial Considerations

Understanding the cost of tuition and living expenses is crucial for planning your study abroad journey. While public universities in Germany often have low or no tuition fees for international students, additional costs such as living expenses, health insurance, and travel should be factored into your budget.

Scholarships and Financial Aid: Investigate available scholarships and financial aid options. Many universities offer scholarships specifically for international students, which can significantly ease your financial burden.

7. Seek Guidance from a Study Abroad Consultant

Navigating the complexities of studying abroad can be daunting, but a study abroad consultant can provide invaluable support. They can help you with:

University Selection: Consultants can offer tailored advice based on your academic background, interests, and career goals, helping you identify the best-fit universities.

Application Process: They can guide you through the application process, ensuring you meet all requirements and deadlines, and help you prepare for interviews or entrance exams if needed.

Cultural Preparation: A consultant can also offer insights into cultural differences, helping you adjust to life in Germany more smoothly.

Conclusion: Your Path to Success in Germany

Choosing the right university in Germany is a crucial step in your study in Germany journey. By identifying your academic goals, evaluating language options, and considering university reputation and support services, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your aspirations. Don’t hesitate to seek assistance from a study abroad consultant, who can provide personalized guidance throughout your application process. With careful planning and research, you can embark on an enriching study abroad experience in Germany that paves the way for future success.

also read:

Understanding the Timeline for Applying to German Universities

Documents Required for a Germany Student Visa Application

[urgentcareoftx]

Expert Physical Therapy Services at the Best Urgent Care in Arlington

When it comes to managing pain, improving mobility, and recovering from injuries, Urgent Care of Texas in Arlington provides top-notch physical therapy services tailored to meet your needs. As the best urgent care in Arlington, we offer a comprehensive approach to physical therapy that combines expert evaluation, state-of-the-art techniques, and personalized care plans. Whether you’re dealing with sports injuries, post-surgical recovery, chronic pain, or mobility issues, our highly trained therapists are here to help you get back to your best self.

At Urgent Care of Texas Arlington, we understand that convenience is as important as quality care. That’s why we proudly serve as the best walk-in clinic in Arlington, offering same-day appointments for physical therapy and other urgent care services. With flexible scheduling and no referral requirements, we make it easy to prioritize your health without the hassle of long wait times or complicated insurance processes.

Why Choose Urgent Care of Texas for Physical Therapy?

1. Comprehensive Care at Texas Urgent Care Centers: As a leader in Texas urgent care, we provide more than just emergency medical assistance. Our physical therapy services are designed to cater to a wide range of conditions, including joint pain, back pain, muscle strains, and work-related injuries. Our clinic in Arlington, TX, is equipped with advanced therapeutic tools and staffed by licensed professionals who use evidence-based methods to promote healing and prevent future injuries.

2. Conveniently Located Urgent Care Near Me: Searching for “urgent care near me” or “walk-in clinic in Arlington”? Look no further. Our clinic is strategically located to serve patients throughout Arlington and surrounding areas, making it easy for you to access top-tier physical therapy services whenever you need them. We’re committed to being your trusted partner in health, offering a seamless blend of urgent care and specialized physical therapy services.

3. Personalized Treatment Plans at Urgent Care of Texas Arlington: At Urgent Care Texas, we recognize that every patient is unique. Our physical therapists work closely with you to develop a customized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs and goals. Whether you’re an athlete recovering from an injury or an individual managing a chronic condition, our targeted therapy sessions are designed to enhance your strength, flexibility, and overall well-being.

What to Expect from Physical Therapy at Urgent Care Arlington TX

Assessment and Diagnosis: Your journey to recovery begins with a thorough evaluation conducted by our experienced physical therapists. We assess your medical history, physical condition, and specific concerns to create an effective treatment plan. This ensures that every session at our Urgent Care Arlington TX clinic is focused on achieving optimal results.

Treatment Techniques: Our physical therapy services incorporate a variety of techniques, including:

Manual Therapy: Hands-on techniques to reduce pain and improve mobility.

Exercise Therapy: Customized exercises to strengthen muscles and restore function.

Pain Management: Strategies to alleviate discomfort and promote healing.

Posture and Movement Training: Education on proper body mechanics to prevent re-injury.

Ongoing Support: Recovery doesn’t end when your therapy sessions are complete. At Urgent Care of Texas, we provide patients with the tools and resources needed to maintain their progress and prevent future issues. From home exercise programs to follow-up consultations, we’re here to support your long-term health.

