What We Can Learn From Snails
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A Good Day To Advocate for Better Healthcare
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ACA Fake Signups
Federal regulators have blocked two private sector enrollment websites from accessing consumer information through the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace, citing “anomalous activity.” The unusual step comes as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is under the gun to curb unauthorized enrollment and switching of Affordable Care Act plans by rogue agents. The agency received more than 200,000 complaints in the first six months of the year about such actions. (KFF)
What they did was to move people from one ACA policy to another from a different company without permission. They did it for the commissions for signups. I recall reading that can be one months premium pre-discount”, easily $1000. Of course, people will cheat when the value is so high.
If we had a National Single Payer Insurance Trust to pay healthcare bills all of this goes away. Just saying.
When For Profit Hospitals Start to Fail
The San Francisco bay area’s largest county announced plans Wednesday to buy a private hospital that had been slated for major cutbacks — a move that county officials say will preserve critical medical care for the low-income community it serves. Santa Clara County has reached a tentative agreement with HCA Healthcare, the owner of Regional Medical Center, a 250-bed hospital in East San Jose, to acquire the facility for $175 million.
HCA Healthcare, had been shutting down services. HCA closed birthing services and stroke care and the emergency department was being trimmed back. Sound familiar? Community activists rallied and lobbied for months to keep the facility open and their elected officials heard them. The county now plans to, not only restore trauma services, along with stroke and heart attack services, but also restore labor and delivery services that closed back in 2020. (ABC)
Take Action - It works!!
What Snails Can Teach Us
Scientists are finding clues for how to treat diabetes and hormone disorders in an unexpected place: a toxin from one of the most venomous animals on the planet.
A multinational research team led by University of Utah scientists has identified a component within the venom of a deadly marine cone snail, the geography cone, that mimics a human hormone called somatostatin, which regulates the levels of blood sugar and various hormones in the body. The hormone-like toxin’s specific, long-lasting effects, which help the snail hunt its prey, could also help scientists design better drugs for people with diabetes or hormone disorders, conditions that can be serious and sometimes fatal. The results are published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on August 20, 2024. (University of Utah)
The toxin is not suitable for human use but they have found components in it that make it longer lasting in the body than human hormones and more effective. Not a cure but a sign post that might lead to a cure.
Americans Want Universal Healthcare
From July 26 to 29, 2024, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,158 U.S. likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin using web panel respondents. (HJM)
Here are some of the results from those battleground states.
Do you support or oppose establishing a Medicare for All single payer healthcare system?
Support
85% of Democrats
41% of Republicans
Oppose
7% of Democrats
45% of Republicans
Do you support or oppose cutting the cost of prescription drugs in half?
Support
89% of Democrats
79% of Republicans
Oppose
8% of Democrats
13% of Republicans
Do you support or oppose eliminating all medical debt?
Support
77% of Democrats
52% of Republicans
Oppose
16% of Democrats
36% of Republicans
Let’s put this under our elected representatives noses.
ACTION
Call or email your Senators and Members of Congress and let them know that Universal Healthcare is a winning issue according to a new survey of voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. You can reach them here, https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials.
Or use RESISTBOT via [Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER] or by texting SIGN PXOJBO to 50409 on your cell phone to send this message.
“I am your constituent and I want you to know that a significant majority of voters in battleground states favor Universal Healthcare, lowering drug prices and having a system with no medical debt. Here is a link to the survey results for you and your office to review, https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2024/8/dfp-battleground-issues-crosstabs.pdf.
I expect you to take this to heart and act accordingly. HR 3421, the vastly improved Medicare for All Act covers us all cradle to grave, lowers prescription costs by negotiating all drug prices and will have no medical debt. The 2020 CBO analysis found it would save a minimum of $400 billion each and every year, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56811.
We sent you to Congress to help us. Your constituents want this and I want you to support Universal Healthcare, like HR 3421, and get it to a vote. If you want to keep getting elected listen to your constituents.”
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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