Our National Health Care Situation

[zsn]

I only wish it was a surprise.

Actually there is one surprising thing - it only took about 12 years for Republicans to lose any and all remaining sense of shame and propriety. Now they run around taking credit for things they vehemently opposed (Infrastructure Act)!

[ousdahl]

Yeah, let's blame the federal government for a program that they help fund, but that states administer and have the flexibility to determine what populations and services to cover, how to deliver care, and how much to reimburse providers...

smh

Well, the federal government DOES help to fund it, right?

But, in the interest of getting along - I don’t disagree!

Just as generally as possible tho, I wish such headlines were less “Biden slow to act” and more something like, “Biden working hard toward any and every angle possible to make US healthcare a little less nightmarish”

And to be fair, I think he HAS at least, like, capped the price of insulin? What else?

I guess your reading comprehension skills are right up there with Illy's.

actually, that part you bolted was actually me asking rhetorically.

to clarify, I was asking rhetorically in a way meant to convey the idea that if the federal gummint at least controls the funding with so much of this, then how do they not have more say?

but I guess the answer to that, I guess, is...republicans.

and, never mind every other point made in that post.

[ousdahl]

As someone interested in not-Trump winning in 2024: please DO continue to make 2024 about healthcare.

Yes!

I think healthcare could be one of, if not thee, slam dunk issue for dems to score points with voters.

But, here’s the thing: I think Biden and dems need to offer something to materially improve the healthcare situation.

rather than…

- just this pub boogeymanning - “they gonna try to repeal Obamacare again!”, “they kicking poor folks off Medicaid!”, and so on. Don’t just point fingers, do something to counter!

- still hanging their hat on Obamacare, which has been controversial from the get-go. And for like 14 years in now?, ACA has been the incumbent healthcare policy, which has hardly mitigated the obscene costs and other related horrors of healthcare today.

- very narrowly prescribed measures (e.g. cap insulin), which, though good in itself, is still the band aid on a bullet wound, and may not be worth much if it’s the only healthcare talking point Biden has to offer

Are you aware that Democrats had a one vote majority in the senate from '21 - '23, and that Manchin and Sinema regularly challenged many of the things they tried to do to help the American people?

for the sake of discussion, let's just say I'm not aware.

what things did they try to do to help the American people?

Specifically related to healthcare.

[japhy]

for the sake of discussion, let's just say I'm not aware.

I think that is a given.

[Shirley]

for the sake of discussion, let's just say I'm not aware.

I think that is a given.

ftw

[Back2Lawrence]

Nothing is going to change. There is too much money involved. The GoP isn't the only side of the argument that is taking handouts/etc. to not challenge (boldly) the status quo.

The current mood of American politics also isn't conducive to any meaningful change. There are opposing sides on every issue, and rarely is anything gainful accompolished on topics that matter. It's either the Boogeyman GoP bullshit as cited by those on the left, or the snowflake karen liberals (etc.) as cited by those on the right. And each side has it's own collection of 'news' sources that are more than willing to cash advertising checks to stay in line with the agenda encouraged by those interests.

I don't have a fix, and I'm just generally jaded and realize I'm basically fucked as far as health care goes (I have a $700 plan for $12 this year through healthcare.gov, so affordable options are there). Even with that, though, it's 4-8 weeks for advancing appointments on a condition that as each appointment passes gets further and further from being 'better'. My jadedness comes in part from watching the likes of Coach Self (i'm glad he got the care he needed) getting thoroughly checked out when he complained of chest pains. I'm less than positive that most in the 'general population' would have been checked in the same manner he was, or given the type of care that he was. At the end of the day, his value is more than mine, yours, or any of our family members. This could be a completely unfair generalization to his care vs. mine, or any of yours or your loved ones, but I know when he stayed in the hospital and then his condition was reported, my first thoughts were that I would have never been given such care. It would have taken appointment after appointment to figure anything out. Because, as stated elsewhere in this thread (I think), or somewhere talking about health issues, the 'practice' of medicine.