The Advantages of Choosing Urgent Care Texas

As the best urgent care in Texas, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional physical therapy services alongside our full spectrum of urgent care offerings. Here’s why patients trust us:

Convenience: Walk-in appointments, extended hours, and a centralized location make accessing care simple.

Affordability: We accept most insurance plans and offer competitive pricing for uninsured patients.

Comprehensive Services: From physical therapy to general medical care, we’re your one-stop solution for health and wellness.

Expert Team: Our licensed physical therapists and medical professionals bring years of experience and a passion for patient care.

A Trusted Walk-In Clinic in Arlington

Finding a reliable “walk-in clinic in Arlington” that provides high-quality physical therapy can be challenging, but Urgent Care of Texas Arlington stands out for its commitment to excellence. Our team understands the urgency of your needs, ensuring that you receive timely, effective treatment without the long waits often associated with traditional medical facilities.

Serving the Arlington Community with Excellence

As a proud member of the Arlington community, Urgent Care of Texas is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our neighbors. We’ve earned a reputation as the best urgent care in Arlington by consistently providing compassionate, patient-centered care. Whether you’re dealing with a sudden injury or require ongoing therapy for a chronic condition, our physical therapy services are here to help you regain your strength and confidence.

Visit the Best Urgent Care in Arlington for Physical Therapy Today

If you’re ready to experience the benefits of expert physical therapy at the best urgent care in Texas, visit Urgent Care of Texas Arlington today. Our clinic is conveniently located to serve patients across Arlington and nearby areas, making it easy to find “urgent cares near me” that prioritize your health and recovery.

Don’t let pain or limited mobility hold you back. Discover why we’re the trusted choice for urgent care Texas residents and the top provider of physical therapy in the area. Schedule your visit to our walk-in clinic in Arlington today and take the first step toward a healthier, more active life.

📞Call us today and experience the care you deserve!

6407 S Cooper St # 117

Arlington, TX 76001

arlington@wiuctx.us

📞+1 (817) 472-7601

📞+1 (817) 472-7213

633 SW Johnson Ave

Burleson, TX 76028, USA

burleson@wiuctx.us

📞+1 (817) 295-5520

📞+1 (817) 295-5572

3909 W Parker Rd

Plano, TX 75023, USA

plano@wiuctx.us

📞+1 (469) 609-3062

📞+1 (972) 867-9400

[battleangel]

NFL Throwaway Players: 2 Years of Playing, A Lifetime of Pain

With the NFL games all day tomorrow for Thanksgiving, I have a question for anyone reading this – the same question facing every player in the NFL on average outside of statistical outliers –

Is two years of playing in the NFL really worth a lifetime of pain?

Because that is the deal that the average player that you see taking the field tomorrow during all the football Thanksgiving extravaganzal is taking.

And my question is – is it worth it?

Let’s start with why the NFL is “jokingly” referred to by former players as “Not For Long”.

It is often stated that the average NFL career spans just 3 seasons but even this is an overestimation because it's including outliers like multi-time Pro Bowlers, who play an average of 12 seasons, and kickers who can play as many as 20 to 25 seasons.

If you remove these outliers, in fact, the average NFL career lasts just two seasons.

Keep in mind that although it’s "only two seasons", you are playing tackle football at the absolute highest levels of the sport against the biggest, fastest, strongest, most athletic and most physically talented and gifted football players on the planet.

Trust that the hits are significantly harder than at the college level.

Importantly, keep in mind that while it's "only two seasons", a study found that the risk of CTE increases by 30 percent every year of playing tackle football, meaning the risk of developing CTE doubles for every 2.6 years of football played.

So, the average NFL player by the time their NFL career is finished in two seasons in that relatively short span of time has increased their risk of getting CTE by 60%.

Also, keep in mind that players are only vested in the NFL if they play three seasons, yet the average player only plays two seasons in the NFL.

If you don't vest, it means two critical things: you won't be eligible to receive five years of health insurance coverage provided by the NFL upon exiting the league and you won't be covered under the 2013 $1 billion concussion settlement.

So, if you develop latent neurological symptoms or post-concussive syndrome after your two season NFL career is over caused by a lifetime of playing tackle football from youth to the pros, you won't qualify for a payment from the concussion settlement nor will you qualify for health insurance for five years post-exiting the league provided by the NFL.

