TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT HEALTHCARE
A free public service for a better community
A Good Day To Advocate for Better Healthcare
If there are subjects you’d like to see or improvements made, please let me know using the comment button below or email me at healthcareadvocacy1@gmail.com. Next article will be Monday November 25th.
Trump AG Appointee Is Anti ACA & Lacks Ethics
In 2018, in her capacity as Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi signed onto a lawsuit brought to the Supreme Court by over a dozen Republican-led states to overturn the ACA. The group was only partially successful, as protections for those with preexisting conditions and the general framework were allowed to remain, but the court ruled that the individual mandate was unconstitutional. The mandate had fined taxpayers who failed to purchase insurance, which was designed to encourage healthy young people into the market. The lack of mandate makes insurance far more expensive and creates a situation where there are 45 million underinsured in the U.S. (see article below0.
Donald Trump and Bondi have ties that date back over a decade to when Bondi was serving as Florida’s first female attorney general as well.
In 2013, as Bondi’s office was receiving complaints from people alleging they had been scammed by Trump’s fake University seminars, her political committee received a $25,000 donation from the Donald J Trump Foundation. You know that foundation - the one that lost its tax exempt status because Trump used it for personal expenses.
While New York pursued lawsuits related to the seminars, the Sunshine State did not. Both Trump and Bondi have denied the donation was improper or related to the charging decision. That wasn’t the only campaign-related scandal in her time in Florida.
During the 6 January investigation, meanwhile, Bondi appeared on Fox News and denounced the process as a “show trial,” while reportedly being one of a number of Trumpworld figures to offer jobs to one of the key witnesses, Cassidy Hutchinson. (Independent)
As the new government offers to take away healthcare we will have to dwell long to our legislators to make sure they have the courage to protect their constituents instead of just rolling over.
ACTION
Let’s let our senators know who Bondi is and that she is unsuitable.
To: your Senators - Just send the text message SIGN PTNEHE to Resistbot at 50409. Here is the shareable message.
“I am your constituent and I want you to know a few things about Trump’s nominee for AG, Pam Bondi. First - when she was Florida AG, she was planning to sue Trump for defrauding Floridians with his Trump University. After his Trump Foundation sent her a $25,000 contribution, she opted to not charge him.
Second, from a healthcare prospective she opposes the Affordable Care Act and sued the US government to get it cancelled. So she is OK with leaving Americans uninsured. I’m not OK with that and I strongly urge you to oppose her nomination.“
IVF Legislation Upcoming
Two House Republicans, Reps. Matt Rosendale (Mont.) and Josh Brecheen (Okla.), are asking the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees to not include provisions in the annual defense authorization bill that expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Their letter to the committee chairs and ranking members, first shared with The Hill, is an example of divisions that remain in the Republican Party amid threats to the fertility treatment. The topic came to the forefront after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, spurred by social conservatives’ belief that life begins at conception — even as President-elect Trump and the majority of vocal Republicans say they support IVF. (The Hill)
When the defense bill shows up we will take action if needed.
23% Underinsured in the U.S.
The Commonwealth Fund has just released their biennial survey of insurance coverage in the U.S. Here it is. It covers adults ages 19 to 64.
Who had insurance, who didn’t and who didn’t have enough insurance.
56% of U.S. working-age adults were insured all year with coverage adequate to ensure affordable access to care.
9 percent of adults were uninsured
12 percent had a gap in coverage over the past year
23 percent were underinsured - meaning they had coverage for a full year that didn’t provide them with affordable access to heath care
Among adults who were insured all year but underinsured, 66 percent of those had coverage through an employer, 16 percent were enrolled in Medicaid or Medicare, and 14 percent had a plan purchased in the marketplaces or the individual market.
Nearly three of five (57%) underinsured adults said they avoided getting needed health care because of its cost and 44 percent of them said they had medical or dental debt they were paying off over time.
Bottom Line
Tens of millions of Americans get health insurance that is useless. They can’t afford to use it and when they do they go into debt. 23% of us. That is 45 million people. The answer is to make health insurance available that everyone can use that to prevent serious illnesses and repair us when we are sick, without the promise of debt and bankruptcy.
I’m pretty sure our elected representatives have no idea. Let’s give them the idea.
ACTION
Let’s let our senators and members of Congress know about this deplorable situation.
To: your Senators - Just send the text message - SIGN PHHSHT to Resistbot at 50409 on your cellphone. Here is the shareable message.
“I am your constituents and a new Commonwealth Fund report details how many of us are under insured for healthcare. We have no insurance part of the year or our policies have such high deductibles that we won’t use them. The result is that illnesses progress to become very serious without attention and then the debt mounts and for so many bankruptcy is the result. It is 23% of the population from aged 19 to 64. That is about 45 million of us.
I know you want people to be as healthy as possible so I want you to address this horrible gap.
You can expand Medicaid, increase ACA subsidies, or ensure everyone has health insurance by creating a public insurance trust. Just get in gear and start protecting the people who elected you.
Here is the link to the Commonwealth Fund Report, https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/surveys/2024/nov/state-health-insurance-coverage-us-2024-biennial-survey.”
Thank you.”
Tariffs and Generic Drugs
From the “I Didn’t Think it Thorough Department”
The cost of generic drugs for many people could go up if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his promise to impose sweeping tariffs on products from China and other foreign countries, policy experts say.
During his campaign, Trump proposed blanket tariffs of 20% on all imports and tariffs of at least 60% on products coming from China.
Very few generic drugs are actually made in the U.S. About 80% are made outside the U.S. (NBC). Moreover, generics account for about 90% of all prescriptions filled, according to the Association for Accessible Medicines.
The U.S does not have the capacity to manufacture generics in place - i.e. their is no industry to protect here. We also are dealing with a shortage of several lifesaving medications, including chemotherapy drugs and IV fluids, as well as several common drugs, such as pain and ADHD medications. There are 277 drugs that are in serious short supply already.
Any kink in the system, including natural disasters, can lead to shortages. That’s what happened this year when catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene struck a facility owned by the country’s largest IV fluid manufacturer, Baxter International, in North Carolina. (NBC)
What is needed is resilience and redundancy in drug manufacture - not tariffs. (NBC)
ACTION
Before Trump and his ilk implement tariffs stock up on the drugs you need to make sure you have a ready supply for a while. This may protect you from supply chain disruptions that may make your drugs unobtainable for who knows how long.
Let your doctor know and get on it. PS if your insurance gives you a hard time try using a discount card instead to bypass the insurance company saying it is too soon for a refill.,
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
Thanks for reading Healthcare Advocacy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts