Happy 2024 - It's Time for Universal Healthcare

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Happy New Year Advocates

I wish all of you a healthy new year. With our advocacy, it will be better for many of us. If there are subjects you’d like to see or improvements made, please let me know using the comment button below.

Doctors Unionize

In the 1980’s about 75% of US doctors were self employed. Today about 75% of doctors work for large hospitals or networks as employees. These employers are good at overloading employees as they squeeze profits out of the system. Many of these doctors are not only overloaded with too many patients to see but they have too little time with their patients to provide the quality of care patients deserve. They then have to complete their work day on their own time writing up notes, completing prescriptions, and reviewing test results on their computers at home.

Here is a link to a PBS article on how doctors at Allina Health are choosing to unionize to protect themselves and their patients. If we had global budgets for hospitals and medical networks and training budgets for extra medical staff and regional control of resources that are all a part of HR 3421, the much improved Medicare for All Act, then many of the problems these doctors are having would fall by the wayside. All the extra time wasted by doctors and others on claims requests and denials, multiple medical coding systems, and a lack of access to all patient records would also be fixed.

Drug Prices Rising

Drugmakers Pfizer, Sanofi and Takeda Pharmaceutical plan to raise prices in the United States on more than 500 drugs in early January, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. Excluding different doses and formulations, more than 140 brands of drugs will have their prices raised this month, the data showed. The expected price hikes come as the pharmaceutical industry gears up for the Biden Administration to publish significantly discounted prices for 10 high-cost drugs in September. Here is a link to the Reuters article.

If we had Universal Healthcare we could negotiate for the whole country and not struggle a step at a time.

ACTION

Let’s let our lawmakers in Washington know that they can improve their constituent’s lives by enacting HR 3421 the Medicare for All Act. It will establish regional oversight to make sure that there are enough practitioners where needed, it will establish global budgets for hospitals and networks to make sure that infrastructure costs and salaries are covered and it will enable the whole country to negotiate fair drug prices for everyone. Drug companies won’t lower prices where told and then jack up the prices elsewhere to squeeze consumers. Our Senators and MOC’s contact information is in the Resources section below.

Or use RESISTBOT by texting SIGN PKWUSK to 50409 to send the email below.

“I am your constituent and I want you to know that according to Reuters, drug makers, who will have to lower the prices of a handful of drug to Medicare, are now jacking up prices on 500 drugs this month. I also want you to know that large medical networks are overloading doctors so that they are unionizing so they can provide the care they were trained to provide and not have to stay up late at night completing reports and reviewing tests.

HR 3421, the much improved Medicare For All Act, will allow for fair drug prices for all of us. It will establish regional oversight to make sure there are enough providers where needed and have global budgets for hospitals and medical networks so they don’t have to abuse patients and doctors to squeeze out every last penny from the system. It will also eliminate all the extra time and money wasted by doctors and others on claims requests and denials, multiple medical coding systems, and a lack of access to all patient records. Thank you.”

New 2024 Healthcare Laws

At least 20 states with Republican-controlled legislatures passed bans or restrictions on gender transition care for young people in 2023, and changes will go into effect on New Year’s Day in Louisiana and West Virginia.

Here is one hateful example: West Virginia lawmakers carved out exceptions to its law, including allowing minors to get treatment if they have parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two doctors. Doctors could also prescribe medical therapy if a minor is considered at risk of self-harm or suicide. Making treatment so much harder to get. Shande (you can look that up or send a comment and I’ll tell you what it means).

State legislatures have also considered bills related to abortion in the year and a half since the Supreme Court upended Roe v. Wade, but there are few new rules to start 2024.

California will legally shield its doctors when they ship abortion pills or gender-affirming medications to states that have criminalized such procedures. New Jersey pharmacists will be allowed to dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives to patients without a prescription. Law enforcement officers in Illinois will be prohibited from sharing license plate reader data with other states to protect women coming for an abortion - good thinking.

We have such a long way to go.

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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