Health Insurance Needed - Not Everyone Thinks It's A Good Idea
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A Good Day To Advocate for Better Healthcare
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Medicaid Unwinding - Consequences
When the COVID-19 pandemic was here the federal government set rules in place to allow Medicaid to easily cover more people. The maximum income level increased and the yearly renewal was waived.
Since the end of the pandemic those rules have been rolled back or unwound and millions have lost health insurance. One problem for so many of them is that 10 states refuse to expand Medicaid to those with slightly higher income levels and that even with extra discounts the ACA plans are just not affordable. As a result millions, including millions of children, lost their healthcare.
1.6 million more people lost health coverage in the first quarter of this year as states continued to cut their Medicaid rolls and unemployment ticked up, according to preliminary Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
27.1 million people in the U.S. lacked health insurance in Q1 of this year.
The percentage of uninsured people making less than the federal poverty level grew to 15.7% in the first quarter of the year, accounting for the biggest jump among income levels.
Enrollment in all public health programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, fell from 39.9% in Q4 of last year to 39.2% in early 2024.
The proportion of covered people with private health insurance stayed the same at 60.8%, though the size of the cohort with private plans sold on ACA exchanges increased slightly.
Here is a nice chart showing the US Census Bureau Small Area Health Insurance Estimates for 2022. Darker blue represents more uninsured.
Texas is home to the country's largest share of Americans under 65 without health insurance, according to new Census Bureau data, with 18.8% of residents uninsured as of 2022.
That's a big improvement over 2006, when 27.6% of Texans were uninsured —but still more than double the national average of 8.2%. (Axios)
Medicaid and Republicans
Former President Trump's presidential policy platform is conspicuously silent on Medicaid while he's pledged not to touch Medicare or Social Security.
Still, conservative groups from the Republican Study Committee to the Paragon Health Institute to the Heritage Foundation want to turn Medicaid into block grants, impose work requirements or reduce the federal share of program costs for states where coverage has been extended.
Their argument for cutting this and other programs that they increases federal deficits.
BOGUS ARGUMENT 1
What increased deficits was lowering the corporate tax rate from 30% to 15% by, oh yes, the Trump Republican Congress.
BOGUS ARGUMENT 2
When you take away healthcare people delay seeing doctors and getting treatment and when they are finally treated the costs will have skyrocketed. Since they don’t have the funds for treatment we the people are left holding the bag AND THE PRICE TO ALL OF US INCREASES.
They are just shameful.
If you want to lower spending on healthcare implement Universal Healthcare, like HR 3421, which will save a minimum of $400 billion yearly and up to $600 billion when prescriptions are negotiated. (CBO)
ACTION
Call or email your Senators and Members of Congress and Senators and let them know that there is discussion about cutting Medicaid to save money. Let them know that reinstating the corporate tax solves the problem and that by taking away healthcare they will increase costs on all of us. What really solves the problem is Universal Healthcare like HR 3421. You can reach them at this link, https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials.
Or use RESISTBOT via [Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER] or by texting SIGN PANKMK to 50409 on your cell phone to send this message.
“I am your constituent and dismayed to see that there are some in Congress eager to cut Medicaid and make sure that the poor go without health insurance. That will wind up increasing costs on all of us when they can’t pay for serious delayed treatments.
If you are worried about deficits stop giving away money and restore the corporate tax which is what put our country into this ditch in the first place. 2nd you can cut the US healthcare bill by thinking of constituents first and passing Universal Healthcare, like HR 3421, which the Congressional budget office found will save the US a minimum of $400 billion in overhead every year starting in year 1. Here is a link to their report for you to read. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56898.
Let’s try to think of constituents first.”
Lecture/Notes on Private Equity
I have delivered lectures on private equity in the healthcare industry to communities that were seeking to keep public facilities public. If you’d like my presentation or would like me to present to your group just let me know in the comment section.
Resources
Find My Elected Officials
Contact State and Federal Representatives - phone and email
Healthcare Advocacy (Us) Website
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare - Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
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
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