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[xanthicantag]

I feel like I should make a post about this because it’s not something that’s very well-known, and that Americans in particular may need to know about given the uncertain state of our healthcare system at the moment. I’ve wanted to write this out for a while, It’s kind of a long post, so sorry about that!

If you have an emergency and have to go to the hospital, you’ll owe the hospital a lot of money. (I got into a car wreck and broke my ankle and my arm. My hospital bill was around $20,000)

You’ll also owe the ambulance provider, if you need one. (My ambulance bill was about $800)

You may get separate bills from the anesthesiologist or surgeon. (My anesthesiologist bill was $1,700)

You may need follow-up appointments. (My orthopedic surgeon billed me for the appointments and his surgery together and it was about $1,000)

You’ve also got to pay for medical equipment you need afterward, like crutches or a walking boot. (Mine cost about $75)

Altogether, I ended up with almost $24,000 in medical debt from one car accident. That’s a really scary number for someone like me who makes $10/hr at a 12 hour a week job.

I got my debt down to $1075 by making some phone calls and submitting some paperwork.

The first thing I did was contact the hospital. They don’t make it easy to find, but many hospitals (perhaps most hospitals?) have financial assistance programs for people who can’t afford medical bills. I don’t make a lot of money, and I have bills to pay, so they were able to help me. I called the billing department and asked if they had any assistance programs for low income people who can’t pay their bills. I had to call multiple times, and I got transferred in circles by people who didn’t know what I was talking about. Finally, I got an appointment with someone in “Eligibility Services” (I don’t know what other hospitals call it, if it’s something different). I had to bring my pay stubs and copies of all of my bills. When I got to the hospital for the appointment, nobody knew what I was talking about so I had to wander a little to find where I needed to go. I spoke with the guy in Eligibility Services, and I waited for a decision on how much of the bill they would forgive. A month later, I got a call telling me it was totally forgiven.

I did the same thing for my ambulance bill and my anesthesiologist, but the process was a LOT easier. I just had to mail some paperwork and it was totally forgiven.

I didn’t bother with the medical equipment suppliers, since the bills came from separate companies and I didn’t feel like going through the process twice for $75. I was assured at the hospital that they had similar programs for debt forgiveness, so I could have probably avoided paying that too.

The only thing I couldn’t get taken care of was the surgeon/follow-up appointment cost, but they were able to put me on a no-interest payment plan.

Medical debt is scary because it’s something that can come from stuff that’s already really scary. I didn’t need the burden of $24,000 in debt on top of trying to get around on a crutch with a broken arm (it’s not easy, believe me!).. but I can’t imagine what it would be like with a bigger debt or a more severe medical emergency. I see lots of people in even worse trouble than I was in, both financially and medically. Please know that there are options for you when that GoFundMe doesn’t do enough. Even if your income is higher than mine, it’s worth a shot even for partial debt forgiveness.

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[xanthicantag]

🇨🇦recall of frozen pet food due to deadly bird flu contamination🇺🇸

Voluntary Recall of Northwest Naturals Brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw Frozen Pet Food Due to HPAI Contamination FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-December 24, 2024 Portland, Oregon, Northwest Naturals is voluntarily recalling one batch of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it was tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. Consumption of raw or uncooked pet food contaminated with HPAI can cause illness in animals. To date, one case of illness in a domestic cat has been reported in connection with this issue. The recalled product is packaged in 2-pound plastic bags with “Best if used by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The product was sold through distributors in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MI, MN, PA, RI and WA in the United States, and British Columbia in Canada.

This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon.

some emphasis mine. although it says one batch, it is not listed how big that recalled batch is. given the lengthy list of states (and province), it seems like a lot.

also not mentioned in the recall is the fact that the "one case of illness in a domestic cat" resulted in death. which is pretty fucking important information here. the oregon department of agriculture (ODA) had the following to say about their investigation.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” said ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”

the oregon health authority (OHA) also reports that to date, no human cases of bird flu have been linked to this pet food.

the best by dates of the recalled pet food extend well into 2026, so it is going to be an ongoing challenge to get this contaminated food out of people's freezers before it can do more harm and cause more pet death.

as always, when it comes to contamination like this, it is likely that more than just the one cat has been or will become infected. whether human or feline, illness from food contamination is very under-reported.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should immediately discard the product and contact the place of purchase for a full refund. For additional information or questions, customers may contact Northwest Naturals of Portland at info@nw-naturals.net or 866-637-1872 from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM PST, Monday through Friday.

high quality for the front, potato quality for the back. not sure why.

this recall was announced on december 24th, meaning a lot of people probably missed it, and potential emails about the recall may have gotten lost among a torrent of holiday marketing. bird flu can be transmissible through contaminated raw meat, unpasteurized cream or milk, and contact with infected animals.

although very unlikely, the US CDC reports that it is possible for a human to become infected from contact with an infected mammal. one person got sick from a pet cat in 2016, and another person got sick from a cow in 2024. no person-to-person spread has been confirmed in the united states.

right now, the main risk from this contamination is pets getting sick.

help keep pets safe! check those freezers!

[xanthicantag]

[xanthicantag]

PSA for Switch owners

The latest 11.0 update means that Google Analytics is a thing on the switch and turned on. What that means is that Nintendo has a deal with Google to share with them your data for advertisement purposes.

To turn it off

go to the eShop

go to your profile where your funds and account info is

go down to the bottom of the page

there you will see “Google Analytics Preferences”

select the Change

select “Don’t Share”

Please spread the word. Really shitty of Nintendo to just quietly start allowing Google to spy on users for advertising.

[xanthicantag]

Samar Abu Alwan, mother of 3, is currently in the ICU and urgently needs blood transfusions and other medications and supplements. Mohammed has a message of thanks and a request for help:

Samar’s health continues to deteriorate. I am the one who takes care of my three children alone. It is a heavy burden. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may God bless you. I cannot find the words to describe your generosity. Without you, we would have been dead long ago. May God bless you and keep you for me, my family and my children.

Venmo: gothhabiba Paypal: paypal.me/Najia Cashapp: $NajiaK

$387 / $1,000

[xanthicantag]

remember you can always make your protagonist a lesbian with some kind of psychosis

[xanthicantag]

the knight in shining armor, dull and rusted from spattered blood

[xanthicantag]

hey wait! i know you! we used to be chained next to each other in the cave! wow, so good to see you, how are ya? man. remember how we used to talk about the shadows on the wall together. gosh that was a long time ago. but hey. sure is one heck of a sun out here, right? it's good to see you.

[xanthicantag]

Oh brother

[xanthicantag]

UHC website has an article entitled "Response to Misinformation" in which it explicitly labels Luigi as a killer despite a trial not taking place. Which in itself is defamation and very telling of their concerns with pushing a narrative more than a legal and ethical perspective.

[xanthicantag]

what's wrong with him

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I’m living for The Odyssey discourse on Twitter right now because some people are like, “You’ve never heard of the odyssey” and other people are like, “some people don’t speak English and haven’t read your little American book.”

[xanthicantag]

I think if you're a white trans woman and you're citing statistics about trans women being murdered to prove our oppression, you really need to bring up that the vast majority of murdered trans women in America are black. I think if you leave that detail out you are kind of doing the exact same thing as the people you're arguing with.

If you don't think about those stats and what they mean, you need to fix that.

[xanthicantag]

Revolutionary Girl Utena - 少女革命ウテナ Someday, Together, We'll Shine - Aired 24th December 1997