Medicaid: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

[@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.

[@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.

[@T.R.75]

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

[@brainzrpainz6991]

That is an epic wtf

[@tday2870]

Same! Yay MedWaiver!!! 🙄

[@LightsaberGoBrrrrrr]

That’s morbidly hilarious

[@ronswansonsdog2833]

Unbelievable. As a side note, and I hope you take this the right way: your post was perfectly written with a decidedly Oliverian twist… 👏

[@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

[@Virgil-e8l]

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.

[@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?

[@pandugeet]

And all those retirees still end up in the swamp just for some sunshine and low taxes

[@scifirealism5943]

Wow

[@MorganChaos]

I'm from Florida and I could not be more grateful to be a permanent resident of Canada now. There's so much I love and miss about Florida, it's so beautiful it makes my heart hurt to think about it, but there was just no way for me to make a life there without healthcare. I have severe ADHD that made it impossible for me to get an education or hold down a job for very long without meds, both of which I've accomplished in the last year and a half of having healthcare in Canada. Thank you for giving the best care you can and having empathy for those of us left behind.

[@NikkiBudders]

@@MorganChaos OHIP is a bloody miracle of a system that I'm genuinely shocked the US doesn't have an equivalent for. It covers all the medications I need to be a productive member of society including my ADHD meds, and my arthritis medication. The idea that in the states you need to buy insulin for example out of pocket for your child is absolutely insane. A diabetic child WILL DIE if they don't get it, but it's just up to the parents to afford the insane price gouging big pharma companies are doing for it. The complete lack of human empathy is disturbing.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. 😠

[@humanvideosponge4529]

Let me guess. You live in a red state?

[@raudiJesus]

@@humanvideosponge4529 is a bad actor used to sew distrust and hatred.

[@betsyjohnson9699]

@@raudiJesus so you live in a red state?

[@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!!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@LyndseyPeele]

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]

@@LyndseyPeele 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.

[@CreativeArtandEnergy]

@@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]

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

[@Pomegranatek]

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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@scifirealism5943]

@@andrewpeters5145 okay

[@scifirealism5943]

@@andrewpeters5145 state policy.

[@scifirealism5943]

​@@andrewpeters5145it is the whole state, yes.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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

[@00tree]

@@aaronsinger I get that no society is perfect, but the fact that we are the only industrialized nation that doesn't make sure EVERYONE has health care is total BS. The ruling class does not value the lives of those they see as beneath them enough to make sure they don't die from basic illnesses. They care more about having a few more cents in their bank accounts.

[@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?"

[@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."

[@LaurenNooch]

I died 😂

[@yurabeech5268]

I am so grateful that I was fortunate enough to be born in Canada. Universal coverage is the best thing Canada ever did. And now that prescription medication and dental services are covered for the elderly and children under 25 it's even better. Yes, I am so incredibly blessed to be Canadian. 🇨🇦

[@scifirealism5943]

I'm crying.

[@karlbassett8485]

Yep, in the UK the only thing we usually pay for is a standard prescription charge of £10 (except Scotland. There's no charge.) And if you are a child, over 60, are pregnant, have diabetes, are unemployed or on benefits you don't pay anything.

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@Stoned_Silly]

I just lost my Medicaid here in Alabama last week...Im fighting like hell to get disability. I have BPD, MDD,OCD, Hypertension, and this is just the tip of the iceberg of my health struggles! I won't be eligible for it again until i get my disability, which could be YEARS...going to get a part time job and hope for the best...I worry as my OCD isnt about washing hands or anything, but rather random homicidal thoughts i have. They get REALLY bad in public. Its something thst started as a young child. I tell doctors about it and most of them just overlook it....I tell them one day i might be on the news and on that day youll wish you'd habe done more!

[@bobbiwib]

I’m so sorry, I suspect I’ve got OCD (I waved my mother off the other week but stopped before she turned the corner because I saw the Postman, and I was 100% certain she would die as a result, lol) but it wasn’t easy for me to get my autism diagnosis so I’m terrified of pushing for an OCD diagnosis or meds in case they take that away. BPD sounds like a son of a bitch too - you’re already traumatised and then they second guess everything you say because they assume you’re lying about something really basic like a topical cream 🥱 Hope things have improved for you or do improve. Well done for fighting for what you deserve ❤

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@Onigirli]

@@scifirealism5943 Respectfully, put a sock in it. You keep piling on messages as if you're texting someone. Of course at some point they'll just be mass deleted.

