Private equity vultures have come for medical practices. And yes, those practices charge more than market rates. (Sorry for ugly link, this gets you through the paywall.) #healthcare #latestagecapitalism #americanhealthcare #visiblehand #exploitation
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/10/upshot/private-equity-doctors-offices.html?unlocked_article_code=ezXzn5GZwHgc0jvLOsPAWY9VOkXAs_FFXEQ8n5ZxsaGjUxSoTKWuFvYeoTEfCnNwCCCqHtbB6KsgHMdDDfPujElOIVk5SD2DaDZwJg3vnCkI37JyTzM48SxKdaYp09oupMSilvSXx5NKByHVyjRXK5Q_cGH9DsiT5uO2P6LiqZneAXPo3C9Opk7Z9m0WBDSVtGP9BhMdzDIsJ4cHNAt44kU7s8Qho9u8VSxtaR8rMsNqoSQxu_Rl3gcQl1PraCv5wP-2QHR1_fisdNZmpVWFdl6ZWa8PBFYtrqNQ9-RXBRd54TjGBXAp-Sd7DR8ACUd8BJlzvm9RlN0PSJ2dURowkmmz1CEW8us&smid=tw-share&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

That moment when you’re so poor from post-COVID disability that you can’t afford to test and find out if you’re going on round two of COVID.

#americanhealthcare #disability

I got my second bivalent booster yesterday because I qualified - but my main insurance coverage declined it, and my secondary coverage (Medicare) is so new to me that I hadn’t finished setting it up. Fortunately, the pharmacist at #JewelOsco could still hook me up through their own program (which ends soon).

#AmericanHealthcare is a confusing clusterflock.

"America Fails the Civilization Test

The average American my age is roughly six times more likely to die in the coming year than his counterpart in Switzerland.

(...) How’s the U.S. doing on the civilization test? When graded on a curve against its peer nations, it is failing. The U.S. mortality rate is much higher, at almost every age, than that of most of Europe, Japan, and Australia. That is, compared with the citizens of these nations, American infants are less likely to turn 5, American teenagers are less likely to turn 30, and American 30-somethings are less likely to survive to retirement."

🔗: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/04/america-mortality-rate-guns-health/673799/

12ft Ladder 🔗: https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Fideas%2Farchive%2F2023%2F04%2Famerica-mortality-rate-guns-health%2F673799%2F

#USA #AmericanHealthcare #MortalityRate #USPol #USPolitics

Well this is shocking ... Not.

"Health insurance makes many kinds of hospital care more expensive

The price that a hospital charges a cash-paying patient for a procedure is often lower than the negotiated price that a commercial insurance plan would pay, a new study in Health Affairs has revealed. This finding, which is based on pricing information that hospitals have been compelled to provide under the national Hospital Price Transparency Rule, contradicts the conventional wisdom that insurers use their bargaining power to drive prices down."

#HealthInsurance #heathcare #AmericanHealthcare

Gift article 🔗: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/11/hospital-prices-health-insurance-high-costs/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWJpZCI6IjUwNTg4NzIxIiwicmVhc29uIjoiZ2lmdCIsIm5iZiI6MTY4MTE4NTYwMCwiaXNzIjoic3Vic2NyaXB0aW9ucyIsImV4cCI6MTY4MjQ4MTU5OSwiaWF0IjoxNjgxMTg1NjAwLCJqdGkiOiIyZGVjOGY4MC00ODRkLTRmNjEtYWNmMy03YzdkZDM1MjMyZDkiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vb3BpbmlvbnMvMjAyMy8wNC8xMS9ob3NwaXRhbC1wcmljZXMtaGVhbHRoLWluc3VyYW5jZS1oaWdoLWNvc3RzLyJ9.hTekxTk5_bCSKojxUY-z0Qqh7BFTa2EQzmvEkLLlwpk

Feeling fortunate today that we were able to retire at an age where we can sometimes actually do fun stuff with out day, rather than just spending our time on hold with doctor’s offices and health insurance companies. Don’t think I ever read any #SciFi about this particular dystopia we ended up living in. #AmericanHealthcare

At least the snack and drink vendos have been restocked. Drinking fountains still not working, have to refill water one restroom, the other restroom sink too small to refill tall bottles.

I focus on the little gripes to distract from the big worries.

#AmericanHealthcare #NotLovinIt

How long does it take to get care in a Canadian ER or a UK A&E for an uncomfortable but easily treatable, acute but non-life-threatening illness? Asking for a friend. #AmericanHealthcare

Found out my son reached his health insurance max payout for 2022 in December of last year. About to be hit with about $1000 of 'Surprise!' medical bills.

It's possible my insurance company tried to notify me over this and I just overlooked it. Or maybe they didn't. Who knows?

And, no, I'm not asking for money to help out. I can cover it. It just sucks that I have to. I guess I can claim it on my taxes though?

#AmericanHealthcare

AMERICANS:

https://costplusdrugs.com/

Medication sourced directly from the manufacturers, at ~10% the cost.

Prescriptions required. Limited insurance accepted. But still HELLA CHEAP otherwise.

Say what you want about Mark Cuban, but this is one of the best and most philanthropic things a billionaire has done in recent history.

#prescriptions #healthcare #AmericanHealthcare #medicine #medication #MarkCuban

We thought the pandemic would be the last
But America failed to do the task
The measures were weak
So a second peak
Will leave us with plenty to unmask

#pandemic #americanhealthcare #covid19 #pandemicpreparedness #limerick #poetry

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/22/opinion/bird-flu-pandemic-h5n1.html

#americanhealthcare

Worst. Uber. Ever.

This is out of pocket portion for JUST the ambulance portion of my little near-death experience, last week.

'Murka.

#AmericanHealthcare #Ambulance #Insurance #MedicareForAll #ThisReallySucks

Seriously, my insurance & prescription notes should be in my patient records! Two people in the same doctor scheduling office should be able to figure out what I need to do to get Cigna to approve my existing prescription!!!

#AmericanHealthcare #migraines #HealthInsurance

Me: I need to give you my new insurance so I can fill my Emgality prescription
Neurologist's office person 1: Ok we need to schedule you for an EEG first
Me: Ok that's fine
Office person 1: We'll see you in February

10 minutes later~
Neurologist's office person 2: You're scheduled for an EEG in February, but you can't come in before May
Me: is this office policy or insurance, because y'all JUST told me I need an EEG for meds
Office person 2: Let me call you back

#migraines #AmericanHealthcare

American health insurance companies are a scam by Big Ice Cream to sell more ice cream when you're upset over a prior authorization for an MRI getting rejected 4 weeks into your knee pain.

#AmericanHealthcare #CignaSucks #HealthInsurance

The #americanhealthcare system is a scam. Insurance barely covered anything from my emergency surgery. Plus, while I'm at my follow up appointment they asked if I was going to pay $200 for my last visit where it took 15 seconds to remove a stent. 😡

The #americanhealthcare system is a scam. Insurance barely covered anything from my emergency surgery. Plus, while I'm at my follow up appointment they asked if I was going to pay $200 for my last visit where it took 15 seconds to remove a stent. 😡

Is it possible to buy an IV kit and do it to myself at home? Going to the hospital is expensive and I can't afford an IV from the emergency room every time I get sick.

#americanhealthcare #diyhealthcare #diy

Is it possible to buy an IV kit and do it to myself at home? Going to the hospital is expensive and I can't afford an IV from the emergency room every time I get sick.

#americanhealthcare #diyhealthcare #diy