Medicaid: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver discusses why millions of people have been kicked off of Medicaid, why Medicaid access was difficult even before the current “unwinding”, and what would happen if fruits and vegetables could talk.
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[@zlpatriot11]

I'm 31 years old and am on Social Security and Medicaid. I work and I feel trapped as I'm not allowed to earn above a set amount per year or lose both SSI and Medicaid completely. Yet, there are so many strings attached to the point that it's a poverty trap I never wanted to be in. I want everyone to have universal healthcare.

[@scifirealism5943]

The point is to keep poor people in poverty. Look up family assistance plan under Nixon

[@moodyinformed]

It's a cycle to keep us where they need us to be economically so that "they" continue to benefit financially and also create an air of superiority and confusion on how this works so rich citizens won't vote for change.

[@tourneytike13]

Make more money and get off. If you start making less again you'll qualify again.

[@Ian_sothejokeworks]

I feel this. I worked in a comic book store at low hours for a year, and got absolutely screwed by SS. They take $176 out of the $181 they give me, to pay back what they "overpaid" me while I worked. It's insane.

[@kevinmcconnell3641]

I’m 68 in July. I’ve known since the early 1980’s that public assistance was meant to be a trap for people that receive it. At the time I was a restaurant manager. I had a woman about my age that received public assistance/welfare that I wanted to work full time, but she couldn’t because working full time for what she was being paid would be enough to kick her off public assistance, and not enough to support her and her daughter. It’s actually an easy fix, but there are a group of people that want an endemic level of systemic poor people!!

[@hulkhatepunybanner]

*I helped a relative get Medicaid. It took 6 years. They died 6 months after being told they got it. But the state never made one payment during those 6 months.* "State's rights" is a euphemism for denying citizens of rights and services.

[@RatKingofWares]

Always remember: the states right to do What exactly?

[@michellecd4722]

And then they will take your home!!

[@lilunette9319]

​@RatKingofWares States rights have always meant Rights to Enslave since the Civil War.

[@CollinMcLean]

Here is the problem with State's Rights... the people who run the States sometimes REEEEEEEALLY suck...

[@lightbulb76]

Same here. Mother took care of the elderly for 25 years, came down with cancer. I hand delivered her information to JFS repeatedly, kept denying her Medicaid saying they were missing paperwork. She died the night before her doctor signed discharge papers because she lost her insurance when she lost her job. One month later, they approved her, no additional paperwork was filed:/

[@starlilies68]

My mother has to re-enroll my younger disabled brother EVERY year for Medicaid. And they are constantly finding new ways to try to knock him off Medicaid, including stating that he needed to be working in order to qualify. Mentally disabled, unable to speak, and barely able to walk, he is completely dependent on my mother for all his care, including bathing. Medicaid refused to believe that he was disabled, regardless of the doctor's note, so one year, my mom took him to the SS office, where he proceeded to yell, knock over chairs, and cause a ruckus. It took them 10 seconds to realize he was unable to work and approved his Medicaid. Until the following year when she had to re-enroll him again. Sigh.....

[@scifirealism5943]

Because politicians want poor people to accept minimum wage jobs. And don't want disabled people to be middle class

[@nostromo7928]

Geez, I am so sorry for what your family has gone through. I can't imagine the frustration and tears this has caused. The system is so broken. I'm glad your mom did what she did to get their attention but I'm sorry that it sounds like she'll have to hit replay every year. It's so stupid. 😠

[@StrawberryJelly96]

I live in NC and I’m in college. I finally have Medicaid after NC passed an expansion. I have to have two surgeries this year and I’m so thankful they’ll be covered. My doctor said one of them could technically be pushed back a few years but I said no, I want to do it while I know for sure that I have Medicaid coverage. You never know what could happen after elections

[@user-bz9hu1kz8p]

My experience was completely different. I got it for a year since I was under 21 but I had to give up my current doctor who was handling 3 different chronic issues and pick from the list they gave me. Surprise, none of them were taking new patients. I had no doctor that was covered available when I got sick or needed testing. I even appealed and still got denied. I was also denied food stamps since my post office box wasn't considered a real address and I was in college with a meal plan. Even though that meal plan didn't cover 3 meals a day for a whole semester so I had to eat a slice of bread with peanut butter for breakfast since it was all I could afford. I'm glad they expanded it in NC to help more.

[@StrawberryJelly96]

@@user-bz9hu1kz8p that’s terrible, I’m so sorry you had to go through that

[@scifirealism5943]

I'm in NC and am a community college student. I was forced onto medicaid after NC passed an expansion. I was paying $50/month for blue Cross Blue shield, but It went up to $436 because I was automatically enrolled in Medicaid. I lost all of my old doctors, have been catching hell finding new ones. I'm thankful there is a doctor that allows me to use Medicaid because my two medicines are $739 a month. I can't afford that working minimum wage or an internship. My mom died because Medicaid was too restricted and private insurance companies refused to care for her.

[@Rebecca0010]

@@scifirealism5943 that’s so sad, I’m sorry to hear your mom went through that. I’m in community college on Medicaid because I was disabled, then working, and now disabled again while in school.

[@scifirealism5943]

@@Rebecca0010 yes. If you're not rich in this country, you have to fight for everything. And that isn't right.

[@00tree]

The fact that our society tries to justify which people are and aren’t deserving of basic health care tells me EXACTLY how much it values life.

[@mikev.2945]

It's absolutely disgraceful. When a certain someone some years ago liked to talk about "shithole countries" - the finger in a lot of instances should have been pointed right here.

[@catdogmousecheese]

You know what they say "everything has a price and everything is for sale" and of course that includes human lives.

[@00tree]

@@catdogmousecheese When you live in a society that values money more than lives, this is true.

[@richardprice5978]

i find it ironic that Alabama/southerners and english and German descend's and or there churches as arkcanza 🇺🇸 is full of historical Methodist of berlin* and or Jewish immigrants that there 1700's-1950's~ philosopher's are socialists/national-1st rather than independentlist-mindset's and life is at ( im pro baby/sentient being team and more-2A+1A-etc as i changed after seeing the aftermath math/consequences vs hand's of Adam's everything's and or some other governments failed like ussr or france or uk or Germany ) conception but the video showed a baby or womb ( by there logic she/ravin should have been covered with the 1 week after sexual activity and upto high school graduation aka 0-20yo'd ) wasn't being covered and there trying the Adam's capitalism plus rugged frontier/everybody's-4-themselves mindset sorry i was like that female senator in the clip ( she's probably likely like me as a teenager-25~ on LGBTQIA+ and working rights etc 🤦🏻‍♂ ) of healthcare and charity 🤦🏻‍♂, thankfully 30's millennial generation me isn't like that anymore and no im from Jewish/scotch/Sweden/french kirtland/SLC majority-pop community's

[@aaronsinger]

We have free health care for poor people here in California and also the rest of the west coast and Hawaii, so I guess our societies pass your test. The red state societies are the issue. (Of course you and I both know there are many societal tests such as prison conditions and education and how a society treats its old people, etc. etc. and no society totally passes those tests except maybe Norway.)

[@marastar208]

Everyone with Medicaid that I know is working. Their pay is just shit. People talk trash about those on medicaid like they are "taking advantage" of someone they are not. I barely make 15.00 an hour. Lost medicaid. I have fibermyalgia, rehumatoid arthritis, chronic asthma. Getting up and going to work everyday is something I do and some days it is very, very hard. Thank you John Oliver for bringing attention to this situation.

[@seanmoreno5694]

Man, even on a good day, I don't want to go to work. Honestly, good on you for having that level of willpower.

[@armouredashes0]

Yeah I was on medicaid while I was a kid. While I was in college PA tried to drop me because apparently I "made too much money" working at Kmart for $8/hour. Their suggestion to me was to stop working so I wouldn't have to worry about it or drastically cut my hours. They then made me submit bi weekly pay stubs as proof of income. Fast forward to when I graduated as a nurse and was actually above the income requirements they turned around and told me I couldn't voluntarily drop coverage until I submitted 6 months worth of proof ..... the system is beyond broken at best.

[@booey316]

I sympathize with you. I don't have to struggle with getting up in the morning and working like you do but as a diabetic I have quite a lot of issues which ties me to my job at this time.

[@jai-kk5uu]

Why do you having medical problems my problems?

[@yorgivon-schmourgeussborgi]

I'm self employed and pay my taxes. I use the medicaid because I am legally entitled to it. People need to stop listening to 1950's obsessed, lead poisoned republicans, and GET WHAT YOU ARE OWED. There is NOTHING wrong with using the resources you are legally entitled to.

