Episode 2 - Medical Debt & Medicare for All
25/02/23 18:57
[disclosure]
This podcast discusses potentially triggering issues relating to health, health care, medical debt, mental and physical illness, and corporate greed. It may also contain harsh language. If this upsets or disturbs you or those around you, feel free to reconsider listening.
If you ever feel unsafe or suicidal, please call your local crisis center, emergency services, or national hotline. In the United States the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988, or 800-273-8255.
[intro]
We live in a country without a national health care system. The basis of health care in the wealthiest country of the world is to require that people buy into insurance policies from for profit corporations, which are subject to monthly premiums, co-pays deductibles, multi tiered medication, formularies, and pre-authorizations for various procedures and treatments. Many cannot afford copays or to meet their plans deductible after paying the policy premiums.
GoFundMe has been the number one way for people to attempt to raising money for treatment, including for life saving procedures.
It has been repeatedly said that people should not seek medical advice from social media, but instead obtain the advice of a medical practitioner. That being said, Where are people supposed to turn to if they are unable to afford copays to see a doctor or are uncertain of their ability to afford necessary treatment?
I'm Johann, I'm not a medical professional, and This Is Not Medical Advice.
[music]
Johann:
Today, we have Joy with us. She is the host of The Unruly Hour and co-host of Postmortem Breakdown on YouTube and Rokfin. She has interviewed more than 200 candidates running for various offices from local politics to federal positions. She's an advocate and activist for disability rights. And she also helped organize a multi-state March for Medicare for All effort with actions in 56 cities. Is there anything else you'd like to let us know about yourself?
Joy:
Um, I co-authored a shitlib parody book called The Yas Kween Chronicles. And I do have a substack that I like to write. It's called the Blind Chick Chronicles.
Johann:
Okay. All right. And we'll make sure that we have a link in the description for the podcast for that.
All right, Joy, you immediately came to mind when I thought about addressing the topic of medical debt. But before we dive into that, as an activist, what kind of pushback and challenges have you found when addressing Medicare for All, an issue that is so popular and has support from a majority of all US adults?
Joy:
I think the biggest pushback, I think, well, there's probably a couple. I think one of the biggest is the incrementalists that don't think they're incrementalists. You know, they believe in State-by-State, which is inequitable, and, you know, ableist and privileged. And they believe we'll do one at a time. Okay, well, eight states have already failed. But, um, and it's not Medicare for All when states do it. So frankly, I find it very lazy when people say, "well, we'll just do one state at a time." Because 24 states don't even have ballot initiatives, and the eight states who have tried it have epically failed. So I get frustrated that people think we have this, like, unlimited time to just keep fucking around with you know, let's try one out of 50. That's the definition of incrementalism. So I think that's part of it. Also along with that it goes, "Well it hasn't happened yet, so how's it going to happen?" Well, it hasn't happened yet because there are incrementalists who are trying to take over and poison the idea that we should actually demand what we deserve and just settle for bread crumbs here and there. Which if you look at the bills from a lot of these State-by-State, it is not Medicare for All they are…. They go by income base, they have copays. There are caveats to let certain people bring big money into them. They're just…they're not single payer at all, but they label them as that. So that's probably the biggest. The other biggest would be, of course, "How are you going to pay for it?" And "I'm not paying for someone else's health care. Get a job."
Johann:
One of the things that I think is really interesting and frustrating is that, you know, there are 23 million adults who owe at least $250 or more in medical debt, with one in eight owing $10,000 or more. And as of 2022, the amount of medical debt on credit reports, and this is just what's reported on credit reports, in the US was roughly $111 billion, which accounts for more than half of all debt in collections - more than credit cards, personal loans, utilities, phone bills, all of these combined. And as I said, you know, this is just what's reported on credit reports. So the actual amount of medical debt is likely much higher than that. How would something like Medicare for All address the problem of medical debt?
