Medical Workplace Violence
A free public service for a better community
Happy Friday Advocates
I would like to encourage comments and suggestions from you if you have time. If there is a special topic you’d like to see please let me know. Please use the comment button below. We are keeping an eye on healthcare for you.
Improve Our Advocacy Skills
Healthcare Now has a training class to teach healthcare advocates to promote universal healthcare. This is a good organization and I recommend them. Here is a link to their website and a link to sign up for the training classes. Next class is Oct 19th. Sign up early because they do fill up.
OTC Preventive Care
COMMENT ON INSURANCE FOR OVER-THE-COUNTER PREVENTION (Rogan’s List)
The Biden Administration wants our input on how to ensure equitable access to over-the-counter (OTC) preventive services, including the newly approved OTC birth control pill.
The ACA covers many preventive services but not those that are over the counter and available without prescription. That includes birth control, tobacco cessation, breastfeeding supplies. The list goes on and on.
We can submit comments on requiring insurers to cover OTC preventive services by following the instructions here by 5 pm Eastern, December 4, 2023.
Let’s provide evidence or personal experiences about how insurance affects access to products, how to effectively make insurance-covered OTC services available at retailers, or the impact on health equity and economics.
Reproductive Dystopia in Poland
Poland is having its own set of political problems. Not dissimilar to the US. They have recently made abortion essentially illegal. Now scientists in Poland have published a paper where they claim to be able to detect Mifepristone in biological samples. For instance in a blood test. They claim that it was just an investigation, but there is no good reason to research that unless you are seeking to prosecute someone for having an abortion. Watch this space.
Healthcare Workers Under Attack
Here is an opinion piece by a physician, Amy Faith Ho, MD, MPH, on violence in the medical workplace. I include it here because I am so shocked to hear about this problem.
On average, two nurses are assaulted every hour in the U.S., and that's only counting one type of healthcare professional. It doesn't include the myriad of other healthcare workers that can be in harm's way: physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, technicians, social workers, chaplains, security guards, clerks, medical assistants, receptionists, sitters, home health aides, and therapists, just to name a few.
She identifies a healthcare system no longer about care as the cause of the frustration and violence.
Staffing shortages, drug shortages, prior authorization, extortionist middlemen, long wait times, high prices, rampant health disparities and inequities, feeling gouged and powerless when we are at our most vulnerable. We're all angry about the same things. We are vulnerable and held hostage by the middlemen like insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, required approvals and networks. We are limited by the bureaucracy and polarizing politicization of healthcare. PS increasing the number of guns in a hospital is not the answer, reducing the cause of the stress is. A universal single payer healthcare system answers so many of these issues and addresses the cause.
ACTION
Let’s let our representatives know that medical workplace violence is just unacceptable. There is so much they can do to make it better. Their contact info is in the resources section below.
Here is a sample text/script that can be sent by texting to 50409 SIGN PWGHWZ (RESISTBOT).
“I am your constituent and I just learned that the work environment for medical professionals in the US is not safe. Two nurses are assaulted every hour in the US.
Healthcare is the most violence prone workplace. Part of the problem is staffing shortages - FIX THAT by passing S. 1113 / HR 2350 , The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2023 it sets safe limits for the number of patients each nurse can be responsible for.
I also want you to cosponsor and support S.2840 - Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act that will enable an additional 60,000 nurses and 2000 doctors to enter the workforce.
We are all vulnerable and held hostage by the middlemen like insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, required approvals and networks that increase frustration levels and make us feel helpless and you can fix that by passing HR 3421 the improved Medicare for All Act. Thank you. Go do it.”
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 Plan
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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