[@dr.bshousecalls141]

In Florida I have a patient (I am a primary care doc) who could not afford to come to a doctor - but finally went to the ER with his severe abdominal pain. They ran blood work and did a CT scan. They told him that he had metastatic pancreatic cancer that has spread to his liver. He left the ER with that diagnosis. He has no money. He has no insurance. He lives in his car. I cannot even imagine how someone could deal with this even if they had money, a home, support, and access to good care with good insurance. Welcome to Florida, where I routinely advise patients to move back to the states or countries they came here from - where they had health care.

[@pushista9322]

Does it have something to do with the fact that many people in Florida generally support republicans?

[@elizabethflynr7561]

John Oliver educates or at least opens the door for folks to do more research. He’s hilarious and is keeping me out of my psychiatrist’s office during these nuts times in the US

[@kveebs10]

LOL bc who could afford to get to therapy

[@elizabethflynr7561]

@@kveebs10 and how!

[@VanRocCarMor]

When Fallon and Colbert are off the air, Oliver will still be here. This format just works. He’s easily got another decade and change.

[@tomhagen2552]

Except business daddy will keep trying to keep him off of KZbin

[@user-rl4wk1ku4t]

I hope so!

[@no_name4796]

@tomhagen2552 oof, if he wasn't such a money making machine, he would be already jobless by the amount of times he joked about his business daddy lol. But now we know he could go kick his ceo in the nuts and probably still keep the show going lol

[@evananderson1455]

Business Daddy is gonna shut this show down the day it stops being an Emmy harvesting machine. They don't like how much he goes after rich people, aka their social circles.

[@venanziadorromatagni1641]

I don’t think so. Some years ago, almost every episode garnered over 10 mio views. Now it’s regularly below 4, and for some of the more ‘overdone’ social warrior themes, it’s even below 3. (And that’s not just since the decision to delay publication by three days) The themes have also become more and more US-focused, which holds little interest for anyone outside the country. All of that is of course the show runner’s prerogative to decide, I just don’t think the format is going to benefit from it.

[@fiveangrybunnies1470]

I'm a single mother of 5. I worked my ass off to get my family out of poverty and into a home of our own. Then I got a $1 an hour raise at work. My $1 extra an hour added $160 a month to my total income, but I lost both Medicaid and food stamps. Even with going to food banks every chance I could to try to help, losing my $800 a month in food stamps really hurt us. My $160 extra a month at work wasn't going to feed us all. Losing Medicaid meant I needed to add a health insurance plan at work (and for my size family, it was about $800 a month)...... so I ended up back in poverty again. It's ridiculous. Getting that raise literally cost me everything.

[@sporkles7427]

I’m sorry to hear that. My mom can’t get a job because she has to provide full-time care to my disabled brother. My dad doesn’t have a job either. For some reason, we don’t qualify for food stamps so most of our food is donated by a church. I don’t get it

[@fiveangrybunnies1470]

@@sporkles7427 I'm sorry to hear about that 😥 That's ridiculous, you should at LEAST have some food stamps to help you. I hope things get better for you 💞

[@melodienostala1560]

I'm right there with you. Single mom of two, can't get ahead because I make 50 too much to qualify for aid but if I work less we get evicted or go hungry.

[@fiveangrybunnies1470]

@@melodienostala1560 uggghhh I'm so sorry 😥 I wish I knew how we could fix this. This isn't right.

[@joannefitzpatrick992]

Yes I'm a single mom of a 16-year-old boy, our food stamps were reduced to $24 a month. I volunteer at a food pantry when I can, but the kid can go through a loaf of bread in a day. The cost of groceries is so much right now, and honestly income eligibility needs to be more reflective of the inflation going on would the cost of living and food prices.

[@NoManClatuer-pd8ck]

Im on medicaid. I recently was reapproved for a biologic and notified via letter. When I called the special ty pharmacy they said I had a small copay "$35,000.00". That took a while to figure out. The big problem with medicaid is the fact that as long as you need expensive care you will have to remain far below the poverty line.

[@scifirealism5943]

That's the point. Republicans hate welfare because poor people don't work for slave wages if they have government benefits.

[@scifirealism5943]

My replies are gone

[@scifirealism5943]

I'm mad.

[@sfi3807]

​@@scifirealism5943ok

[@carpepoulet4943]

Thank you for making me so thankful to be Canadian, that is a much rarer sensation than it used to be, so it is nice to be reminded that we do at least one thing right.

[@steamnamebbderinvade__]

you guys only get free emergency care; going bankrupt for outpatient care is a real thing, and you guys have no government insurance for the poor.

[@Briks1313]

Is it true you might wait months to specialist ?

[@jenniferseymour38]

@@Briks1313Even with insurance where I live, we wait months to see a specialist. And then it’ll still cost us $$$$$$$

[@XatxiFly]

would you and each of your friends like to marry an American and save us lol

[@sapphireriddles6692]

​@@Briks1313you ask that like it doesn't take months in the US...

[@TheGuitarTheory]

I literally lost my Medicaid last week and wondered why. I have 3 girls, work full time taking care of my 84yr grandma, and live with Bipolar 2 and psoriatic arthritis. I’m devastated and have no idea what to do. I have an appointment at the welfare office this week so wish me luck 😞

[@1234GIRROX]

I hope they realize the mistake they've made. Would love to know how they handle ur situation. If they send you jumping through a bunch of hoops then you know they're intentionally trying to keep you from getting re-enrolled, and in that case there should be laws allows us to protect ourselves from them fucking around. Why do criminals have the right to a speedy process but a hard working citizen doesn't have the right to speedy health care services.

[@scifirealism5943]

Republicans don't like welfare because poor people won't work for slave wages if they have government benefits. Politicians want poor people to be under the boots of corporations.

[@scifirealism5943]

My replies are gone. Looks like I can't post anymore

[@Toneloke-3000]

Your state representative may help find out the issue

[@ronjames4151]

Good luck. Its disgusting that this system doesn't work better

[@Angry5704]

That thing of "We'll give you healthcare if you're deserving" sounds a lot like eugenics.

[@SinHurr]

Don't forget class warfare!

[@LightWeaver]

It is. Eugenicist ideas always ramp up during/after a pandemic.

[@dreamcanvas5321]

@@LightWeaver Probably because the white supremacists are salty: "Why didn't more of the 'undesirables' die off? *sob*" Fuck eugenics, it's one of the stupidest ideas in the history of stupid ideas.

[@sistermadrigalmorning233]

Yes, I've noticed a rise in eugenic talking points this past decade. It's sad/terrifying.

[@Angry5704]

@@sistermadrigalmorning233 It's even worse because when eugenics was popular, they had to use relatively primitive methods of doing it. Now with gene editing, it's a lot scarier.

[@bigbennybuckets3788]

I can't tell you how disappointed I was that the closing PSA didn't end with a cutaway to Stanley Tucci gently reassuring me that I could calm my rage with a nice, refreshing negroni.

[@creakinator]

My mom has Medicaid in California. We went through a Elder Care attorney to have them fill out the paperwork and get it set up. I was told this year that from now on they're just going to add the cola to it and if my mom's income is still below the limit the state will automatically renew it - no paperwork! Medicaid has been a lifesaver for my mom.

[@scottjackson8931]

My daughter has a medical condition and we signed her up for benefits when she was around 5 or 6. They told us there was a waiting list and put us on it. We got a letter a few weeks ago asking if we still wanted to be on the waiting list. She's 23.

[@saddingus7850]

sigh, thats terrible. hope shes ok, good vibes to you and your family.

[@user-hn78i8so8c]

At that point you might as well refuse to pay the hospital bill. Hope she gets better.

[@brainzrpainz6991]

That is an epic wtf

[@tday2870]

Same! Yay MedWaiver!!! 🙄

[@LightsaberGoBrrrrrr]

That’s morbidly hilarious

[@infidelheretic923]

People don't actually WANT to be sick or injured. "Inelastic demand" is a concept that economists ought to apply to the medical field.

[@JamesDecker7]

Oh, they do apply it! Why do you think PRIVATE EQUITY is snapping up and starting up hospitals and clinics?! Because you can make a LOT if you corner a market with inelastic demand…

[@utkarsh2746]

The prices you see are precisely because the demand is inelastic and the supply can just be choked off until you're paying 100k for a hospital stay.

[@h2lo704]

Economists are applying it to healthcare, only Conservative Republicans are not.

[@JOHN----DOE]

Or, more traditionally: Your money or your life. No freedom of the marketplace competition.

[@Nerobyrne]

they do. By raising prices through the roof because you can't not buy it. Well, you CAN ... if you don't enjoy living. Or you do enjoy living in agony.

[@jannea4318]

I realized decades ago that I needed to either squeeze myself much higher up on the socioeconomic ladder to a level unrealistic for me to attain, or impoverish myself far enough below the poverty line that I can reasonably avoid panic attacks every year when I recertify for Medicaid.