Joy:
Well, that's I mean, that's the issue that I have. Well, one of the issues, Medicare for All, either Bernie's bill or Pramilla's bill is far from perfect. There are absolutely changes that need to be made, or added. At this moment, Medicare for All, as it stands, would not do anything to cancel any kind of medical debt. Now, that's one of the reasons I push cancellation for medical debt because, yes, it could be added to that bill. But I see that as a separate issue. And I do not see people being willing to give free health care and cancel medical debt. I do not, I think that will, like, lessen the chances even more by conflating those two together.
I did...a few months ago, I went to DC and met with Congressman Ro Khanna and I brought over $15,000 worth of my medical bills and showed him you know, I you know, this is what, you know, it looks like to be disabled with insurance. And his response was, "Wow, are you in debt?" I absolutely could not believe it. I was like, This cannot be happening. Like he...literally he's shocked I'm in debt when I do show them all these. But it's that they don't comprehend the severity of how bad people are suffering. So we met with him and he agreed to start working on some legislation for medical debt cancellation. It is coming to finalization. Bernie Sanders is working on it with him. So we are keeping updates with Ro to see what the status is. Do I think it's going to pass? Probably not. But I do want people to start talking about it. Because if people posted about medical debt, even a fraction as much as they posted about student debt, I think a lot more people would be aware.
But you know, as far as you know, medical debt goes, one of the things that I always try to explain to people is Medicare for All is the bare minimum. And if we got Medicare for All today, amazing, but it does not give people a fresh start. It gives people a fresh start from today, but it is not retroactive. So we're still having people in debt and still having people suffer from something they have acquired in the past. So Medicare for All would be from this day forward. So we need to get people, you know, help from getting out from under this entirely as well.
Johann:
Yeah. And that's a really good point. And there was a study that was done at Stanford by an economist named Neal Mahoney, and in the study it suggests that those with unpaid health care bills are less likely to seek needed care.
Joy:
Absolutely.
Johann:
However, yeah, and I mean, if that makes sense, because you know, if you're already in debt, you for medical reasons, are you likely to go see a doctor, because you're just gonna end up with more bills. I mean that, that makes sense.
Joy:
A lot of doctors will not see you, if you have an account, that's not zero. That has happened to me.
Johann:
That's a really good point as well. And the findings in the study were also that when debt was forgiven, there was an uptick in doctor visits and prescription refills for medications like high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression. So I mean, that just makes sense that, you know, if you can't see a doctor, because you've got so much debt, and then you get that forgiven, you're going to be able to go see the doctor again. You're going to be able to get treated for those different conditions and disabilities that need attention.
Joy:
Absolutely. And, you know, it, it makes absolute sense that anyone who really thinks about this would understand that people, if this happened, people's mental health would increase greatly. People's physical health, people's psychological health... it would help in so many ways. I mean, your mental health affects literally your entire life. And, you know, trigger warning, but we are witnessing higher suicide rates than ever before, higher depression and anxiety than ever before, higher self-harm than ever before. And this was all while, people have no ability to get any medications, to see a therapist to, you know, reach out when they need help. The people do not have that ability. And that's one of the reasons these numbers have been exacerbated. So you take, you know, even just giving people the ability to know that that is an option relieves so much stress.
Also, one of the things that really absolutely disgusts me is when people say, you know, "Oh, well, medical debt, you can, you know, you can just file bankruptcy." Well, for those who actually look into bankruptcy, and what it is, you can only file once every seven years. And furthermore, credit scores are racist, and they're garbage, but they do matter. So you're also telling people, well, who cares, just get the doctor bills, and, you know, if you can't buy a house, too bad. You know, and, and it's very, very privileged to be like, "Oh, well just file bankruptcy."
So you're saying to file bankruptcy, and for seven years, wait for another one. So for seven years, they're not supposed to see any doctor or anything like that? Because they know, they cannot write it off for another seven years. That is so privileged that bankruptcy is not an equivalent to healthcare. It's completely inhumane to even suggest such a thing.
Johann:
I just want to jump back to one of the things that you had said about meeting with Ro Khanna you said that you had presented him with, I'm sorry, how much did you say that you had in bills?
Joy:
Over $15,000.