Most employer sponsored health insurance plans will consider injuries and concussions sustained while playing football to be pre-existing conditions so even if you get a job after your NFL career ends or if you are married and covered under your spouse's health insurance plan, it will very likely not cover any issues having to do with concussions, repetitive head trauma, injuries and needed surgeries as a result of playing in the NFL and tackle football from the youth level to college.

Okay, what about the millions of dollars?

NFL contracts, unlike every other major American sports league (MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS) doesn't have guaranteed contracts.

On top of this, nearly 60% of an average NFL player's contract is paid through incentives.

What that means is, if the player is concussed or injured and doesn't play, or if the player simply underperforms, he doesn't get those incentives which are over half of his contract.

Additionally, given that the league minimum is over half a million dollars per game, NFL players are taxed at over 50%.

So, the government gets half, the incentives are nearly 60% so any time spent recovering from injuries not playing costs you money and if you underperform you could lose over half of your contract, and your contract isn't guaranteed and the team can cut you if you are injury-prone, concussion-prone (this is a real thing that owners avoid) or if they simply find someone they think can perform better than you.

An NFL player assumes all that risk in a violent brain-damaging collision-filled sport.

An NFL player can be cut at any time, his contract isn't guaranteed, most of his contract is incentives based so if he is hurt or underperforms, he loses over half of his contract, and the government is taking 50% for taxes.

Removing outliers, when the average NFL player only plays 2 seasons, and most black players (70% of the league) are coming from impoverished backgrounds so they are not just buying bling bling and sports cars, nearly all of them are financially supporting their economically disadvantaged families, you can see how shit of a bargain this actually is for the vast majority of the league that wash out in 2 seasons and that are not getting the endorsement deals that Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tom Brady, Justin Herbert, Peyton Manning, etc. are getting.

The superstars in non-QB positions & non-wide receiver positions like Micah Parsons, Jason Kelce, Odell Beckham Jr. are very few and far in between.

Put another way, over 2,000 men suited up and played in at least 1 NFL game last season.

2,000!

There is no other sport on earth that is as brutalistic, inhumane, dehumanizing, violent and militaristic as football where 2,000 players could conceivably suit up in one season.

In tackle football, you are completely disposable and replaceable, a cog in the machine, unless you are the rarest of the rare superstar at your position.

What about the thousands of throwaway players?

What about them?

So, that's the vaunted "NFL dream" – a two season career.

Okay, what about the rest of your life?

Two years for a lifetime of pain.

Again, players only vest after playing three full seasons but the average player only plays two seasons!

Without being vested, you don't get access to health insurance for five years after leaving the league.

Also, and very importantly, the 2013 concussion settlement only applies to vested players!

Imagine you play a lifetime of tackle football and finally make it to the NFL and then play 2 seasons – the average length of an NFL career once statistical outliers are removed.

Neurological disorders like CTE, Parkinson's Disease, dementia, ALS & Alzheimers Disease are caused by subconcussive repetitive head impacts, not concussions.

The head impacts that occur on every blocking and tackling play, every hitting drill in practice and every scrimmage from Pop Warner to high school to college to the NFL.

That is literally tens of thousands of subconcussive head impacts sustained throughout a lifetime of playing tackle football that then culminates in an NFL "career" that on average only lasts two seasons.

Pop Warner youth players endure on average 336 head impacts per season. High school players endure 600 to 100 head impacts per season. College and NFL players endure 1000+ head impacts per season.

That’s a lot of fucking hits to the head!

So, if you are one of the many former NFL players that develops a neurological disorder after a lifetime of repetitive head impacts, and if you play the league average of two seasons in the NFL once statistical outliers are removed, not only will you not be vested so you won't qualify for five years of health insurance coverage once you exit the league but you also won't be covered under the 2013 concussion settlement as it only covers vested players who played for at least three seasons – so if you develop neurological symptoms including aggression, suicidality, depression, memory loss, confusion, emotional volatility and behavioral and personality changes and get diagnosed with a neurological disorder – keep in mind that it takes on average 10 to 15 years after your playing days are over for latent neurological symptoms to manifest, you will be solely responsible for the out of pocket lifetime medical expenses which are estimated to be as much as $500k to $2m+.

Let's talk about playing two years in the NFL for a lifetime of pain.

Outside The Lines:

“In terms of how they described their overall health, 88 percent of the retired players surveyed said they had excellent health before entering the NFL. Just 13 percent described their health as excellent at the time of the phone survey.