[@marcellrosamonda7785]

I live in Idaho and when I was pregnant I was told I made $10 too much to qualify for Medicaid. My insurance also dropped me for missing one payment so I had to go through my pregnancy without any insurance until I was shipped to Oregon for complications with my kiddo. In Oregon I qualified for Medicaid.

[@scifirealism5943]

That's evil.

[@marcellrosamonda7785]

@@scifirealism5943 thankfully when we got back to Idaho me and hubby had been out of work so long that the hospital forgave our debt!

[@MisterNightfish]

That "doctor" going "Yup, sometimes we let people sit in their own shit for a few days, ain't no big deal" was really something. How is he a real person?

[@octoscorpion2506]

My disabled son recently spent 3 weeks at UNMC, a widely acclaimed hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. When I came to bring him home he was covered in oozing abrasion wounds from rubbing against the mesh bed contraption they had him in, and had fungal rashes on both of his legs (calves and shins) from lying in his own piss for extended periods of time.

[@xandra4625]

Many doctors won't clean patients. I literally had one drop a patient on me when they pooped saying they would find someone to help. Like all they need do is hold them. Doctors who will clean patients or assist are doctors I respect. It's not beneath them. This one I wouldn't trust.

[@redjed100]

You’d think that after a decade of Oliver proving the old Upton Sinclair quote about not understanding something if your paycheck relies on you not understanding it over and over again would lead to him not even bothering to search for the full context of what was said. I guess you’d be wrong.

[@dogsbecute]

@@octoscorpion2506 you left him there for 3 weeks without any follow up? just dumped him at the hospital ? lol

[@octoscorpion2506]

@@dogsbecute No, I did not dump him off. He was transferred by ambulance from our hospital here in NW Iowa and I have transportation issues and was only able to get down there and see him once a week. So I saw him three days after he got there (week one), then a week later when he was sedated and intubated in ICU (week two), then at the end of week three when they discharged him and we picked him up. It is 90 miles away and I had to arrange for rides to get down there. I called for updates every day. I voiced my concerns repeatedly. They admitted that they were understaffed and could not take care of him.

[@mzfrankenstein]

I was struggling while working at Walmart years ago so I applied for food stamps. I had to go to an interview and was told I would be approved if I got pregnant. Essentially encouraging me to get pregnant when I couldn't afford food. This system is fucked. ETA - John really needs to do a show on Walmart's exploitation of workers and how they use these systems to help them do it. Y'all should really investigate how during Obama's first election, they had meetings emphasizing that "any politician" (Obama was running heavily pro union) who supported unions was bad and against "our" values.

[@scifirealism5943]

It's all by design

[@lundworks9901]

Absolutely corrupt people are in these positions. My work counselor was telling the single moms table to sign up for college to get the 40 hours per week "job search activities " requirements. Tuition debt, and she told them they didn't actually have to attend nor prove attendance.

[@humanperson7411]

That's what happens when evangelicals get there way

[@djdrack4681]

time for O'keefe to send ppl undercover to unmask the corruption and BS of medicaid.

[@skbwolverine]

​@scifirealism5943 Exactly! The birth of a new baby will put one more in need of assistance and keep the system going. The system is not set up for everyone to prosper. Corporations need some people to work low-wage jobs with no insurance benefits.

[@12x2richter]

As someone who's had employer coverage for years now, seeing that story about coverage getting illegally denied, it's not much better here on the private sector side. I've been fighting my insurance for as long as I can remember. Once they paid correctly, later did a "silent audit" and did added a negative balance to the account for the full payout amount, since they decided they didn't owe anything. For months having to pay up front and never getting reimbursed because they're paying themselves back. The company that provides my insurance (allegedly) is one of those Medicaid providers listed.

[@phillipthomas1379]

Just sent this vid to my wife who is at Dhs RN dealing with medicaid for our special needs daughter. Apparently they don't believe I was fired and I need to go get a school note from my old boss. Those people are CLOWNS.. oh...fun side note...IN ARKANSAS. 😂😂😂

[@marcofkosi]

I’m from Spain, this topic is beyond my comprehension, I just cannot understand how healthcare can be a privilege

[@SinHurr]

Because capitalism... and 50 years of Reagan-ite brainwashing against public services.

[@RebeccaOre]

In the US, being poor is near criminal. Being rich excuses real criminality.

[@aceous99]

rich need more excuses to steal tax payer money by denying it to the poorer ones

[@mathiaspack6887]

As a German I agree 💯

[@Dashriprock4]

In America you're on your own. It's every man for himself. This can open up massive vistas of opportunity for some or a life of misery for others. Empathy for your neighbor is at a minimum.

[@Nonsense010688]

As a "elderly" nurse in Germany, I find it ridiculous to leave someone "dirty" for a "couple of days". Even hours are insanely bad for your skin. Does that Doctor know how wounds from stuff like that look like? I hope he gets the care he wishes for others.

[@VictoriousGardenosaurus]

Any parent who let a diaper go too long has seen rashes and irritation. I can't imagine any scenario in which a person with a dozen years of education doesn't know that. Which would make their decision conscious , and against their oath.

[@Craxin01]

I took care of my elderly grandfather for several years before his passing, and I'd be totally ashamed of myself if I left him covered in his own filth for any amount of time.

[@Kamikater2]

@@VictoriousGardenosaurus With it being a public hearing and stuff I wonder if LWT couldn't have told the name of the doctor. I thinks it's a disgrace that a doctor like that is even allowed to keep his license after such a statement (obviously he isn't fit to practice). Edit: Oh i missed it they wrote it on the slide, they just didn't mention Dr Brian Morley bom Amerihealths name.

[@Cacti54321]

@@Kamikater2 Pretty sure theres another episode of last week tonight on the medical board which explains why someone like this keeps their license

[@ingridgilbert4917]

Not to mention potential UTI, it's totally negligent. I had an Uncle who died in hospice, one of those places was like that. Luckily we got him moved for his last few months.

[@socketlaunch]

My dad, who I watch Last Week Tonight with regularly, recently had a severe injury and thankfully, Medicaid is covering pretty much all of his care. Especially after seeing how bad for profit managed care organizations can be, I'm extremely grateful that our Medicaid is through a nonprofit MCO.

[@KingSumter]

I work in this area of healthcare, while I mostly work with Medicare now, the issues with Managed Care programs are the same. This video was so refreshing to see. You explained a lot of the bullshit in better ways than I could. I'm glad you're doing this so people can see just how badly managed our government healthcare systems are. While healthcare providers play a large role in the chaos, oftentimes it's not us when it comes to the insurance barriers. We deal with some of the same bullshit patients do unfortunately.

[@xxxLoyalFeliciaxxx]

I'm an attorney in NY. A huge part of my practice involves helping elderly people transfer their homes to trusts so that they can be poor on paper and qualify for medicaid. It's ridiculous that they risk losing their entire life's work for the sake of getting healthcare. Medicaid needs to be accessible to everyone. We can afford it.

[@ElizaJ42]

Thank you for the work. What happens to the houses in trust after people die? I think in CA, the worth of the house must go toward paying back Medi-Cal unless certain provisions are made? Are these laws really different from state to state?

[@rightsdontcomewithpermits7073]

If you can afford it, than pay for it. I do not want to pay for it. Hopefully you will go to prison one day, for fraud

[@sunshine3914]

@@rightsdontcomewithpermits7073Unfortunately only politicians are able to keep pace with it.

[@sunshine3914]

In a first world country, one would expect the masses to have excess to free healthcare.

[@dozzer009]

⁠@@rightsdontcomewithpermits7073 You’re already paying for the fraud these companies are performing but you’re just too filled with spite to see it. It’s almost like you enjoy paying for the cruelty of denying people the right to have affordable healthcare.

[@howiethao277]

I work at a front desk for a clinic and I tell far too many people that their Medicaid has expired. There was one time a patient vented to me that he got the paperwork for Medicaid reapplication a month after it was due and the papers were dated stating they were mailed a week after the deadline. Just to repeat myself, the state mailed the necessary paperwork after it was already due. Absolutely ridiculous.

[@ElizaJ42]

None of my Medicaid or Medicare papers ever, ever have dates OR register marks from the Post Office on them. I mean, that's crooked, and I don't like it, but I at least understand the hows and whys of the documents inside the envelopes not being dated. But no registered date from the post office? Not on any government mailing? That's just crazy. And it's consistent, for me.

[@Paranitis]

I work in a pharmacy as a clerk and when someone just gets out of jail appears, it becomes a shitshow because they get stripped of it going in, and they have to jump through a ton more hoops just to prove they were released so they can *maybe* qualify again.

