Drug Prices, Single Payer, News about Lung Cancer

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A Good Day To Advocate for Better Healthcare

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Lung Cancer - Early Signs

Here is a link to an important story on lung cancer. There are a number of early symptoms of which it is important to be aware - some very subtle. New guidance is that people between 50 and 80 that smoked for more than 20 years (like me) should get screening. Early detection means you may get to live.

Single Payer Insurance at the State Level

Other countries began their journey to Universal Single Payer Insurance (HR 3421) by having states try it first. To make that work states need waivers from certain federal agencies. It can be complicated to get each waiver separately so there is legislation planned to be introduced in the Senate to simplify the matter for States.

Sen. Ed Markey (D, MA) has agreed to introduce the Senate companion bill to Rep. Khanna's (D, CA) H.R. 6250 "State-Based Universal Health Care Act" (SBUHCA) as soon as next week. We need to recruit our Senators this week, with a cutoff deadline of Friday 29 March, 5pm ET, for original (pre-publication) co-sponsoring Senators to sign on. 

Quick ACTION

So, please call the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121 first thing in the morning, each morning, and urge your Senators to co-sponsor SBUHCA. Emails, portal messages, and social media posts are also powerful.

• By phone: (202) 224-3121

• By email: democracy.io

Sample Text

“ I am your constituent. My [name] is and I live in [zipcode]. I want you to give states a fair shot at Universal Single Payer Healthcare and cosponsor Senator Markey’s State Based Universal Healthcare Act, the companion bill to Representative Ro Khanna’s H. R. 6250. It makes a clear path of waivers to allow states to cover all their residents. Thank you.”

FDA Needs You

I received an email; from the General Accounting office that they had completed a report that identifies the need for more FDA inspectors. Here is a link to the report.

Here is the FDA list of available jobs - some look like a lot of fun doing important work. They each have a set of requirements and education. I checked out scientist and they wanted a bachelors in a medical/health/related science field.

I think they also have lots of intern positions. When I worked in the Aerospace industry we would hire interns, teach them the ropes, let them finish school and then offer a job. Pass it on.

Fair Drug Prices - Colorado Experiment

The US government is running up against lawsuit after lawsuit trying to negotiate Medicare’s price for 10 drugs. Meanwhile the State of Colorado has just passed a law to establish a board to review the fair price of any prescription medication sold in the state.

The state has already said 604 drugs met the first criteria to undergo an affordability review. The full list of drugs is linked from the board’s webpage, along with a list — in order — of those it has slated for priority review.

The Colorado board will spend the summer setting upper payment levels for drugs selected for price reviews. Drugmakers can then appeal.

The board plans to examine how manufacturers price — and raise prices — for drugs. For generics, the board’s director, Lila Cummings, said at a Feb. 23 meeting, the criteria could include whether the price paid by wholesalers before discounts has increased at least 200 percent in the past year and whether a 30-day supply costs more than $100. Branded drugs that cost more than $30,000 a year or whose wholesale price has increased at least 10 percent in the past year could land in the board’s sights, as could biosimilars that aren’t at least 15 percent cheaper than the brand-name biologics they’re intended to replace, Cummings said.

The five-member board, appointed by Gov. Jared Polis (D), includes two medical doctors, two pharmacists and a hospital executive. A 15-member advisory council includes patient advocates, insurers, pharmacists and representatives of drug manufacturers.

The Colorado law creating the board set out a lengthy process for any drugmaker that decides to withdraw its product from the state over the price caps. (Note that the state is also exploring importing cheaper drugs from Canada, without much success so far.)

Resources

Healthcare Advocacy (Us)

Website

Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare

Healthcare Advocacy Reading List

Find My Elected Officials

Contact the White House  https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Contact State and Federal Representatives

• By phone: (202) 224-3121

• By email: democracy.io

• https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Important Healthcare Resources

League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit

Organizations to Contact

National Nurses United Medicare4All

Physicians for a National Health Program

One Payer States

Healthcare Now

Reproductive Health

NARAL - Pro Choice America

Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion

Planned Parenthood

Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.

United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.

Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.

If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org

Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do

Appeal a Healthcare Decision

Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill

Disinformation Management

Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency

Library of Advice

Specific Advice

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

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