[@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.

[@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??

[@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.

[@davidjairala69]

John had no idea how well that secret service joke was about to age

[@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

[@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.

[@RecoveryHacker]

This gets so much deeper. Many of those managing organizations can and do cover mistakes by threatening the patient with loss of coverage. If the patient doesn't fall into line there are always "clerical errors" that can put them into a hellish limbo.

[@President_Mario]

Same with providers. I treatment planned 5 crowns on a 12 year old that needed them. Yes, before anyone thinks I'm over treating, she previously had 5 root canals done somewhere else that all had new big cavities and the crowns were absolutely needed. We did everything necessary before hand including submitting a pre authorization to Medicaid and got the go ahead. Well we prepped them and then Medicaid denied the claim because she wasn't 13 yet EVEN THOUGH THEY ALREADY PREVIOUSLY APPROVED THEM. I was just trying to do honest work for this girl, we eventually were forced to just drop Medicaid all together.

[@BrandonThomas-qw4vz]

“Yeah I’m kinda struggling for words too” when you said that, it looked like you were having an emotional reaction, holding back tears? Very touching, seriously!

[@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

[@TwoKeysStudio]

Having experience with Medicaid in Georgia when we fostered/adopted, this is so accurate of what we went through. The person handling our children's account never responded to email, her voicemail was full and not accepting messages. In her message it said to contact her supervisor if you didn't hear back in 48 hours. Her supervisor's voicemail wasn't even set up and she too never responded to emails. We finally put in a complaint through Governor Kemp's office to get the issue resolved. The issue was that they accepted one child, but not the other. They both had the same biological mother and father and they were only one year apart. Now that we have adopted them, they are on our private insurance and that has been even a bigger mess. Basically they both need the same services and we keep hitting brick walls when trying to get them the service that they need. Our healthcare here in the US is only good for those that need immunizations or simply don't use it.

[@butterfish-g9f]

It's also good if you have a shit ton of money. It's mostly rich people that have these "best medical care in the world" experiences.

[@JootjeJ]

In my country you don't even need to rely on your (universal} health insurance for immunisation. That's simply part of the national vaccination program.

[@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.

[@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

[@WilliamJohnson-le7zd]

If you love working with the government, please apply

[@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.

[@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?

[@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.

[@jamieism]

@@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.

[@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.

[@OctEddie]

And sometimes it’s intentional to not pay the bills. Drive them to bankruptcy then offer to buy them out.

[@thesoundofviolencepodcast]

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.

[@condiff33]

“The chaos of the unwinding” feels like a phrase uttered during an apocalypse!

[@doomsdayrabbit4398]

Today is doomsday after all.

[@fairywingsonroses]

There is literally a book series called "unwind," and yes, they are referring to unwinding people.

[@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.

[@jirris]

I work in a government office that administers Medicaid benefits in my state. I get frustrated with our systems sometimes, but after seeing this I am also profoundly depressed upon learning how bad it is in other states.

[@Steven-mn3kd]

What state are you in if I may ask? It's still ultra frustrating for me but it's been night and day difference from living in an ultra red state to a very blue one.

[@autoimmunitycurse]

If it's Texas, you are killing Type 1 Diabetics like me and leaving kids orphaned.

[@jirris]

@@Steven-mn3kd I can't say due to privacy reasons, but it is a state that does see the worth in welfare programs. I've seen a handful of clients who suddenly lost coverage, but it's very much the exception. Seeing stuff like the incidents covered in the video is just awful; people who are on my line of work by and large get into it out of a desire to help people and we end up struggling a lot against broken and sabotaged systems to help clients.

[@Steven-mn3kd]

@@jirris thank you for the job you do. For me it's been great where I'm at now. Just glad my family got me to move. Finally getting dental work that other places said I didn't need and so on.