According to sources cited by the Washington University researchers, 26 percent of the general population suffers from some level of pain. But of the 644 former NFL players surveyed, 93 percent suffered some level of pain, and 73 percent described their pain as moderate to severe.

A Washington Post online survey of 500 retired NFL players found that nearly nine in 10 report suffering from aches and pains on a daily basis, and they overwhelmingly - 91 percent - connect nearly all their pains to football.

Nine in 10 former NFL players reported suffering concussions while playing, and nearly six in 10 reported three or more.

Two in three who had concussions said they experience continuing symptoms from them.

Don "Majik Man" Majikowski, former Packers QB who Brett Favre famously came in for after he was injured regarding former Green Bay teammates:

"Hip replacements, knee replacements, you name it, and they had to pay for it themselves and it devastated them, a lot of the guys."

A study at the University of Michigan in 2009 surveyed 1,063 former players.

About eight in 10 reported suffering from pain that lasts most of the day. Among younger retirees, aged 30 to 49, one in three said he was unable to work or limited in work.

And almost 30 percent of them rated their health as only "fair" or "poor."

There are no controlling NFL rules on narcotics consumption, other than that it must occur legally, by prescription.

Of those players who reported no use of prescription painkillers within the past 30 days, 68 percent said they lived with moderate to severe pain.

Of the players who misused prescription painkillers, 96 percent reported experiencing moderate to severe pain.

Of the retired players who admitted to misusing prescription painkillers within the past 30 days, 98 percent said they suffered from undiagnosed concussions compared with 79 percent of those players who did not currently use prescription pain medication.

"It's what you have to do to play. You have to play through injuries. In the last five years, I got a shot of Toradol before EVERY game. People keep playing because they're unsure of their future. They have little real career training and many players don't know what to do without football."

"I had to take shots to play and after games they would dump three or four Percocets in my hands to take for the ride home."

"Whatever you needed, you got. If you were in pain, you got something. We didn't know what we were taking – they just gave it to us."

"It was part of everyday play. How are you going to monitor this? Players are not going to tell you they have a concussion. Concussions were at every practice and every game."

Of the retired players who said they misused opioids in the past 30 days, 27 percent had 20 or more drinks in that same time period.

"There's a major concern that the risk of overdose and death is markedly increased if you're drinking on top of taking painkillers," Compton said. "That would be the No. 1 concern I would have. Some of these men are reporting very heavy levels of alcohol consumption."

"Mixing alcohol and pain pills, that's really scary," said Bob Newton, a former lead counselor at the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Newton is also a former offensive lineman who played 11 years for the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks.

"Taking pain medication and alcohol on top of it, that's where people overdose," Newton said.”

I’m going to end my article now with the same exact question I started it with – and if you’re a rabid football fan like the millions who are going to be tuned in all day tomorrow, ask yourself if you can answer it honestly or if you even care to – can anyone honestly read the above and tell me that the average NFL career is worth it?

[darkmaga-returns]

United Nations Manager: WAR is the Moneymaker, “Lazy” Staff Don’t Want Trump as U.S. President - this is no surprise to anyone that has done any research about the UN. They were never created to stop war or hunger. They were created to spread global communism. ARTICLE/VIDEO

Federal Court Rejects Biden’s ‘Parole in Place’ for Illegal Aliens - ARTICLE

I'd like to provide additional information and commentary on the Pandemic Treaty by Dr. Meryl Nass - ARTICLE

Mass Poisoning (Camelford 1988)Not all examples of mass poisoning are subtle - lets not forget that the injections they give our children also have aluminum and many other toxins in them - Dr. Exley - ARTICLE

Newsom 2028: The Campaign Has Already Begun - this is no surprise. I personally was surprised that when Joe stepped down they did not offer up Newsome. But make so mistake this marxist WILL run in 2028. And he is smooth like Obama, young and handsome but cut from the same cloth as Obama and Kamala. I believe he is even worse. He has totally destroyed one of the most beautiful and prosperous states in America. ARTICLE

RFK Jr. Puts Big Pharma In His Crosshairs, Details Moves To ‘Unravel The Agency Capture’ [WATCH] - I hope the first thing he does is fire the head and all top level management from CDC/NIH/FDA and replace them with the many doctors and researcher we know can be trusted to insure human health and not bottom line health of those out to make us sick/dead. He needs to get the 1986 Childhood Vaccine law repealed along with CARES and PREP. Then remove all research grants out of HHS and into an independent organization. ARTICLE/VIDEO (3 min.)