Johann:
And you said that was with insurance?
Joy:
Yeah. With insurance.
Johann:
Wow
Joy:
Yay, Highmark! Well, the thing is, you know, it sucks, because I know what it would have been without, you know, with my disability, unfortunately, comes very, very, very expensive things because my disability is really rare. And like my eye treatments, were over $1,000, excuse me over $12,000 each, for each eye, every 30 days, because of my blindness. So that being said, without insurance, it would be $24,000 per month, plus the doctor visits and the testing and you know, all the X-rays I get all the time and stuff like that on my eyes. So without insurance, it would be like hundreds of 1000s of dollars. So yes, it's better. That's a you know, if that's saying much, that's actually better. So and and having interviewed people in the UK And, you know, people who are like, can absolutely not fathom, you know, what we pay for things. They are just absolutely blown away that we charge as much as we do. And, you know, I've worked in healthcare for about 10 years before I went blind, and I saw what, you know, what our country charges for things before, you know, the insurance pays their portion. And there was a young girl who was 16 years old, and she needed cancer medication, and the cancer medication was $500,000 - it was half of a million dollars. That was, so that's a hostage situation. So... insurance would not pay any of it, at all. So her parents were faced with, "Do we even try to take out a loan that big?" Like what I mean, this could save this girl's life. But there's a price tag on it. And you know, the military industrial complex, just, we are so expendable to every single one of them. We just have dollar signs, and they just don't care.
Johann:
Wow! And I mean, it's amazing to think that, you know, people like this when the insurance isn't covering the costs, you know, people end up having to turn to things like GoFundMe. You know, GoFundMe... 1/3 of all fundraisers, on that site, are for medical debt.
Joy:
I honestly think it's higher. Because when I looked at GoFundMe, and I did need one, in the past, because of my medical debt, there are certain selections you have to make when you go into create your GoFundMe. And there's a couple that could be applicable. So I honestly think it's higher than that. But yeah, I mean, it's that's, that is our healthcare system in America is GoFundMe. And now, Biden, this has been pushed on next year...yay.... But Biden is…has it in place that if you now - it's always been if you make $600 or more on say, I don't know, maybe eBay, Etsy, something like that, you get a, you know, a tax form. Well, now he's standing in on things like GoFundMe. So what's going to happen is these people who are raising... who are trying to raise this money to keep them housed to pay for their kids cancer treatment, to pay for food on the table... If they reach over $600, they're now going to be faced with a tax bill. Next April, not this April, but next April. And how are they going to pay that? Well, what's going to happen is they're going to take away their child tax credits, and things like that, that they count on, to be able to pay bills. So you are penalizing the poor in so many different ways. And this is just another way that is going to happen.
Johann:
Speaking of the poor, another piece of information that I had found was that as of 2021, there were 27 point 5 million non-elderly people who were under uninsured according to Kaiser Family Foundation, and that's in part because of the expanded Medicaid coverage under the Family First COVID Response Act. We're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 million people who are going to be removed for no longer being eligible. And another 7 million who are technically still eligible but won't have submitted the renewal paperwork. So we're looking at going from the lowest number of uninsured people to back where we were before the ACA went into effect.
Joy:
That is correct. Absolutely. And I keep screaming into the void on my social media, "Why is nobody talking about this?!" Because people who are on this Medicaid expansion, that means they are poor/low income. It is means tested. So that means they are already low income. So you are taking away health care from disabled people, children, single moms, like people who are hurting monetarily, and you are taking that away from them. And that's exactly... exactly what would happen on State-by-State. Exactly what would happen because it's up to each state, just like each state could approve or deny medical Medicaid expansion, and only less than half did. They can also take it away. So state-by-state is not permanent. State-by-state, if someone gets into office and they don't want that there, they just cancel it. It's nothing permanent. Just like this. So it's another reason people need to be really, really cognizant of what they're pushing. But yeah, I mean, we are looking at a lot of people. And I've tweeted at people who preach Medicaid, or Medicare for All, and have huge accounts. And I have, and I know they follow me...so I know they're seeing this...and I am just screaming into the void, "We need to talk about this! Please post about this!" Because yeah, it's we're gonna see so much more depth, so much more poverty, we are watching eugenics of the poor, and people are too busy talking about shit that does not matter. And focusing on shiny objects and having the lack of empathy, a lack of empathy, and full of cognitive dissonance, instead of just looking around them and recognizing that people are hurting more than they ever have been.