Meh, though, it doesn't matter. It's just about money in the end. Which, unfortunately isn't something I have in excess. So, I'll take my medicine (or won't be prescribed it), and just move on until something sudden is the end, hopefully. I already survived an active heart attack of my own, somehow, with 'limited' damage to heart function. I was a lucky one in the group that goes through such things. I don't know if I've posted this, but this is what I post every year on the anniversary of my MI.

Sorry this is already a lot longer post than I normally make, but here:
Four years ago, about right now, I was driving to Denver to pick up some CONCACAF tickets at the Pepsi Center and about Ft. Lupton, started sweating and felt like I had to go to the bathroom real bad. Not too weird for me, unfortunately.
Then, about 10 min later, I was sweating profusely and my chest started to feel like it was being slowly pulled apart.
Oh man, I thought, this isn’t good. Let me get these tickets and get to a bathroom!
I head towards I25, and take the express lanes to downtown Denver. Fortunately, the lanes were open and this saved about 25 min of sitting in traffic. I rarely take the express lanes, bc lol @ the whole idea of those to begin with. But, on this day, I was happy they were there.
Man, I need to pull over and try to stretch out I thought to myself, this is awful. I call my wife. I tell her something is not right. I describe what is going on. It’s probably anxiety she says. I don’t think so, but she’s usually right (don’t tell her I said that) so I bend over in lot of Pepsi Center, walk to will call to get my tickets.
Give two people at desk my ID to retrieve tickets and ask to point me to bathroom. Go to restroom, come out, and am sweating as if water is running off me. Guy at desk asks if everything is ok, if I need an ambulance.
I tell him, I’m fine, I’m going to drive myself to hospital which is about 1.5 miles away. Thankful at this point I know my way around Denver proper better than most.
Drive to Denver Health. Called wife again and told her what’s up. Tell her I think it’s my heart. Her tone has changed to obviously worried but never gonna show it to me in the moment. She just wants to know where I’ll be. She’s awesome. Tells me to stay calm, I’ll be ok.
It takes a while (probably 10+ min) to find a parking spot in hospital covered parking lot. I’m sure I could have parked in valet with no problem at this point, but, didn’t really register that.
Park on third floor. Walk to stairs (on opposite side from where I was parked). Walk down flight of stairs. Pass one person, ask for help getting to ER. They point in direction of ER.
Get outside, man In Black scrubs walking to me. I ask for help getting to ER. He points to ER (about 30 meters away). Telling the story, people can’t believe neither of these people recognized what was going on. But I don’t blame them at all. While I do laugh at it now, I was in no way showing any outward signs of panic, and asked calmly and with a smile for help to the ER.
Get to ER. Lady behind desk asks why I’m there. I point to head and say I don’t usually sweat like I’m in the shower. My chest hurts. I think it’s my heart.
I’m immediately surrounded. A nurse in each ear asking me my symptoms. I describe. I’m in a wheelchair for 30 seconds then on a gurney.
I ask to call my wife. Of course I can. I call Nicole one more time. She’s on her way already. Don’t really remember this conversation, but I do remember calmly telling her it’s my heart and that I’m scared.
Nurses assure me I’ll be ok, that I’m in right spot, they’ll take care of me.
I wake up 2 1/2 hours later (I think) in a hospital room. Nicole is there. So are a lot of machines and hospital staff.
I just had a heart attack. I was 46. I ate like shit and didn’t exercise (for a while). I ran a marathon @ 40, but I was a long ways from that. I also had a strong family history of heart issues that I never really took time to understand the importance of.
Control what you can, try to understand what you can’t, and use those around you to help if you sense anything is wrong. They’ll help.
I’m grateful for all those around me that day. My wife, her mom, her best friend, my dad, the entire nursing staff, and of course the doctors in the room with me that cleared my arteries and gave me an opportunity to reboot.
Also thankful for the concept of Denver Health, which through the process got me on Medicaid which I qualify for because of loopholes in how my earnings look on paper. Without this, I’d have been looking at $150k+ in hospital bills. When I first saw the bills (that I was never charged for), my thought was immediately I’d rather be dead than have that burden for health care.
Four years. Things change. I’m no longer married, live in Lawrence Kansas again, and The Pepsi Center is now Ball Arena (Go Nuggets?!?!???). I don’t wish a couple of these processes on anyone. Again, control what you can and acknowledge what you can’t.

