End Run Around PBMs, Supreme Court to Women Drop Dead
A free public service for a better community
Happy Monday Advocates
If there are subjects you’d like to see or improvements made, please let me know using the comment button below. Videos of these newsletters appear on Youtube on this channel. Let me know what you think.
Buying Drugs in Canada
We have discussed the sorry state of the prescription drug supply chain in the US many times. Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) are responsible for operating the drug insurance portion of most commercial health insurance plans. They decide what drugs are covered (the list is the formulary), decide how much to pay the pharmacy, decide what the copy you’ll pay. They take bribes from drug manufacturers to put drugs on the formulary and then drug makers jack up the price of the drugs to cover the bribes. This can increase the price of drugs by 50% or more.
President Biden wrote an executive order to promote competition in the American economy. The order directed the FDA commissioner to "work with states and Indian tribes that propose to develop section 804 Importation Programs in accordance with the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 and the FDA's implementing regulations." Hold that thought
The state of Florida is responsible for providing healthcare to many residents via the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, and the Department of Health. That includes prescriptions.
On Friday, Jan 4, 2024, he FDA approved a plan by the state of Florida to allow direct importation to the state of drugs from Canada, many of which are expected to be at a much lower cost than the same drugs procured in the U.S. This thanks to having that executive order in place.
Florida will have to do some reporting to the FDA and relabel the drugs to meet FDA standards etc. But it seems like an easy way to save a lot of money being eaten up by PBMs.
Since we don’t have Universal Healthcare YET we are taking advantage of the lower drug prices that reflect another country's drug pricing policy rather than adopting that policy that produced the lower prices ourselves.
If we had Universal healthcare we could just negotiate the lower price ourselves.
Here is a link to a news article on this story.
ACTION
Let’s let our Member of Congress and Senators know about this. Their contact info is in the Resources section below. Or use RESISTBOT to send the email below by texting SIGN PIEPUM to 50409.
“I am your constituent and I just found out that the state of Florida can now by drugs in Canada to provide to those people who get health coverage directly from the state (Dept of Children and Families, Persons with Disabilities, Prisons etc.). They found a way around the pharmacy benefit managers using Canada’s ability to negotiate lower drug prices.
If we had Universal Healthcare we could negotiate all the drug prices for all of us and not have to go through these contortions to get drugs at a fair price.
Look, we all deserve a healthcare system that works for all of us at a fair price. That’s why I am asking you to please do all you can to make that happen. Support and pass HR 3421, the greatly improved Medicare for All Act so we can all have healthcare at a fair price. Thank you.”
SCOTUS & Abortion - You Can Suffer While We Think About It
The Supreme Court on Friday, Jan 5th, 2024, agreed to let Idaho enforce its near-total ban on abortion in certain emergency medical situations while legal proceedings continue and said it will take up the dispute involving whether the Biden administration can require under federal law hospitals in states that ban abortion to perform the procedure on pregnant patients whose lives are at risk.
The question raised in the case is whether that law, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, preempts state laws restricting access to abortion. The dispute, between the Biden administration and the state of Idaho, is one of several involving abortion that has arisen following the Supreme Court's landmark decision unwinding the constitutional right to abortion.
The Supreme Court said in a brief order that it would put on hold a lower court ruling that blocked Idaho from enforcing its abortion ban in certain medical emergencies until it issues a decision in the case. Arguments will be heard in its April session.
Let’s be clear - this is let’s stand ban on emergency room treatment of women who are in an emergency condition and can die or lose fertility. But they will think about it later.
EXTRA CREDIT ACTION
The way to fix this is to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to make abortion legal in ALL our states.
Text SIGN PJYRRH to 50409 to send the email below to your Member of Congress and Senators the email below. If you want to call or send your own, their contact info is in the Resources section below.
“I am your constituent and I just learned that the Supreme Court let stand the Iowa law that that allows hospital emergency rooms to refuse emergency room abortions to save a woman’s life. I need you to support and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act NOW restoring a woman’s freedom and autonomy. You can save lives instead of letting women suffer and die needlessly. Get it done - LIVES ARE IN THE BALANCE. Thank you.”
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
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
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
Thanks for reading Healthcare Advocacy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts
Why would I send an email to MAGAt representatives who absolutely don’t care about women’s health issues? Seriously--what would be the purpose of sending mail to Christi-fascists just to give them the satisfaction of blowing me off? It would only boost their power-hungry, arrogant egos. They are bought and paid for by Ricketts, Pede and Koch money; they represent Christo fascist billionaires and idiots who worship tRump, P1135809.