[sailor-cerise]

Anyone have tips for raising a fuss with your local government/press?

My primary care physician has adopted an absolute bullshit policy for appointments that is NOT at all in line with my state's "right to timely care", and I'm looking for ways to escalate this.

They are the biggest provider in this county and several neighboring counties and they put a LOT of effort into their public image. They are literally lying to patients as part of this policy (they claim this has always been their policy, that it's an unavoidable part of a teaching hospital, and that the residents' schedules are not possible to predict.)

I want to force them to rollback or adjust their policy by putting pressure where it hurts. You don't get to have a reputation as the local leading healthcare provider, and accepting new patients, if you are refusing to schedule existing patients.

What I've done so far:

Filed a formal written complaint through my insurance company

Had an in-depth mediated phone conversation with a "patient representative" as part of the insurance process, where I proposed several concrete changes

Brought up the issue to my doctors and nurses, all of whom agreed with me

Asked the front desk staff to file a complaint. Not sure if they did this.

What I'm considering but am a little overwhelmed by and not sure where to start:

Contacting local news outlets

Contacting local government

Starting a letter writing campaign to the organization with my local Mutual Aid network

Any ideas or tips would be welcome! I have a lot of physical and mental health issues, so my capacity is limited, but I am fucking pissed both for myself and on behalf of other patients, like the parents I overheard that were unable to book the recommended follow-up for their toddler.

If you're wondering why I don't just change:

I have multiple ongoing diagnostic processes and specialists

They have a fucking monopoly on the area and so finding a different one with in-network urgent care is hard unless I switch to Kaiser, which I can't change until next open enrollment

I have been with these doctors for 15 years and I loved them up until last year when they started this

When I do get an appointment, I really really like the doctors

Because of their monopoly in the area, this is affecting SO SO many people and that's not okay

The specific policy is that you cannot book any appointment with this primary care provider unless you call them during the 2-3 days a month where they are accepting appointments only for the next month -- they fill up completely within days. That means you cannot schedule ANY appointments, including follow-ups, any further out than a month, and that is if you're very on top of it AND lucky.

There are exceptions (urgent care followups and getting an appointment through the nurse triage line), but this means, for example, it took me 4 months to be able to schedule my follow up appointment for my newly-diagnosed asthma, where I then needed two referrals and new prescriptions. I can't schedule my gyno checkup. I can't schedule a visit about my new fatigue and pain symptoms that have been going on for 4 months.

This would be frustrating at a specialist, but it is unacceptable for a primary care provider.

[theorgantrail]

Insurance: Healthcare Workers' Perspective (i.e why it sucks)

1. Why Doctors Don't Carry Your Insurance

This was one of the most surprising things to learn when I started working in a dr's office. Insurance sucks just as much for providers as it does for the patients. (The only upside is we have a separate hotline for calling).

Doctors have to pay (quite a lot of money $$$ btw) to register as providers with insurance. Each individual company (BCBS, USAA, Kaiser, etc) requires a fee, and often will have different processes for registration. This process is not instantaneous, either, but can take anywhere up to 2 years.

That is why many younger/newer providers will often only carry a couple insurances. So the more insurances a provider carries, the more they fought and paid for accessibility for their patients.

2. Prior Authorization

“Physicians spend an enormous amount of time fighting these prior authorization rejections to get patients the therapies that they need,”

-Jack Resneck Jr., MD

What doctors wish patients knew about prior authorization

One major problem in healthcare, which one of our admins talks about in the insurance section, is prior authorization.

I have personally worked in healthcare on and off for about 3 years. At one point, I was a receptionist for a busy ENT clinic, where I helped file medical and insurance paperwork and talked to just about e v e r y insurance company there is the US.

One of the most common (and incredibly frustrating) forms was prior auth, and everyone involved absolutely hates this form. The doctor, the MA's, the patient, the insurance workers you call, etc. Often, we have to call back and forth over a period of weeks to even months to get a patient a single medication that is very often necessary for living.

Mind you, this again takes a lot of precious time. Dr. Resneck went on to say that, "We physicians often find ourselves fighting over and over and over through a series of appeals to get the patient the medication or the test or the treatment that they need," which I can attest is absolutely true! Talk about incredibly dangerous for continuity for care and health of the patient!

