Health Advocacy Diabetes Hotspots & Abortion Care
News and Actions
Happy Tuesday Healthcare Advocates
Please enter requests for research using the comment button at the bottom. Remember our advocacy educates our representatives and lets them know what we want them to do for us.
Once we pass the debt crisis perhaps we will turn our representatives' attention back to Universal Healthcare.
Things I Learned on the Way to Learning Other Things
There is something in the US called the Diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says it comprises 644 counties mostly in the South where type 2 (acquired) diabetes rates are high. The map below is from the CDC website (link is here). But the kicker in the story is that medical debt is really high there.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Urban Institute, who did the study, at least 20% of people in those 644 counties have medical debt already in collection. Some of the counties have rates as high as 30%. You know what follows, high levels of bankruptcy. It turns out that wherever you have high rates of chronic conditions, high levels of medical debt in collection follows. Part of the reason for that is that patients often pay their medical bills with a credit card and those are then sent to collection for non-payment. Ok everyone all together, Universal Healthcare won’t fix high levels of Type 2 diabetes, but it will certainly keep all those people out of collection. Here is a CDC link with many good recommendations about repairing type 2 Diabetes.
Reproductive Health News
A judge in South Carolina has stayed the 6 week abortion ban in that state until the state Supreme Court can review it. Here is a link to the article. How many women are state Supreme Court Justices in South Carolina? Right, ZERO. Currently the 20 week abortion ban remains in effect. Sadly, the state only has 3 abortion clinics and they are heavily booked, of course. Here is how divided the state has become.
Republicans (spelled Taliban) wanted a ban on abortion at at conception.
The last time the Supreme Court ruled on abortion they supported the 20 week ban in support of privacy. We’ll see. Bottom line - national legislation that enshrines reproductive health and abortion care into federal law is what is needed.
Who Trusts SCOTUS - Hardly Anyone
A recent poll found that 67% of Americans DO NOT TRUST the US Supreme Court to make reproductive healthcare decisions. WOW what a shocker!!! Here’s the poll - this one done by a reputable organization, the Kaiser Family Foundation. Moreover, 60% of Americans do not want judges overturning the authority of the FDA.
You know, I am greatly disturbed by the Kacsmaryk ruling. He based his judgment to ban Mifepristone, the abortion medication, on submitted testimony only. THERE WAS NO TRIAL - NO CROSS EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES. WHAT A FRAUD!!! (IMHO)
ACTION
Let your Congressperson and Senators know you want them to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act and I want you to elevate the authority of FDA so that their decisions based on sound facts and data make available medications we all need that are safe and effective. Their judgment should not be subject to a cursory judicial review based on submitted testimony and not scientific fact.
Here is a sample text. Call or email them (see links in the references) or use RESISTBOT from your smartphone by texting SIGN PIXWBO to 50409.
I am your constituent in [zipcode] and I am not too happy with the state of healthcare for women in the US. I want you to get in gear and cosponsor and support the Women’s Health Protection Act, securing the right to abortion. I want you to pass legislation that secures the FDA approval authority and keeps it out of the hands of the courts.
References
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