1/28 Not Me. Us. Why It Resonates & Open Thread
Last night I mentioned there would be some new videos coming out. Sanders Campaign announced there would be some new ad buys too.
Here’s the newest one, released a couple of hours ago:
When I see the surprise health care bills, I remember e-mailing the scheduling coordinator to put me in touch with someone to give me financial figures for what my insurance covered vs what I had to pay out of pocket for my total knee joint replacement. No one could give me a straight answer. Finally, I figured out on my own what extra co-pays were, and all of the incidentals, such as:
- a better water therapy system to ice my leg ($200)
- cleansing sheets to prep for surgery
- a cane ($12)
- co-pays for allergy tests to ensure I wouldn’t have any issues with the implants $120.00)
- co-pays for home health care by a nurse and physical therapy (PT), both at home and 2x weekly outpatient PT ($320)
- a walker ($10, but the hospital billed the insurance company $195 for a $10 item)/li>
- a plastic leg sleeve to wear over my knee wound while showering
- prescriptions ($90)
Other incidentals not paid by insurance include my med CBD card (and caregiver’s card), CBD related medications, doctor’s visit to qualify for medical CBD, and other supplements.
The bill was $83,000, and it looks to be aligned with what Medicare pays for reimbursement to most hospitals. I paid $350 for my hospital stay that took care of most of that. So except for more PT, my insurance isn’t much better than Medicare, and we still have to go through so many hoops to get approval for the number of sessions, etc. I just get bumped in the line a little sooner.
First hand, I saw what happened to a 93-year-old woman who broke her leg. Other than giving her low dose meds, there was not a surgeon available until midday the next day. When Sanders says he wants to see improvements as well as an expansion of Medicare, I see the two must go hand in hand. She was in pain all night, but didn’t complain very much. Someone had given me a rose while in the hospital, and I left it for that older woman to foster her continued courage.
Exercise and nutrition are a big part of the process. I dropped 38 lbs before surgery and lost another 16 since then. It costs more to eat less because healthy food and supplements are more expensive than processed food. I also joined Weight Watchers for Free, but pay for digital membership for keeping track of my food. In addition, the Bennys have a couples’ membership to a community recreational center, and I tried Curves for a while (which is very good for those of us who wear Silver Sneakers; I just wished my organization offered wellness plans such as Silver Sneakers). I was able to plan ahead 3 months.
I banked up nearly 3 months of sick leave and used about 2 months of it. Could I’ve returned to work after a month? Yes, if I had to. Would I have been sufficiently ready for all-day pain still at 5 weeks PO? For me, absolutely not.
When Bernie had his heart attack, he was fighting for us. And I have verbalized more than once to my primary care physician that some of the rules for the healthcare system seemed laborious for both doctors and patients.
That’s part of my Bernie story.
What other news or thoughts for today? Consider this an open thread.
Holy… https://t.co/K9PQUTtinP
— Brent Welder (@BrentWelder) January 28, 2020
Tip jar for better US healthcare!
LOL. Buttigieg at 0 with blacks.
The 18-34 age numbers are insane. 3% for Biden! How is Biden going to win against Trump with this?
https://twitter.com/_HighThunder_/status/1222251177947037698
We Must Save and Strengthen Our Precious Public Assets
If we do not fight for the commons, Jeff Bezos will own your life.
Post Office banking would help millions.
As I recall, the largest union is the post office, so right wing has been trying to crush it for years and they harmed it in their pension legislation. Here is another front in fight to save the post office.
A bit doomsdayish for Robinson, but I agree that people need to become more comfortable with the idea of breaking up and/or nationalizing the monopolies that have been allowed to flourish.
Gutsy.
The ads Bloomberg bought in FL are cheap looking. His arrogance is apparent, too. T and R, Benny!! Appreciated your medical diary. 🙂
bloomy is cheap looking.
Sounds like he combined Trumpcorp and Bydone catch phrases. We don’t need another fraken billionaire as President. Its bad enough that he’s trying to buy the office thru non stop ads.
hahaha. you’re in Vermont. they know he’s not a one idea person. Anyone who’s voting for you was never going to vote for Bernie.
sad news
Sheriffs loose their power and maybe their job
new rules to not hold people in jail for pre trial detention
WHEN A SHERIFF’S JAIL IS EMPTIED
New York sheriffs are fighting the state’s cuts to pretrial detention. But bail reform can push sheriffs to embrace shrinking jails.
Not a highly rated poll but in line with other recent Iowa polls showing a Bernie lead.
https://www.changeresearch.com/post/pollercoaster-2020-sanders-leads-by-8-points-in-iowa-caucuses
Biden is a bully and is unfit for office. Mark Charles would get my vote before he does.
The guy he’s talking to is Ed Fallon, a well-known climate justice activist in Iowa.
The way he is grabbing/holding onto the vest is… well, He took it far kinder than I would of.
https://twitter.com/ZaidJilani/status/1222269273814511621?s=19
who’s for steyer and wants a pic with biden.
Hopefully if he caucuses in Iowa, he switches to Bernie when Steyer is not viable.
He’s already said he would.
I got this e-mail blast from Fallon Forum yesterday:
Video clip you saw in other comments is what Fallon is referring to.
Steyer probably benefitted more from the warren/sanders flap than anyone. Everyone now sees him as ‘nice guy’
i applaud all enviros, but Bernie (and probably Tulsi) are the true outsiders here. maybe he was all in for hill or something and can’t see.
but yeah, grabbing his jacket—way over. Shrub used to make me cringe when he’d grab people by the neck or shoulder and pull them in and give them a nickname. i wouldn’t have let him.
yeah. seems very weird.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/28/what-sanderss-surge-says-about-democratic-establishment/
Their panicked response doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the establishment’s ability [to get behind Bernie and beatTrump]. fixed it.
I looked at the sample for the ARG NH poll (medium rated). It actually seemed older than the actual voters in 2016 so all the better for Bernie. A lot of these NH poll have had older samples.
Super PAC supporting Senate Democrats reports record-breaking off-year haul of $61 million, officials say
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