[@angleinwaiting87]

🙋Kansas here. Every year, every office it's mailed after the due date. Take it in, grovel over it being late, explain we didn't get it on time, they just roll their eyes and say "yeah the mail room does that, don't worry about it." Like hell yeah I'm worried about it, what if I get a cranky worker or a newbie next time and they actually *follow the rules*?!? My whole family is then just SOL because the mail room screws up and no one cares? At least I have postmarks on mine, so I can keep the paper trail for any appeal process...

[@angleinwaiting87]

I should add: Kansas bureaucracy is a pain. But I'm from Oklahoma. THAT mess is a spitshow. My mom got kicked off a program or two when I was around ten because I "didn't exist." They said my dad should sell his clunker of a lawn mower and his like 10 foot boat (that he used to catch catfish. Which we then ate. Because we COULDNT AFFORD MEAT.) before they would give us food benefits. My husband is disabled and was on SSI. Then he started working. Now at least once a year he has to prove he's still disabled... The gap between "you qualify for assistance" and "you can survive on your own" is ridiculous.

[@lisahance]

The talking fruits and vegetables were hysterical!

[@HuskyMiller-sk5px]

And yet the reason for their appearance here is so sad.

[@zacquelinebaldwin2555]

Been on Medicaid since I was born. My doctor would change every few years. I felt like healthcare didn’t care about me. Until I got older and realized i wasnt seeing a doctor I was seeing the students. My whole life I’ve never had a doctor.

[@whiplashfilms]

As soon as I saw the 🍑 commercial I was like "oh so they made this so John Oliver could do his version at the end of his segment on their fuckery"

[@Rechtauch]

I was distracted and thought it was the joke.... it was the actual ad!!!!😂😂😂

[@spiceyhotpot]

Amber's version was awesome

[@tomasruzicka6427]

Well, when peaches will attack you, you better have Medicaid sorted 😂

[@notoyaarthur1990]

I'm getting sausage party vibes 😂 .

[@CortexNewsService]

I almost spit out my tea at the ginger root

[@brianscharlau4018]

I have lived in iowa my entire life and have spent most of my professional career providing mental health services for various companies. I can tell you for a 100% fact that no matter how bad it sounds when John talks about whats going on in Iowa.. I can tell you it is SUBSTANTIALLY WORSE. Someone please save us from this hell hole.

[@amywickliff2298]

Yup. Also in Iowa. My mother in law just died a few months ago and the medicaid repayment stuff is insane. Possibly crazier than the hoops she had to jump through to get coverage when she was alive.

[@Jaysian10]

Yup, our state is becoming a hell hole.

[@Ramonatho]

I left 7 years ago for a reason!

[@ericaharstad8870]

Sing out brother. I'm aa disabled Iowan and learning first-hand how completely wrecked the system is. It's scary.

[@SusanCourtright]

Then stop voting republicans into office that are running Iowa

[@mamagoldfish9682]

I am a single mother who deals with crippling anxiety, depression and a have a chronic illness that sometimes keeps me from working when I have flares. My son has social and emotional disabilities cause by my ex husband abusing us both for years, and while he may not be in the picture anymore it's taken years to start healing and dealing with it and I am now told I make too much money to have Medicaid and have lost it for both of us. I can't afford insurance, nor can I afford the medication, Dr. Visits, and therapy visits for us both.

[@scifirealism5943]

That's sad.

[@nikkiq5124]

Loved seeing Amber at the end!

[@athenapromachos3027]

She's fantastic! I miss her extended segments whenever there's a hiatus.

[@K-RonTheGreat]

Universal Healthcare is a must in America.

[@minuette1752]

Yep, but it is not profitable.

[@neuroticnation144]

@@minuette1752 Very true. Before we can get universal care we need to change from an “every person for themselves” mentality.

[@stefanhoimes]

​@@minuette1752in the long run, healthy people make more $ while dead and sick don't.

[@drooskeedoo3388]

Can you imagine how fucked up politicians would implement it?

[@rightsdontcomewithpermits7073]

Lol. Leech.

[@EebstertheGreat]

I like how the graphic they chose for Medicaid was a giant maze with no way to reach the goal. Really an apt metaphor for health insurance in general.

[@AlienArtSchool]

Completely agree. I was taking a hard look at the graphic and realizing how difficult it was to reach Medicaid.

[@MichaelBristow137]

Medicaid has been a godsend to me. Being able to get the medication that I really need has made a huge difference and because of that I should be able to get a job shortly.

[@thesoundofviolence630]

So glad this exists. As someone who works in the healthcare industry trying to explain this to people is infinitely frustrating until they see step by step why it's broken.

[@UnblestMATT]

My wife and I were kicked off Medicaid for making a few hundred dollars a year too much. She had a kidney stone and had to go to the ER several times, racking up thousands of dollars of debt. It made us consider all sorts of horrible things. We got lucky that after reaching out to our senators, congressman, and governor, the county finally got around to reviewing our new application and we were approved for the disability buy-in program after months and months of waiting, rationing medications and relying on the ER. I had to call dozens of times, sat on hold while at work, and got no-where until I wrote email after email to my representatives, complaining about the companies we've outsourced the bureaucracy to.

[@scifirealism5943]

That's evil

[@doolie8484]

This is spot on. I am the office manager of an orthodontic practice that accepts Medicaid. (We are the only orthodontic office in about 100 miles of us in our state who accepts Medicaid, for good reason: Medicaid's reimbursement rate is about 40 percent of the going private pay rate.) Medicaid only pays for orthodontia when there's a handicapping malocclusion. It's not cosmetic. These are kids who are going to lose their teeth over time without treatment; yet we are seeing many children who, with this "unwinding," are losing their coverage in the middle of treatment. The parents don't magically have the money to pay for orthodontic treatment just because they were determined to be ineligible, particularly given how often it's an administrative, technical reason for being dropped and not a financial one. So in many cases, we must either terminate treatment, leaving the kid with life-long bite problems when the situation is completely out of their control, or treat kids for free. We do it when we can but it's taking its toll and it isn't sustainable.

[@CrystalLynn1988]

For what it's worth, Thank you and everyone in your office for what you're doing. I'm sure you realize the important impact you're having on these children's lives. As someone who was in a similar situation I can't thank you all enough.

[@scifirealism5943]

Wow, I didn't know that.

[@scifirealism5943]

One kid died from a tooth ache.

[@ReverendTed]

Our office once enrolled in Medicaid\CHIP to help support the local foster community (since children in the foster system received care through the program) but ultimately had to terminate our participation because the administrative burden was insurmountable. We had no intention or expectation that participation would be profitable - we would have to have drastically changed our method of practice for that - but it was a nightmare trying to navigate the bureaucracy. Here's a delightful example: in one instance, an appeal was denied because we didn't include the original explanation of benefits document. We requested a copy of the original explanation of benefits document FROM THEM, which they provided, and then the appeal was denied again because the copy THEY PROVIDED was deemed of unacceptable quality because it was cropped incorrectly. To restate the madness: we didn't include a copy of a document they already had, and when they gave us a copy it wasn't good enough for them to accept in return. ARRRGH.

[@TechDeals]

Thank you for doing your best, that is a crappy situation.

[@JournoNerd312]

I think John Oliver's peach voice is Glen from SuperStore omg amazing

[@thebluewizard7153]

I so wish John Oliver's team could run a version of each episode that is safe to show in my HS classroom, safe to show my boomer relations: Either another take or just the profanity bleeped out. The content is so solid and John's presentation is engaging but the groups of people who most need to hear it probably won't because of just that. I know it's a Brit thing, but Last Week Tonight could make a bigger difference and have a bigger audience. C'mon, please?

[@diquandaniel7953]

The fact health benefits are the biggest “perks” for most jobs is crazy. My job wants to pay me less because they offer benefits… that I’d still be paying for

[@transsnack]

My job only hires people part time specifically so they don't have to offer benefits.

[@catlordenzo]

A lot of jobs don't really pay you less to offer health benefits. Usually they offer it to stay competitive and you'll pay way less than if you were to do it out of pocket (think $120/mo vs $400/mo).

[@MakoKitten]

I used to work for a certain massive retailer that rhymes with Fall Cart. :) I had to game the system to get my promised 40 hours, and worked them until they told me that I had to stop picking up shifts or they would have to hire me full time according to the law. I told them to hire me full time, since that's what they had promised to begin with. It worked, because I was one of the best people there. Shortly after that they started almost exclusively hiring people in as seasonal, working them their seasonal time (usually the maximum they could get away with and still call seasonal like 90 days) and then either firing them or hiring them on as part time which then started their official employment. Meaning after a year they would be eligible for benefits. So they were getting an extra three months without being forced to provide benefits to their employees.

[@lordfelidae4505]

​@catlordenzo bootlicker

[@torinnbalasar6774]

​@@MakoKittenmy sister had a similar problem with a certain Safe "path" grocery chain. Hired part time as a personal shopper (drive-in pickup), and they probably would have continued giving the entire department full-time plus overtime hours despite all being part-time without benefits if she hadn't warned them they were about to hit the legal threshold. She ended up quitting after 6 months because they couldn't actually provide the necessary features for the department to function, like a staging area big enough to fit all the waiting packaged orders or heating/cooling for hot/cold goods, and were pressuring everyone to meet quotas at a pace that only one of the workers in the department was physically able to work.

[@KhesedBE]

Ok can I just say how refreshing it is to see someone care about disabled people like it’s obvious?

[@moroteseoinage]

The poor and disabled shouldn’t be subsidized by the federal government. If they need help it should be up to individuals and faith based organizations.

[@thishtns]

​@@moroteseoinage there's nothing stopping them from helping right now, but a lot of people aren't getting the care they need. So I don't think that's a solution, or else we wouldn't still have a problem.

[@moroteseoinage]

@@thishtns communist programs like Medicaid are not the solution either. It is not a responsibility of the federal government under the Constitution to provide for people that are looking to game the system.

[@witch_boy]

@@moroteseoinagewhat’s it like being a completely hollow husk with no concept of bettering the world

[@davidmoore5225]

Care about them? Really what has he DONE? Have a tirade on TV? Is he joining in on a building of a ramp for an elderly woman who needs one? Because sweetheart PRIVATE construction companies do that. Regular people not making millions TALKING, fior a few hours a month, do that. Apparently I care about lots of stuff too. Because I complain using humor as well.

[@goosejail]

Louie is adorable! How could anyone think that young man doesn't deserve to be squeaky clean at all times? 😋

[@MM-yh2mi]

I’m so glad this topic is getting attention. My child has been denied Medicaid services since December. Because the state changed their database system. I’ve done everything I can do but it doesn’t matter when we are one of thousands of families being denied services.

[@user-zu5do6ri6r]

Children are a luxury, why did you have a child if you couldn't afford one? Why is it on your neighbors to provide for your kid, when you won't?

[@LauraCordes]

I feel so passionate about this issue. My daughter was born with a severe congenital heart defect and required the first of three surgeries called the Norwood procedure five days later. I flew, with the permission of my obstetrician, to another state where facilities were available, one for pregnancy and childbirth complications and an adjoining hospital for children, one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country. I was a very young mother with no meaningful financial resources, and the state paid for my trip, my accommodations at a charity home, and her birth, surgery, and my postnatal care and all of her medications and follow up care. It was all fully paid for 18 years, and she still receives full health care with her Medicaid and SSI. Thank whatever made it all possible. She is very healthy at the age of 27 thanks to this assistance. Everyone, every mother to be, every child, every human should have this help when they need it. Where are the forced birthers on this issue? Probably at a conservative church, praying for the end of social services that actually keep actual, living people alive, not giving a fork. Fork them. Health care for all. Now.

[@tammyjantzen9004]

So true! The forced birthers don't want to take care of our children at all once they're born. Makes me so angry.

[@scifirealism5943]

Yes

[@kaltaron1284]

This reminds me a bit of the "Every sperm is sacred" skit at the beginning of Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. It's not exactly the same but it feels a bit similar.

[@MrPiccoloku]

*Fuck. Also, anti-choice propaganda is bizarrely fixated on imagining far less sinister effects of for-profit healthcare than the self-evident real ones.

[@MrPiccoloku]

@@tammyjantzen9004 Those motherfuckers don't even want them to be born alive (Fatal birth defects) or at all (Miscarriages). I am very irrationally amused by OP's use of fork.

[@jasonroberts5746]

I spent years working with a government agency that interacts with Medicaid. John Oliver is spot on with this. One thing he didn't touch on is there is a significant population who have life skills issues. The forms and the instructions can be difficult for them to complete.

[@minnybri2010]

I was thinking about it with ADHD specifically--when you have an executive functioning disorder it's hard enough to remember to refill your prescription, let alone massive forms to maintain your healthcare coverage.

[@skillethead15]

Also, when fox news and conservative media talk about people defrauding medicaid, they are talking about poor people living on government assistance. They aren’t talking about guys like that doctor taking payments for dead patients. Conservatives just want to criminalize being poor.

[@LittleGrayMouse]

Yes my son is autistic and just talking to him you might just think he was plain talking because he's quite intelligent but he struggles so much with cognitive function and communication I can't imagine him making phone calls and filling out forms. That's what I'm here for because there are definitely no advocates where I live for autistic adults, it's all about getting donations using cute little children and puzzle pieces. Meanwhile the adults are labeled lazy if they don't work and left to rot.

[@kristystreicker8893]

Great point. I suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury) and I struggle with this big time.

[@SeanSmithDTD]

honestly, the medicaid program actively discriminates against people with mental and cognitive disabilities due to all the paperwork and hurdles and confusing mess it is. It's strange that there isn't a legal recourse via the Americans with Disabilities Act or other legislation. One would think there'd be a deluge of lawsuits given how bad things have gotten.

[@enby33]

My son and I are disabled and receive Medicaid. My son was kicked off once before in 2017 but he was put back on. That one lapse was terrifying as he require substantial supports, most of which even private insurance will not cover and out of pocket expenses for one support alone was roughly $52,000 a year. And that last bit about waiting for up to an hour to talk to someone HA try 3 hours after which the call just drops. It took 3 months to get through to someone! This county’s healthcare system is a sick joke. In fact, the way this country treats poor and disabled people is barbaric. I’m grateful that we have social safety nets but it’s really a “beggars can’t be choosers” situation. I’m grateful for scraps.

[@scifirealism5943]

Because many people think poor people and disabled people don't deserve healthcare.

[@Evanthebat15]

That commercial was informative, hilarious and disturbing all in one. I love John Oliver😂

[@gavo7911]

As a licensed PSS, when I heard that doctor say it’s okay for people to be “dirty” for a few days, I legit felt sick to my stomach. Incontinence for disabled people can be genuinely life-threatening, both physically and mentally. Horrific thing to say for a doctor.

[@Seigensi]

then you seem to have heard from a licensed POS. 💩

[@sachikoaichan]

That part almost had me screaming at my screen, because having a person sit in their own waste is a great way to get bedsores and UTIs.

[@emaliciously]

As a hospice RN, I'm right there with you. This guy is either cruel, out of touch or both. Beth he's never actually given personal care to one damn patient in his life.

[@brendaplunkett8659]

People can die from bed sores.

[@dianacarbonate]

I had to pause it and just sit there, angry as hell, not believing. Skin ulcerations, infections, abscesses, sepsis, septic shock, death. Yup, all good. I want that man to sit in a wheelchair "dirty" for a few days and see how he feels.

[@hellcat1988]

That "were you born" bit would have made an amazing category for an SNL jeopardy parody.

[@ronswansonsdog2833]

Yes…

[@lukekibbles]

That whole sketch was pretty funny. Writers did a fantastic job on this 1

[@Lacerated1DJ3]

Yup, me too. Dropped off medicaid/medical and left with no insurance after 40 years of working I have nothing but a broken body and bills. The joke of working until we die has become a reality with no hope.

[@user-bz9hu1kz8p]

I was let go from a job and I spent two months unemployed while searching for a new job so I applied for Medicaid to tide me over. I did finally get approved: over a year later. I'd been at my new job for almost a year by then. So much for help, SC.

[@catastrophicjones]

Stanley Tucci posing as John Oliver for an episode of LWT would be an amazing April fools day prank. And he can have "Stanley Tucci" as his guest, played by John Oliver

[@DeetotheDubs]

🎵 Tucci Gang. Tucci Gang. Tucci Gang.

[@charlesleon6114]

Sorry, when is the Stanley Tucci show with Negronis airing??

[@hardie231]

I worked in a clinic where my company would spend $42 to run a patient for lab testing. If they paid in cash, they paid just under $400 for the test. If they used medicare, we billed medicare $12500 for the test. $12460 profit on a single test, and wed run about 30 tests a day. Not only is this system broken in terms of coverage, but the overcharging of these federal programs is nothing short of gross abuse to enrich these companies and hoard wealth from the healthcare system. These companies do not make healthcare better, they leach from it and make it much much worse.

[@ErutaniaRose]

EXACTLY! It costs something to make medicine, but a basic NEED should not be used as a chance to price gouge. Especially when the US is the richest nation to ever exist in human history, and we could easily cover medical expenses if we just stopped invading the world and building bombs all the time. Our budget for the military is literally why all our social programs are bleeding us dry and can't run anything financially.

[@sophiophile]

What was the test, out of curiosity (I have a deep enough understanding of biomedical engineering, so please don't be vague). I would like to have a specific example in my arsenal when having discussions on the topic.

[@petem.3719]

Medicaid is abused even worse. Funny how the gov't is blamed for the crimes of entrepreneurs. I don't hear anyone wanting to shut down Wall St cuz of SBF.

[@Yzorixul]

​@@ErutaniaRose Your military power is the only reason the world puts up with your bullshit. The same way china producing for most of the world saves it from repercussions.

[@lija5925]

this is literally the definition of fraud and abuse, as a licensed agent for Medicare I have to take a yearly fraud, waste, and abuse prevention course and that should've been reported to the center for medicare and medicaid services, your facility was very literally breaking the law, and contributing to a major issue with the system.

[@angryagain3801]

Brilliant analysis and how he went point by point, I just hope this message reaches the masses

[@torin8871]

I applied to medicaid and had to call someone to ask why it was taking so long and just got sent from person to person to person it was like they wanted me to give up and die or something

[@whatsupcoolbrother]

The only ones “gaming the system” are these politicians and insurance companies

[@Lolly4twDasOrginal]

And companies which don't like to pay taxes, or to contribute to society at all.

[@sabiebright4554]

I firmly believe Medicaid is a very important system, but there are definitely rich people gaming the system here in North Carolina.

[@doomsdayrabbit4398]

​@@sabiebright4554Solution: raise taxes. Now the rich people are gone. Problem solved!

[@splendidcolors]

And providers who submit blatantly fraudulent claims.

[@JoyceVernell]

And healthcare providers committing fraud just to live lavish lifestyles. Fraud is a huge problem and a much bigger expense than what actually gets to citizens

[@thunderbird3694]

I was on Medicaid for several years which I was supposed to lose when I turned 65 and went on Medicare, but benefits were extended on account of the pandemic. Now that pandemic has ended, I need to get a supplement to accompany my Medicare and I am meeting with an insurance broker this afternoon. Thank goodness I live in a blue state, but UNIVERSAL Health Care is needed to fix healthcare nationwide!

[@stefanhoimes]

I'm disabled in PA and I've gotten sicker since being forced onto Medicare because most clinics won't take someone on both. I'm in a major city. I had easier access to necessary care while solely on Medicaid and was doing kinda ok for a few years despite disabilities. The system is a disgrace.

[@fmbbeachbum8163]

The only way it gets fixed is to take the for-profit motive out of healthcare, unfortunately the rich will destroy this country & the world with their greed.

[@boffo63]

Medicare is just awful.

[@ghostratsarah]

It's frustrating that people don't realize medicare is not a single payer or socialist policy.

[@roflomaozedong]

I live in europe and get free health (I pay it with my taxes as contributions, it is a collective system) and we get free insulin, to free cancer treatments etc. It is wonderful. And it cost way less when it is public and not privatized because companies takes their part. Here it is the state, a powerful organism, that negociates prices of treatments etc

[@seantlewis376]

When my brother moved from California to Oregon, my sister and I spent months helping him with transferring social benefits from one state to another. It's all straightened out now, but it took longer than it should for someone who is disabled, and needs regular care.

[@calexprenas]

Right on, John. I’ve been in many of these situations in the past and you nailed it. My autoimmune issues went haywire around the same time I was laid off from my nonprofit job. As you can imagine I didn’t have much in the way savings having been in that world for most of my life. Thankfully with medicaid (which my state expanded to people like me eventually) I was able to see the specialists I needed to see. I’m still on my journey but Medicaid has definitely been a lifeline, even with its flaws.

[@wreckitremy]

As someone who works in medicaid this is spot on. Ive been screaming about the fraud that is actually happening, and the 3rd party for profit companies, for years. They apply those same demands for making sure we are working, that they makes recipients go thru. We keep spending more time keeping the systems monitering us happy, than doing our actual work.

[@voodooladyink6869]

I worked for a non profit that was committing fraud. I refused to participate. I was illegally fired, and shortly after they were busted and shut down. THANKFULLY, the population they served was taken care of, but I don't know that it was 100%.... I'm in nowhere, Ohio, this problem is literally everywhere.

[@marieugorek5917]

"Checking people's eligibility" is an interesting way to say, "claim you sent a renewal packet which you have no record of sending, claim you sent a cancellation notice that never made it through the mail, then yank coverage two weeks into the iron infusion course for someone struggling with anemia following cancer treatment (which you INSISTED be the 8-week version not the 2-week version)."

[@marieugorek5917]

And they're right, one person should not go to work to get health care while the person next to them don't work and get health care... no one should have to work to get health care. Health care is a prerequisite to being able to work.

[@marieugorek5917]

Also. Medicaid MCOs are the devil. They have caused so much trouble here. Health coverage should never be privatized, and for-profit health care for low-income and disabled people is just evil.

[@beardiemom]

@@marieugorek5917 and a human right, just like access to clean drinking water and shel- oh wait, the US only cares about human rights when they can use them as an excuse to attack a middle-eastern country for its oil.

[@LateNightwithStudBuyers]

think about how many people's lives are supported by their job in which they get a fine life to hassle the poor and get people kicked off to "save money" from those other, lesser people, like me, who obv doesn't deserve to have healthcare because my luck rolls are terrible in this life.

[@Taylor-vz4ot]

@@marieugorek5917 do you know how much is actually taken from your taxes for healthcare? do you know that far more is taken out to pay military contractors? do you know that far more of your tax dollars go to corporate bailouts? do you know how vile of a stance it is to be so selfish over fractions of a dollar that allowing other people to suffer and even die just so you can keep that fraction of a dollar is seen as justified?

[@dad102]

God bless John Oliver. I have much experience with Medicaid. Most of it good. One time I didn't send in the paperwork they wanted because I didn't feel like it. They canceled my ass. They sent me a letter saying, "Your ass is canceled because you didn't send us the paperwork we asked for." So I sent them the paperwork. They reinstated me. My therapist said (with a dismissive hand gesture), "They think nothing of canceling you. When they want paperwork, you send them the paperwork. Then call them a few days later to make sure they got it." Matt Bruenig said it would actually be cheaper just to give everybody health care, because they spend such astronomical amounts trying to gatekeep the thing. You touched on this, but that part of the topic goes much deeper. Many, many people are employed to administer the health care system. Way more than necessary. They crave that feeling of control, you know. You know how certain elements of the gov seek to control everything. Even what women can and can't do with their own bodies.

[@user-zu5do6ri6r]

You're the one giving them the power. Get off it and earn something for yourself, then the system no longer holds the power.

[@justinshorb2897]

For sure open them! In some ways it's like those videos of "things you need to live the vanlife" but with excitement over the promise of making a kind person happier. Win win.

[@linmiller8147]

Once again, you can see why this show always wins at the Emmys. It's informative, humorous and has to be the only show that asks and answers, "What can we do?"

[@doggonemess1]

"The Unwinding" sounds like some kind of apocalyptic event. It would be used like "What did you do before The Unwinding?" and "Where were you when The Unwinding happened?"

[@legumegirl]

Funnily enough 'Unwound' is a dystopian novel where teens are used for their organs.

[@legumegirl]

Sorry the novel is actually called 'Unwind'.

[@awaredeshmukh3202]

​@@legumegirlexactly what I was thinking about! Like, were they TRYING to sound like a dystopia on PURPOSE?

[@TheRealEvilkitten3]

the unwinding sounds like some kinda apocalypse-starting ritual you'd hear about in a horror podcast lmao

[@hotpinkkt]

I FINALLY got on Medicaid this year. I was one of those in the 25% that was eligible according to Medicaid but they denied me because I turned in my paperwork 2 days late because they sent me the paperwork on the 28th of december and it was due the 1st.... I turned it in the 3rd. They give you so much paperwork and ask you the same questions over and over and want every piece of documentation multiple times and they are soooooo slow. Takes months to get on. I originally wanted to get on Obamacare and pay like $10 a month than to get on Medicaid cause it's that horrid to deal with. I even talked to a healthcare guy that helps people get on Medicaid and Medicare and he said cause they denied me due to me being late on paperwork and not that I wasn't eligible he couldn't help me, so I had to wait another year with no insurance cause of that. I'm physically disabled and see a pain clinic every month and it's soooo expensive so I legit needed insurance again. Thank god I have it now.

[@shannonjackson7163]

I've seen every episode of this show multiple times. I'm pretty sure I laughed the hardest/longest at this one. Brilliant work.

[@ethanel4222]

"Prove he was born!" chant was peak of this episode

[@RichardX1]

Especially hearing it from Gene Belcher's voice... that was more fitting than it had any right to be.

[@Lovehandels]

"was I born!?" That last bit killed me!

[@yolandag8436]

He was having an existential crisis 😂

[@Freakazoid12345]

26:57 "Son, I have something to tell you. You were never born."

[@LabMileyLab]

I died 😂

[@kristyandcowreact]

I living in CT. Out Medicaid is probably the best in the country and I feel lucky everyday for that. Most years it's automatically renewed more me, though this year, post covid emergency change I did have to update and confirm more than usual. But, it's sad all states aren't as good. I've only been denied ONCE in 4yrs for anything. It was a Med. After trying a different version of a medication, and it not working, my doctor went back to Medicaid and ask them to please cover the first medication because that's what I really needed and guess what they changed their decision they said okay and I'm not that medication and it's helping so I find husky Medicaid to be amazing. Very very lucky. Thank God!

[@CS-dg4dn]

They denied our grandchildren and denied the appeal. 4 months in and we are still waiting for the second appeal. No dental no health nothing. Couldn't put them on my policy even though I'm paying over 1700 per month

[@StraylightWintermute]

I am on medicaid in a west coast blue state. It was easy to apply, I was approved right away, and I received my information in the mail a couple of weeks later. It takes a long time to get an appointment to see a doctor, but that's the case for my friends with private insurance too because of the general state of our healthcare system. Knowing people who work at the nonprofit clinics that primarily serve medicaid and uninsured patients, there are huge dysfunctions there -- but there are huge dysfunctions in businesses that have nothing to do with the government too, especially the ones being bought up by private equity. This goes to show that states have the power to do medicaid right. They can, and we should demand it.

[@mxandrew]

me and my partner have been in a sticky financial situation but the social benefits we receive (for better or worse) have allowed us to escape abuse and build a life in safety. Hearing the situation in other states is a stark realization that other people in our situation would be stuck possibly permanently in those situations. Austerity literally kills.

[@nataliaalfonso2662]

And yet people in desperate need will vote against benefits

[@RetroGameSpacko]

I said this many times already but I cannot stress this enough: It is absolutely surreal to me to live in a country where getting sick can mean that you go bankrupt or even worse not get the medical attention you need. Just dystopian. Never in my live did I have to worry about costs when I or a loved one got sick.

[@Avrysatos]

it's 2024 and we still have people in the US that can't afford insulin and die from type 1 diabetes.

[@AdrianCarroll-fj5ce]

Oh it gets worse when you bring stuff like coercion into the mix. I was forced into mental health care for a problem that was actually related to sepsis (I literally told the doctors and nurses I was struggling with worsening symptoms that in every way looked infection related after never fully recovering from three prior Covid infections). The choice was to "volunteer" for care or get arrested for resisting and forced into the same care anyway. That and facing criminal charges after leaving, whenever that would happen. Still stuck trying to pay off $15,000 for medical care I didn't want nor need, because I later found out the actual problem by paying for tests from a third-party company. Malpractice lawyers won't even give me the time of day because I'm basically permanently broke after this, so yeah, gotta love the US. Don't look into the malpractice stuff too much, it's depressing. A lot of people ending up permanently crippled or even dead, so I was lucky in that regard.

[@esmee6308]

@@AdrianCarroll-fj5ce I'm so sorry this happened to you, it sounds extremely dystopian. Having both experienced paid healthcare and universal healthcare, it just seems there's plenty solutions as long as it's not whatever America is doing. Where I currently live, technically healthcare is paid for, everyone is required by law to have health insurance and those below a certain income get benefits to off-set the pay. There's also an insurance deductible for a lot of things with a minimum of €375.- a year, but not preventive care like GP visits or 'highly encouraged' mental healthcare. Most countries with universal healthcare look down on this, but these kind of prices isn't going to make 99.9% of the population get into trouble. Also lived in countries with universal healthcare, which is obviously great too. It's getting financed one way or the other, so anything that isn't a debt-trap I'm all for, but it do-able monthly/yearly payments with benefits or completely free and financed through taxes. America just sounds like a nightmare, especially for someone who's had some bad luck regarding her health.

[@whatelskehappen9108]

I cannot relate here all our issues, but a cancer diagnosis in 2011 cost our house, cars, savings and his job. Medical bankruptcy took it all. He died during Covid and I am now a 70 YO homeless person.

[@EATAJR]

Homeless! This is heart breaking. America needs to do better. I told my kids to live overseas!

[@Evanthebat15]

I was on Medicaid for 20 years before losing it when I moved to another state. I've got Severe Asthma that requires a nebulizer, chronic severe migraines that requires muscle relaxant and other health issues. Even though I was working full time and going to school, I couldn't afford to pay for health insurance and can't afford it now when I am only getting paid 13hr and my hours are erratic. Whenever I hear that people on Medicaid are just lazy and trying to play the system it pisses me off, why don't they try having to feed multiple mouth, have health condition and work at a job that doesn't offer a livable wage?

[@jamesalias595]

I don't call people on Medicaid lazy, I call them lucky in compared to those who make $1 too much or our seniors or even our veterans who must wait for healthcare. I think we need to replace Medicaid with Medicare, so that you have to pay co-pays like everyone else. If you are too poor you should be forced to use a VA like government run hospital and wait for care like our veterans must do.

[@dejavuman22]

I am a michigan resident. The state took away my Medicaid because I 'didnt hand in my paystubs' (they never asked for them) and they determined I made too much money (I apparently make 100 bucks too much, which is not an accurate assessmemt of my income), and I am now paying out of pocket for some of my medications, while severely rationing others I cannot afford to pay out of pocket for. I've ended up cutting my hours to requalify for Michigan insurance, and I have to wait at least a month to have enough paystubs to demonstrate my new income level. AND I will have to be constantly vigilant in handing in paperwork to them, whether they asked for it or not. I'm gonna fucking bury them in their own bureaucracy.

[@Alepfi5599]

"Being denied medical care" is a boggling sentence to hear as a European. I feel for you guys

[@authenticallysuperficial9874]

Do you really think there is enough capacity to give everyone the medical care they would like to have?

[@RebeccaOre]

There are some far poorer countries that do better than the US on providing health care. I live in one of them, have used both free public services and paid private which is affordable here compared to the US

[@roninkegawa1804]

FYI, healthcare is much. much better in the US than in Europe. And the average American is better covered than the average European.

[@silentwitch8950]

​​@@roninkegawa1804"healthcare is much better in the US than in Europe." My Brother in Christ, are you OK?

[@jkrobbie]

@@roninkegawa1804 not even close to being true.

[@alexisnicholson2441]

Iowan here! My mom worked for a company that served adults with disabilities and when the Medicaid switch happened her company essentially went bankrupt because the state/Medicaid takeover just didn't pay the bills for all the services they provided. I love this place.

[@codacreator6162]

Went bankrupt because they couldn’t make millions in profit? Bad business model.

[@eca7773]

​@@codacreator6162learn to read troll.

[@jamielynnlano]

@@eca7773they did, and so did I. If you go bankrupt from not being able to charge extra-inflated prices, you shouldn’t be in business.

[@user-hn78i8so8c]

@@eca7773 The word troll lost it's meaning a long time ago.

[@spqueue42]

I also worked for a nonprofit during the Medicaid switch in Iowa. My company was big enough that it didn't go bankrupt, but the persons-served that I worked with (my primary assignment) ended up losing the services through that nonprofit because the reimbursement for them wasn't enough to cover the cost. Mind you, I was making $10 an hour, and had to serve 3 individuals at once, alone. Previous to this, we were able to pay another staff person for a couple hours a day so that the housemate's didn't ALL have to go to a social event. Because one of them often would decline, and we can't force them, or take the other persons-served without them. While this is technically a quality of life thing (not just basic necessities), it still flies in the face of what we, as a society, should want for our citizens. Our whole mission was to involve them in the community more, and the Medicaid shift had completely eliminated this for the people I worked with.

[@rodgerbane3825]

What do you call the person that graduates last in their medical class? Doctor. Universal healthcare is a human right.

[@canadianhappyinitalytruest6556]

My mom in Canada needed to be changed for a while and it was such a relief to have Home Care come and help her until she got back on her feet. Leaving people dirty is such a loss of human dignity. (Also: Amber Ruffin AND mark McKinney together in a PSA? That’s tv I will watch!)

[@ChibiRagdoll.]

Oh no, John Oliver is talking about me 😱 NYS residents! I work with NYS medicaid, and if you've received any weird phone calls from New York state of health, I promise that's us trying to get you your renewal paperwork. If you've moved in the last four years, or someone on our end fucked up your address when you initially applied, we got it back undeliverable, and just need to confirm your address. I appreciate him saying that the workers are doing their best, and that the systems are just not up to snuff; the program we use the most is in fact from the late 70s 😭

[@thebeebyboys1751]

Staffing was never meant to cover an event like this.

[@JudyDuduks-gm4rb]

As a resident of New York, having moved from Florida, I appreciate being here and good Healthcare. I am Medicare and Medicaid.

[@animeyay4]

I'm disabled and one time I got paperwork from Medicaid stating I had a call to see if I was still eligible the NEXT morning and if I missed it I'd of probably lost my coverage. I'm so lucky it came when it did and that I felt well enough to open and go through it right away that day because if you try to call them no one answers, ever.

[@saltiestsiren]

The hold times for those calls in my state are horrible so I totally understand your relief

[@aaronsmith4806]

What’s awful is when you wait 90 minutes on hold and then they just hang up “on accident” and you have to do it again and hope they don’t do it again

[@0Clewi0]

Does the US has some time of temporal disability post operation? Because if not it's stupid, you're not going to stop being disabled.

[@roguem5]

@@0Clewi0 Oh, but what if Medicaid's appointed doctor says you aren't anymore? No, that's not a joke. Depending on your state, seeing a doctor they choose to tell them whether someone is disabled enough to be on Medicaid is a requirement of re-evaluation. Because your own doctor - who's been evaluating your health and treating you for likely years - doesn't have enough knowledge to say whether you're actually disabled. Again, not a joke.

[@splendidcolors]

@@roguem5 Yeah, they probably assume people's family doctors are just lying to get free health care for their patients so they want someone "independent" to deny the care.

[@suzanjurist2339]

As a nurse I am appalled by what that doctor said about being clean not only is it undignified it can contribute to sores and infections then it will cost more for care

[@Feverything2030]

You got Amber on. I love her comedy and delivery

[@deanakalova3063]

Ive been working since i was 14, im 52 now. Last year i had surgery on my spine snd was septic 3 times. I was admitted to the hospital 4 times. Needless to say i didn't "quit" my job. I just physically couldn't go anymore, for like a year, they had to replace me. I then lost my insurance. I have just been denied disability. I didn't know i needed a lawyer. My 401k is depleted, And its been a nightmare dealing with Medicaid. I tried calling the state phone number, hahaha... Good luck getting ahold of a living speaking human being. I had a schedules phone interview. I called, waited on hold an hour, hung up, then got a letter saying i missed the interview. 🙄🤔

[@user-zk8ed4kd2b]

I think Binder and Binder is back in biz and could help you get SSDI. SSDI requires that you haven't worked in a year, so your status of not being able to work this past year would meet that requirement. Binder and Binder does not charge you up front. They get their money when you are approved and you are given money for the time you became eligible and stopped working. You're awarded a lump sum for this time and the lawyer will take a part of this. Try calling them or other firms that specialize in SSDI. I am not affiliated with them in any way. They helped someone I know get approved. I believe they were closed for some time during The Recession, but they have reopened. DON'T GIVE UP.

[@cwtabbs1]

Tried applying for Medicaid several times in FL, and got to the phone interview. I called, and the case worker wasn't there. I left voicemails ALL WEEK and even sat on hold for hours just to be told no one else could handle an interview. I got a rejection letter because I didn't do the phone interview. And FL calls itself has places where you're supposed to be able to go speak to someone in person, called ACCESS centers. All they do is tell you to call the State from their phones. They can't actually do anything but give you applications or whatever. And FL is stingy as it is - we had a health-billing fraud governor for crying out loud. FL talks a big game about not taking federal funding, but they take grants and set up useless, inefficient "services" that help no one. For example, I have yet to see anyone actually be helped at a job center. I took my resume in to one for "resume counseling". This "counselor" told me ,y resume was fine, she couldn't help me. I really had to go see someone for this? Waste of time, money, gas... The system is designed to make people give up; the cruelty is the point.

[@sarahvnyc]

You can (and should) get a lawyer to appeal your disability. Good luck. I'm going through the same appeal process with SSDI.

[@nataliaalfonso2662]

Even with a lawyer we often get denied disability

[@rascal_rae]

Meanwhile today I couldn't fill my prescriptions because I somehow had two medicaid accounts assigned to me, each claiming the other would cover my costs? Like seriously how is that even possible

[@ghostlytavern129]

I feel you I can only get emergency 30 day refills of my Zoloft. And I’m lucky because my pharmacy is willing to work with me.

[@thebeebyboys1751]

Find out the two case numbers and request that one is closed. This is often user error, I know cause I made this error when I was mad that my kids were denied under my wife’s name so I resubmitted an app with my name.

[@trishayamada807]

That happened to me with my daughter. Twice in one month. It’s hard to think it’s not on purpose.

[@rightsdontcomewithpermits7073]

Meanwhile I have to pay for my own medication, and most of the time I don't(can't). Because I'm forced to pay for leeches like you.

[@IW3527]

Happened to me last year because an old plan from 2016 somehow ended up listed as active again.

[@LouieV6]

This makes a whole lot sense to me as someone who was never notified of being taken off Medicaid. Only this fucking country, I swear. Also, the final skit with Amber Ruffin and the peach was magnificent 😂😂😂

[@beccalwoodward]

My daughter has a terminal CHD and we've been trying to get medicaid for her for the past 8 months (since the week after she was born) with no luck. I can't work because of all the care she requires, but we can't get in home help or therapies because they're taking so long to review her case.

[@hiti6753]

The kid being fluent in Spanish out of nowhere is what really made that last bit for me!😂

[@hagen-p]

It's actually not as far-fetched. Kids pick up languages easily. If a lot of schoolmates are Spanish a kid could maybe do this. Still hilarious in the context. I just waited for the shopping trolley to add a comment, too... 🙂

[@Wildewhitley]

Wyoming literally told me to get pregnant, so I could get birth control. They also over charged for services, that the nurses couldn't even physically perform during my fathers hospice care.

[@InterestsMayVary2234]

Wait, you tried to get birth control so you would not get pregnant and they told you you couldn't have it because you weren't pregnant? That's insane.

[@scifirealism5943]

That's evil

[@notme2day]

A lot of fraud happens in medical billing. Billions are stolen every year from this practice and not everything or everyone is caught. Some of the ones caught over billing aren't even forced to pay the money back.

[@prufenful]

Medicaid is a state program. No one lives in Wyoming.

[@robertstone9988]

Girls in my town get pregnant to get government assistance. More kids equals more money. Your literally Incentivized to have as many kids and dependents you can to get the maximum assistance. The whole reason you went on assistance is because you can't feed or house your self?

[@KevinWCase]

I just got dropped at the end of March. Didn’t know till I went to the Drs and got a $6,000 bill. They claim they sent me multiple letters to let me know. I open everything and definitely didn’t get a letter from there. I just reapplied and am waiting to hear back.

[@bluecanine3374]

I made $17k in '22 and was in danger of getting kicked off Medicaid. I made $12k in '23 and STILL barely retained eligibility according to the person processing my renewal about the updated qualifications. A one bedroom apartment in the worst part of my city is around $1.2k a month with no utilities included. I have medical conditions I should be on disability for but medication makes me barely funxtional enough to work, so without medicaid I couldn't work at all. How the fuck am I supposed to live? My meds aren't cheap and if I need to replacement my medical devices I am SOL.

[@ZebulaJams]

As someone who had to take care of their grandparents because my parents passed away and have had to deal with Medicaid for the last two years... I cannot, again, I cannot stress how utterly frustrating that institution is.

[@breakingbadheisenberg9703]

Yes ! I understand! Been there done that !

[@Cheezus]

I gotta give it up to my former psychiatrist, he warned of me this change months before it was even announced. He told me to get all my stuff in order and keep an eye on it. I am glad he told me because I had to update some stuff and submit some paperwork and thankfully I still have my coverage. I never saw any ads or heard of it outside of my doctor.

[@lenafrey149]

I'm disabled and lost Medicaid because they sent me a re-verification packet that I thought was the recertification packet. And it wasn't. They never even sent me the recertification packet, they had me fill out re-verification information because I am on Medicare. It doesn't make sense to me. I'm so broken and ready to try for a full time job even though it'll literally break me (I can't walk, I can't sit for long periods of time, and my ADHD is so bad that I can't work for longer than 2 hours at a time) because getting benefits through an employer isn't going to make me cry like Medicaid has.

[@scifirealism5943]

Politicians want a supply of workers to meet the demand for dead end minimum wage jobs, so politicians restrict welfare for this exact reason.

[@giuliafelix]

I am a county caseworker in California and the MCO situation is so crazy. Their coverage is supposed to be statewide, but different counties work with their own contracted MCOs. So many doctors offices only want to see patients registered with their county's MCO. One of the counties neighboring mine uses the same MCO but it was still an issue with someone I was assisting because they were CODED within that MCO in the wrong county. Since we can't immediately transfer cases from one county to another, we continuously have to provide the information to the state ombudsman's office to help them work around this situation. That is, if they are able to reach someone who can tell them what they need to do. Oh, and also people who are newly established with Medicaid aren't established with the MCO the first month of their eligibility. There are clinics that they can go to but their options are very limited.