[KUTradition]

damn dude

[jhawks99]

Glad you're still around and not saddled with those bills.

[pdub]

This makes me worry about what kind of number ( $$ ) I should expect for the hospital drawing my blood every few hours, taking my vitals in between those hours, generally preventing me from sleeping at all thus making my viral infection at best the same and likely worse.

They should pay me.

[TDub]

all of this gives me u reasonable amounts of anxiety. B2Ls story particularly. I'm often in places I can't get to a hospital quickly, and my phone doesn't even work at my house unless I'm at the house and connected to wifi.

If I recognized and was able to call immediately its still ~30 min for an ambulance.

I'd probably just die in the pasture.

[KUTradition]

there are worse places to die

[pdub]

all of this gives me u reasonable amounts of anxiety. B2Ls story particularly. I'm often in places I can't get to a hospital quickly, and my phone doesn't even work at my house unless I'm at the house and connected to wifi.

If I recognized and was able to call immediately its still ~30 min for an ambulance.

I'd probably just die in the pasture.

Keep a bottle of aspirin handy if you think you might have issues with your heart.

[KUTradition]

all of this gives me u reasonable amounts of anxiety. B2Ls story particularly. I'm often in places I can't get to a hospital quickly, and my phone doesn't even work at my house unless I'm at the house and connected to wifi.

If I recognized and was able to call immediately its still ~30 min for an ambulance.

I'd probably just die in the pasture.

my folks are in a similar boat

fortunately, members of the rural fire dept. are right up the road

years ago when we were roofing a 3-story barn he fell, nearly from the top. the first responder, a member of the rural fd, was on site in like 15 minutes while it took the ambulance from Lawrence nearly an hour to arrive on scene

[ousdahl]

Shit’s scary.

When I got kicked off my parents health insurance an eternity ago, I got on Medicaid. It was by far thee best health insurance I’ve ever had. Then, got like a $.33/hour cost of living raise from my generous employer. That was enough to kick me off Medicaid.

I currently work for a small bidness that doesn’t offer employer-provided coverage. Last year, healthcare.gov hooked up a plan that was like $25 a month. Not bad! And pay no mind to that $9000 deductible.

This year, have to re-enroll, now it’s $310 a month, but “only” a $7000 deductible. My income is more than last year, but between that, and the landlords thread, and extravagant luxuries such as grocery shopping, I’m pocketing less per month.

And, sorry, but count me among those skeptical of the take that the solution to this sitch is, “vote blue no matter who”

[MICHHAWK]

the demonrats would have fixed every single problem on earth by now. if not for those pesky repubs.

[KUTradition]

they at least would have tried

[ousdahl]

I’m afraid dems, and liberalism at large, is still too pro-capital to address healthcare

[Back2Lawrence]

they at least would have tried

you are both wrong. it's just constant back and forth well yeah but your side nonsense anymore. Health care is so immense, though, everyone gets a piece of the pie.

[KUTradition]

they at least would have tried

you are both wrong. it's just constant back and forth well yeah but your side nonsense anymore. Health care is so immense, though, everyone gets a piece of the pie.

what’s the ACA if not trying to remedy the problem?

[Back2Lawrence]

I hear ya, but it's been dead for a while. It's been tainted with hate for it's entire existence, right or wrong.