On top of how busy the clinic and physicians are, these authorizations and appeals often go to the support healthcare workers, like receptionists or MA's, to handle.

Most often was a medication that was simply being refilled by a new doctor, or occasionally the exact same doctor (the patients window of insurance viability had just lapsed)! A patient could have been on a medication for YEARS and suddenly the insurance would be dragging their feet. And they won't talk to patients, the point-blank will only discuss and haggle with physicians and their representatives (ie. ME).

There is lot more to this subject, but unfortunately, I have other homework to get to.

Did either of these surprise you?

[snapthistiger]

exercise 10252023

bike ride to the gym

8 x 10 incline sit ups

5 x 10 pec machine

3 x 10 lat raise

30 minutes on the step mill

3 x 10 cable row

3 x 10 cable press

bike ride to Kroger, then home

the gym workers received Hershey kisses

more phone calls to my Mom's insurance. according to Humana, i have successfully disenrolled my Mom in her Medicare advantage plan with an end date of 12/31/2023. i called Medicare.gov folks and they told me my Mom's Medicare supplement plan is already crossed over and should take over on the 1st of January. will coordinate with my sister to select a part D plan for my Mom

met with the glass replacement guys at my Mom's house after lunch. they measured the broken window and will provide an estimate soon.

called home health service to confirm that they are doing blood draw for my Mom tomorrow in preparation for her doctor appointment on November 1

top left = flowers at my Mom's

bottom = Peanut yawning on the couch

working on Microsoft Cybersecurity course

weather continues very warm. 88F / feels like 95F

hope you have a peaceful afternoon and evening..

[intlstudents]

Office Receptionist

Location

Brampton, ON

 

BenefitsPulled from the full job description

Designated paid holidays

RRSP match

Tuition reimbursement

Full job description

_

Dawn Foods is a global leader in bakery manufacturing and ingredients distribution. As the partner of choice for inspiring bakery success, we help customers grow their business through meaningful partnerships, research-driven insights and innovations, and products and expertise they can depend on. As a family-owned company, our commitments to our people, products, customers, and corporate values, are all part of our recipe for success.

_

Why work for Dawn Foods?

PEOPLE. PRODUCTS. CUSTOMERS.

Why should you apply? We invest in you!

Industry-leading health insurance after 30 days

Competitive Pay

Generous company retirement benefit contributions

10 Paid Company Holidays

3 weeks of vacation each year

Professional training

Family-owned business over 100 years in service

An opportunity for career advancement, working as part of an empowering workforce

What will you do as an Office Receptionistat Dawn Foods?

Answer all incoming telephone calls, direct appropriately and/or take messages

Meet and greet all visitors and provide assistance as required

Oversee and control all office courier services in accordance with standard operating procedures

Manage incoming and outgoing mail and upkeep of postage equipment

Manage invoices in AP system related to Brampton location

Maintain adequate stock of all office and building supplies and control the supply room.

Assist Customer Service team members when needed.

What Does It Take to be an Office Receptionist at Dawn Foods?

Below are the minimum qualifications to be a fit for this job.

Minimum 1 year of experience in an administrative role

Detail oriented and have the ability to work independently and complete objectives.

High School Diploma or GED.

Ability to multi-task

Maintain confidentiality

Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.

SAP experience preferred but not required.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to work in a professional office environment. Will be expected to work onsite.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus

Note: The level of physical effort may vary from site to site and in some cases be greater or lesser than documented here.

If this sounds like the opportunity that you have been looking for, please click "Apply.”

About Our Benefits

Dawn is proud to employ the top talent in the baking industry, and we reward our people with competitive compensation packages and award-winning benefit offerings. We also help protect our Team Members’ future financial health with a generous RRSP matching program that provide additional retirement funds and many tools and resources on financial wellness. The contributions start from your first pay. Dawn also encourages professional growth through tuition assistance and educational programs, and we are always searching for ways to improve our industry-leading services and benefits.

Compensation: $41,430 - $62,150 Annual Salary

_

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other status or condition that is protected by applicable law.

[pepsi-maxwell]

lay on the floor staring at the ceiling thinking about the ~$20000 i would have to pay for top surgery because the public health service is backed up for the next ten years and no private insurance provider in the country includes coverage for trans-affirming care <3

“-------- ----- embraces the diversity and equality of our members--” the fuck you do.