Do Things Differently
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Happy Thursday Healthcare Advocates
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Change It Up. You Might Learn Something
The life of a doctor in a large practice can be hectic and hard to maintain. In a recent survey of physicians 20% said they would like to quit within the next few years. in 2021 117,000 doctors quit. There will soon be a critical shortage of primary care physicians in the US. They are overburdened by excess insurance documentation and high patient loads and it impacts their ability to provide the quality of care they were trained to provide. Some doctors are the primary care physician for 3000 patients. Insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers stand between doctor and patient dictating the appropriate treatment and medicines, denying claims, etc. What a nightmare.
Here is a PBS Newshour video about a physician, Dr. Dall-Winther, in rural Wisconsin, who has had enough and went her own way. She was a well respected physician for 10 years at the Mayo clinic and found the job to be grueling and not worth the effort.
She started her own practice but with a different model. It is prepaid medicine. She will be your primary care doctor for $80/month. That’s the only price. Includes visits, labs, 24 hour advice and the visits that take as long as necessary. She serves 400 people and has a goal to make it to 600.
She and her family are far happier with the smaller practice, she can provide the care she was trained to give without being overloaded and without the insurance burden.
The reason it is important is that when doctors are incentivized to keep their patients healthy, they spend more time with them, build trust, and the they system works. That’s the reason Single Payer Improved Medicare for All has Global Budgets for networks and providers. When the infrastructure and salaries are taken care of providers can focus all their time on their patients.
Vaccines this Fall
The FDA approved two new vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in May 2023: GSK's Arexvy, Pfizer's Abrysvo. These will be available for those 60 and over.
COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are continually being updated as COVID-19 continues to mutate. Keep your boosters up to date!! Check with your primary physician about when to get the next one and then get it.
Flu won’t ever go away so make sure to get this one too!!
Here is a NY times article on the subject.
ACTION
Contact your elected representatives and let them know that the Improved Medicare for All has Global Budgets to cover the infrastructure of networks and hospitals. When the infrastructure is covered and the insurance is simplified, doctors can focus their time on keeping their patients health. Their contact info is in the references below. Here is a sample text that can be sent via RESISTBOT. Just text SIGN PCTPOE to 50409 on your cell phone.
“Hi, My name is (name) and I live in (zipcode) and I am your constituent. I want you let you know that in a recent survey of doctors 20% said they would like to quit in the next few years. In 2021 117,000 of them quit. They are overloaded with excess documentation for insurance companies and driven to see as many patients as possible. And then insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers stand between patient and doctor and determine what the treatment will be, not the doctor. No wonder they burnout.
HR 3421, Improved Medicare for All, fixes that by simplifying the insurance and creating Global Budgets that cover network and hospital infrastructures and allow doctors to focus on patients, not paperwork. I want you to enact that now. “
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/addr/
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Organizations to Contact
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Planned Parenthood
Physicians for a National Health Plan
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water Resistbot write up