[@scifirealism5943]

Evil

[@Flemrora]

As a Canadian it is horrifying being reminded that even basic healthcare processes are handled this way in the states. As a *disabled* Canadian, the means testing aspect is extremely relatable. For anyone who has never had to trust in one of these programs to survive, the process of filling out the piles of monthly and yearly forms, is itself more work than multiple jobs I worked when I was younger, without even getting into the anxiety of the eternal awareness that a pen stroke from a politician could functionally end your life.

[@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 !

[@scifirealism5943]

Yep

[@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.

[@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.

[@butterfish-g9f]

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]

@@butterfish-g9f 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!

[@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.

[@scifirealism5943]

That's messed up.

[@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.

[@BlakeMcCringleberry]

I sometimes turn some KZbin on before bed and watch something until I fall asleep. I'm glad I watched this one in the middle of the day, because I'm certain this video would cause nightmares.

[@snoobins4623]

I'm troubled by hearing him say soccer.

[@MRblazedBEANS]

I finallt got on medicade and was able to finally get heart surgery. I has SVT for 28 years it caused alot of pain and suffeing, made me miss events as a kids, sleep over, then when o got older i had to miss work all the time being in the hospital. I finally got an ablation on my heart and i havent had SVT since. Its such a blessing not having it anymore.

[@victoriamassey9830]

I have that..

[@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.

[@scifirealism5943]

Beautiful to hear

[@lindajallen3805]

In Alabama when the bill expired they kicked everyone off Medicaid and made everyone reapply. It was a total mess and it just cost me two months of medication but who's counting?

[@tampaterry1245]

What? Another red state being poorly managed

[@dogsbecute]

@@tampaterry1245 they spend more money robbing the people than they actually make back.

[@always_markb]

not me

[@lindajallen3805]

@@always_markb you didn't have to reapply last May? They told me every one has to reapply

[@keepnreal7835]

Maybe Alabama folks should stop voting for ReThuglicans that are making these laws!!

[@christineherrmann205]

I'm underemployed and caring for my mom. Having moved from state to state in my earlier years, and divorced, I've always been grateful that New York state has been good about my Medicaid eligibility when I moved back to care foe my parents. I'm 53 now; I doubt I'm going to end up with a full time job again before I retire, unless my mom passes away soon. But without Medicaid, I'd be in a real bind, and I'm glad i can keep working part-time and still qualify.

[@PalominoMule]

Likewise blessed to have a really good experience with Medicaid in NYS, but it's haunting to know how awful it is for so many people.

[@JudyDuduks-gm4rb]

I am so fortunate to also be in New York, with Medicaid and Medicare. I moved from Florida, which is a nightmare.

[@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.

[@gabrielle116104]

I live in Massachusetts and work for a small contractor (just 4 employees) so she doesn’t have to offer health care. Since I don’t get it through work I am able to get it through the state for me and both my kids (14, 23).I’m so thankful my state offers this

[@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

[@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... 🙂

[@MrHobbes1950]

My granddaughter was terminated from Medicaid in Tennessee. Thank you Jon, for your advocacy for human rights and dignity.

[@rightsdontcomewithpermits7073]

It is not a right! How is it right to take from hard working people like me that have no insurance and to give it to others? Robbing Pitter to pay Pal.

[@julietardos5044]

@@rightsdontcomewithpermits7073 Rich people do it all the time. Go whine at them. Also, learn to spell.

[@scifirealism5943]

​@@julietardos5044exactly

[@MrHobbes1950]

@@rightsdontcomewithpermits7073 so you believe, that it’s okay, to let people die,because they are poor and can’t afford health insurance? You need to remove yourself,from your orange bubble.

[@goodtroublemaker143]

In Montana, the hospitals and dentists and nursing homes are sending the Medicaid claims by certified mail because the Medicaid office seems to have mistaken their shredder for an inbox.

[@marginis]

I know this isn't about medicaid specifically, but to remind everyone how important it is: I was sick for 3 days a couple months ago. I had to miss work, and I was required to have a doctor's note to return to work. I figured it would be cheapest and easiest to do a virtual visit with my primary care physician is. I didn't get any actual care from the visit, but after a 15 minute zoom call I had my doctor's note. It was only after that I found a bill for close to $400 for that 15 minute zoom call, because the clinic hadn't seen me in over 2 years and they wouldn't take my insurance. That $400 and 3 days of missed work means that I missed rent, and owed $100 in late fees, on top of overdraft fees that happened because of it. Those fees in turn mean I missed more bill payments and incurred more fees. I'm hoping to be caught up in another month if I can avoid any other unexpected costs. I mean, $400 for a 15 minute zoom call would be bad even if it did provide any useful info at all, but with the state of everything else it has a disproportionate effect on people who live paycheck to paycheck like me. Now imagine that for all these people losing medicaid and imagine it a thousand times worse. American healthcare is broken.

[@4ryan42]

Americn Healthcare isn't broken at all. It is doing exactly what it's intended to do. Generate profit.

[@adde9506]

I worked in an ER a few years ago and swore up and down that we needed a desk in the lobby to write free, no visit doctor's notes. It's a huge burden on the system and they aren't leaving without one, might as well just skip all the unnecessary determination of people being well now, especially considering how many just go to work sick. Also, your child's school should be able to write you a note of they send your child home sick.

[@marginis]

@@adde9506 At a certain point, I knew I was recovering. I even knew it was something viral, and I knew from who and where I picked it up. But my employer required I have a doctor's note to return to work, as if they didn't just ask me to go into work while still sick, the previous day. A free doctor's note desk, or even a way to get that through my clinic's app would be great. At this cost, if I'm required to have another doctor's note I'm forging it.

[@ImTopin]

My girlfriend has medicaid and gets disability income via social security. Just this week, she had a cracked crown on one of her teeth that was causing pain to her tongue brushing past it. Since we moved in together, I spent all of this last Tuesday looking for a dentist who'd take her insurance. The four I tried wouldn't due to them not being HMO providers. Fed up, I tried her old dentist from before we moved in together and they Stopped taking her insurance as of last year. I went into her insurance's website and found that the only dentists within a 50 mile radius who'd take her insurance was the IU school of Dentistry. Absolutely nowhere else would take her Medicaid. I had to pay out of pocket to get her tooth extracted because there was no other viable option.

[@IW3527]

I can't even move in with my boyfriend of 7 years because the "household income" would immediately have my benefits cut. I have ssi and medicaid due to a federal disability ruling but not enough work credits for SSDI. though.

[@LoveStallion]

17:10 "From first steps to 12 steps" is absolutely brilliant.

[@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!)

[@bjmccann1]

I live in Louisiana, and I'm often appalled at the lack of compassion for the less fortunate. The people who espouse these views never seem to realize that they might one day be subject to these austerity measures.

[@scifirealism5943]

It's called just-world fallacy and Calvinism

[@bjmccann1]

@scifirealism5943 Yup. Many of the people who claim to be good Christians are the same ones who are so adamantly against extending school lunches through the summer. I seriously doubt that Christ would say that children who rely on school lunch should go hungry during the three month summer vacation.

[@scifirealism5943]

@@bjmccann1 people are too blinded by their hatred for those they deem unworthy to realize that God would never accept their hatred in heaven.

[@Sk8L0ve]

Reminds me of my uncle who was working for a big company in nyc and was then fired, and unemployed for two years. He constantly trashed people on Medicaid or food stamps. He then became poor himself and shut the hell up lol

[@hbt739]

Especially because in louisiana 19% are living in poverty and is the second porest state. I never get why these people vote republican. Maybe u can tell me why u vote again and again for sb under which everything objectively speaking is the second worst. It is not even about their rethoric or sth like it whoch gets me. It is the idea that u go down one road everything suck and u stay on it

[@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

[@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?

[@LyndseyPeele]

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.

[@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

[@ShadowGalactica]

I've been on and off Medicaid repeatedly while working the same job. Got married and got kicked off. Got pregnant and put back on. Child turned one and got kicked off. Husband took a lower paying job with fewer hours and now we're both on. The most infuriating part was them refusing to cover anything because they assumed we still had the insurance thru Access Health in addition to the Medicaid. And if you called the billing department of any hospital, you'd get the answering machine and never hear back. They also assume that newborns come with pre-existing insurance cards and won't cover them until it arrives and you have it physically in your hand at time of service.

[@4RILDIGITAL]

It's truly astounding how much administrative inefficiency is causing harm to folks who rely heavily on Medicaid. The system needs a thoughtful overhaul for the benefit of people's wellbeing.

[@SWCMooth]

I was adjusted by Medicaid. I'm a disabled adult, i had worked up and even into my disability. My ssdi was "lost" due to errors, the state owes me close to $19,000 USD... And the 1,400 a month that I get on social security is too much for Medicaid as well as food stamps. They moved me to a plan that has a 500/month spend down. To get any help, I have to pay 500 each month out of pocket. They called it an Adverse Action.

[@matthewlinscott7055]

I live in Michigan. Was let go from a big financial firm right before earnings, 1 hr before we found out we were pregnant. Because I was unemployed and my wife was pregnant, we qualified for Medicaid and the process was absolutely seamless. All my wife’s prenatal care was covered and our daughters birth, and one week stay in the NICU was completely covered. Which is a relief, since the bill was over $30k 🤯 I got a new job at a better company with better insurance but Medicaid remained a secondary (I actually couldn’t remove it). Of course this led to the occasional hiccup with prescriptions (don’t know who to bill), but the admins were so good about clearing things up and even contacting providers if needed. Truly a godsend, I have no idea what we would have done if we experienced the kind of issues the people in this episode did. We would have been ruined

[@fairywingsonroses]

Meidcaide was fairly seamless for my pregnancy too. I moved states, and it was seamless in both. That being said, the one state made me go to a community clinic where the doctors couldn't even measure the baby's heartbeat correctly. I was also diagnosed with a hernia and other damage that was completely ignored (the doctors there even told me it would go away by itself). They also didn't cover ultrasounds, which I found out like 3 years later when I got a surprise bill for over $400. If I had to do it again, I would prefer to not be on medicaid.

[@scifirealism5943]

That's heartbreaking to read

[@scifirealism5943]

​@@fairywingsonrosesthat is inspiring but also scary

[@boppins]

Some years after I moved states, my mom deteriorated and ended up in a nursing home, paid by medicaid. I wanted to move her near me, so my family and her grandchildren can visit. But in order to do that, we have to cancel her medicaid in her state, which can take 30 days, then move her here, and re-apply for medicaid, which may be denied (probably not, but still a risk), and also takes time. And I don't have the resources to take care of her in the meantime, not to mention, what if something serious happens to her, she has no way to pay for it. The states don't have any kind of transfer process, and I doubt they care to make one. This should all be handled federally.

[@angelaasadi9283]

Thank you for keeping the American people informed on these important topics.

[@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.

[@Onigirli]

Damn...

[@scifirealism5943]

Wow

[@gracewheeler20]

I know it’s asking a lot, but I wish the research team could sometimes provide information for resources to help with the systemic issues. Sometimes the systemic issues feel overwhelmingly unjust and we are powerless to do anything. I appreciate what they did here.

[@michellecd4722]

@gracewheeler20 Call your local congressman's office & your state senator's office. Unfortunately, if you're in a red state it may be much more challenging.

[@gracewheeler20]

@@michellecd4722 I do, unfortunately. But that could still work.

[@sce2853]

Try An Arm and a Leg podcast if you are interested in ways to fight against the injustices in the medical system in particular. They are really good about explaining an issue and trying to find practical ways to push back

[@gracewheeler20]

@@sce2853 thanks. I’ll check them out.

[@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.

[@BRIKSFYOS]

Is it true you might wait months to specialist ?

[@jenniferseymour38]

@@BRIKSFYOSEven 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]

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

[@Holidaisy]

I am constantly going through a cycle of gaining and losing my medicaid for my disability and it is one of the biggest stressors in my life.

[@joao6587]

"So, what can we do?" Luigi Mangione has some ideas

[@seanbinkley7363]

I got to agree, the talking peach ad was fire. They accurately captured how any normal group of people would react to suddenly seeing a talking peach in the grocery store.

[@Orangefury19]

I had been making $14/hr while managing a Pizza Hut. I worked between 40 and 60 hrs per week as a shift manager, and I paid about $120/mo for their bronze health insurance plan. But it didn't cover anything aside from taking about $40 off the bill of each of my doctor visits (I see my dr 2-3 times per year due to my health issues). I was still paying $210/clinic visit, and about $300/mo for my medications. When covid hit, I ended up laid off from Pizza Hut, and I went to apply for the Affordable Care Act. I was told by the website that I didn't make enough money annually to qualify for the ACA plans, and they automatically signed me up for medicaid. This was the first year I had to re-apply, and it was a massive, massive headache. It took multiple phone calls and long wait times, and even then, my medicaid was eventually cut off for a few weeks. The state of healthcare in this country is entirely unacceptable.

[@scifirealism5943]

The reason welfare is restricted is precisely to force poor people into minimum wage jobs. Nobody would accept working in fast food and retail, for minimum wage, with zero benefits or chance for advancement.

[@RebeccaOre]

We've voted twice for Presidents who promised to change it, but politicians who vote on these bills are corrupt and do what their biggest donors want.

[@lija5925]

please use a local reputable broker, ideally someone you can meet in person and get a real understanding of the help they'll provide to you. Health insurance agents/brokers don't cost any extra to use so you should! I'm a broker in PA and licensed in a few other states, if you'd like some help I'd be happy to help you myself or help you find a reputable broker that can.

[@RaeThomas-hh5gv]

@@lija5925 you are a gem. adding my own comment to increase the odds of kelsey seeing this.

[@Orangefury19]

I appreciate the offers for assistance! However, my medicaid has since been reinstated, and it covers everything from meds to ER trips. There's only one med that I have to pay for, and that's because I'm on two different medications with the same name (delayed release in the morning and instant release in the afternoon), so medicaid won't cover both. But it's $30-40/mo, depending upon which pharmacy I go to, and that's doable for me!

[@hadtopicausername]

"That's not important right now" gave me _Airplane!_ vibes.

[@followingmybliss1340]

You are a world wide treasure, thank you for everything you do. We love you so much!!!

[@disability3343]

I also lost my Medicade in March of last year. On March 12th I had an appointment with the psych office I used in high school because I had stopped psych meds my senior year in order to qualify for Navy enlistment. It didn't work out. I had recieved 2 calls during the week before but missed both. I called the office and they said there was not a change with my appointment. I show up and am informed that the doctor who was to do my evaluation was out with COVID. I had a breakdown that night, becoming very unstable and likely a danger to myself, and the next day I received a letter saying that because of COVID era guidelines being rolled back, I made too much money monthly to qualify. I called the psych office back to see if I could schedule a new appointment and pay out of pocket but they only work with Medicade patients. It was so detrimental to my mental health and has only continued to stress and terrify me.

[@jdurham2666]

Persist and be gentle to yourself - always. No matter what you may face, give yourself some grace. I'll keep you in prayer.

[@fiveangrybunnies1470]

It's going to get better. Don't give up ❤

[@TheModeler99]

I don't know if this might help. Someone else commented that they aggressively contacted their representatives, senators and Governor to complain. It took a few months, but they got coverage. Maybe you could try that

[@axien3159]

That bit on Medicare was phenomenal! John, you are the best advocate for universal health care. Keep up the good work!💜

[@JootjeJ]

I agree. I guess he's in a prime position to know the difference. The UK has one of the oldest and most comprehensive universal healthcare systems in the world.

[@lukebarrett7531]

"Fuck that doctor with a rusty canoe" he's 100% right and I couldn't have said it better myself but that had me on the floor laughing 😂💀

[@marklazarus2584]

That doctor should have his license revoked. 😊

[@lukebarrett7531]

@@marklazarus2584 agreed

[@whafrog]

That's the trouble with conservatives: if they hear of a program that works for 9 out of 10 people, they will throw all 9 under the bus to penalize the 1. Then inevitably those 9 will end up creating a greater social burden either because they have to use emergency or end up on the street. It's so short sighted.