Healthcare Workforce Shortage, CBO & Universal Healthcare
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Immigration and Healthcare
The US has long faced health care workforce shortages, and the COVID-19 pandemic brought these challenges to crisis levels. One in five health care workers left medicine during the pandemic. The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently called the current hospital workforce shortage a “national emergency.” According to the AHA, 610,388 nurses reported an intent to leave the nursing field by 2027. Similarly, the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the United States could see a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034. These shortages tend to hit rural and medically underserved areas the hardest.
Doctors and nurses overseas would like to come here to work but it isn’t easy. A Washington Post article identified the difficulties healthcare workers overseas have in getting visas to work in the US. Thousands have applications in place but the delays in processing are massive. There are also thousands of doctors here working in hospitals on temporary visas with approved immigrant petitions and are stuck in green card backlogs. Their temporary status imposes limitations on them such as prohibiting them from taking additional shifts at other hospitals to help out with shortages.
The cost for them to come to the US is high, $2500 for a background investigation, and it can take 8 or more months to have their application reviewed. Then they face yearly immigration quotas based on their home country. The last major immigration reform in this area of law - 1960s. The government has applied extra resources trying to expedite applications to come to the US but needs hundreds more people to perform in consular reviews of the applications of these professionals.
The bi-partisan Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, S. 3211, allows the entry of nurses with approved immigrant visas and allows physicians with approved immigrant petitions to adjust their status, so that they can help our nation’s broken healthcare system meet the need and have a durable immigration status. Under the bill, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would “recapture” up to 25,000 immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 immigrant visas for physicians. USCIS would also recapture immigrant visas for the families of these medical professionals. The bill prohibits displacing American workers.
Action
Let;s let Congress know we have a healthcare emergency. There are not enough doctors and nurses to meet the needs of 330 million of us. The bipartisan S. 3211, Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act will help alleviate the problem by making visas available for 25,000 nurses and 15,000 doctors without displacing anyone. Contact info in the Resources section. Or use RESISTBOT to send this email. Text SIGN PSUHER to 50409.
“I am your constituent and I want you to know that there is a massive shortage of doctors and nurses in this country. Good news, there are doctors and nurses overseas who could come here and help, if we let them. I want you to help pass S. 3211, the bi-partisan Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act to help bring 25,000 nurses and 15,000 doctors here to help us. Thank you.”
Private Equity Ownership Of Hospitals - Patients Suffer
December 26, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a report that I found illustrative but not surprising, “Changes in Hospital Adverse Events and Patient Outcomes Associated With Private Equity Acquisition”.
The research question: How do quality of care and patient outcomes change after private equity acquisition of hospitals?
What they examined: In a difference-in-differences examination of 662 095 hospitalizations at 51 private equity–acquired hospitals and 4 160 720 hospitalizations at 259 matched control hospitals using 100% Medicare Part A claims data, private equity acquisition was associated with a 25.4% increase in hospital-acquired conditions, which was driven by falls and central line–associated bloodstream infections.
Bottom line: Private equity acquisition of hospitals, on average, was associated with increased hospital-acquired adverse events despite a likely lower-risk pool of admitted Medicare beneficiaries, suggesting poorer quality of inpatient care.
CBO Report On Universal Healthcare
I’d like to offer an article written last year by one of our readers, Ira Dember. In it he discusses Congressional Budget Office findings on how Universal Healthcare benefits business, the economy, all of us. Here is the link to his article. Please note that the CBO moved their report from the link in Mr. Dember’s report to this location. It is worth a look. Note that you can continue reading his article for free by providing your email address.
The important issues that the CBO report uncovers are that Universal Healthcare will increase disposable income by about 11.5% and increase the US economy productivity. As we’ve seen these last 2 years, when more people are working they are spending and that is the engine that drives the economy.
Extra Credit Action
I know the House of Representatives is enjoying a holiday break but I think they’d like to know that the politically neutral Congressional Budget Office thinks that Universal Healthcare is good for all Americans, businesses, and the economy overall. Their contact info is in the Resources section at the bottom of the newsletter.. Let’s send them the link to the report, ask them to please read it and then cosponsor and actively support HR 3421, the greatly improved Medicare for All Act. Here is the link - https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57637.
You can use RESISTBOT to send them the email below by texting SIGN PGRHUS to 50409.
“ I am your constituent and I want you to read a report from the Congressional Budget office on healthcare. It is called “Economic Effects of Five Illustrative Single-Payer Health Care Systems: Working Paper 2022-02”, and here is the link https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57637
They found that Universal Healthcare, like HR 3421, Medicare For All, will be better for Americans than healthcare now, will improve personal finances, will be good for businesses, and really good for the US economy. Please read it and then cosponsor and actively support HR 3421. This will benefit all of your constituents. All of them. 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
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