Johann:
So what do you think we can do?
Joy:
Well, I mean, the activist and organizer in me, honestly, I want to do things like... I want to go to Highmark, and handcuff myself to the outside of that building. I want to do more protests in front of these places. I want people to submit their testimonial videos in to M4M4All so you can be part of our campaign that we're doing to file a human rights violation grievance with the United Nations. I want people to.... which, by the way, it has never been done in history. So we're putting it on the United Nations Human Rights Council, that this is inhumane, and people need health care. So you can contribute your video to that.
I want people to gather. And when I say gather, I don't mean 10, 20 people. I don't even mean 1000 people. I mean, so many people that it looks like Europe. Go to the White House, signs blazing, and actually demand what we deserve.... not ask. We're done asking. People are dying, we don't have time for that shit. Demand. We will not leave until, not unless, until you give us either 1881A or HR 1976. Just until you give us Single Payer, period. We will not leave.
Do I think our country has that in them? Hell no. But throughout history, that is what has changed things. Not voting. Not you know, kissing the asses of politicians. That does not change anything. Getting out in the streets and demanding what we are owed and what we deserve. That is the only thing that is going to change.
Johann:
You had mentioned 1881 A could you go into that a little bit?
Joy:
Yes. So there is this town called Libby. And it's in Montana, Libby, Montana, and several years back, they found that they had asbestos in their air, and it was making a lot of people sick. So what they did in Libby Montana was they created 1881A which is essentially single payer. It is free health care for everyone in Libby, Montana. That happened several years ago, it is still in effect. Now, that being said, in 2019, when the pandemic happened, we all could have had 1881 immediately, stroke of a pen, executive order by the President, entire country gets it. Never happened, of course.
But now, you know, I'm focusing on people of, you know, East Palestine area, to be able to have 1881A, because people are being exposed to awful things. We do not know the effects, especially in long term effects. They're not, you know, they don't have free health care, they're not getting checked out like they should and like they're, you know, expecting everyone to do. When it comes to any kind of disaster like that, it should be immediate. I mean, it should be immediate regardless. But I don't think even the people in East Palestine know that 1881A exists. So that's why I've been pushing it like crazy. You know, they had a huge Town Hall. I wish people knew about it, because they need to hold their governor accountable, and their mayor, and their President and everyone accountable, that it's unacceptable. Not only are people having trouble, surviving people are not thriving. And this is the bare minimum that they could do.
Johann:
I thank you for joining us, Joy. And where can people find you?
Joy:
So the easiest way is probably on my Twitter. I have my DMs open all the time. You can find me at @SavageJoyMarie1. And that's usually the best place. My YouTube, you can type in Savage Joy Marie Mann and Rokfin as well. Please subscribe. YouTube took away over 3000 of my subscribers. So please subscribe and smash the like button and all those fun things. But yeah, probably Twitter and my show are the best ways.
Johann:
Alright, and is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners?
Joy:
Um, well, on March 2, I'm going to be having a Musician's for Mutual Aid. I am looking for musicians, I do have several. But essentially what it's going to be is it is going to be musicians playing. And I will be dropping links to people's mutual aid requests in the comments of my YouTube stream, while musicians play so that they can get donations directly to them...to their cash apps or Paypal or however they're requesting it. I get mutual aid requests every single day. And I just want to make sure that I'm doing something to draw attention to them. Most are about health care, fear of becoming unhoused, trying to run from abusive relationships, things like that. So I just want to do something to hopefully get them some donations while, you know, bringing some people together with music.
Johann:
Alright, sounds really good. Well, thank you again.
Joy:
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
This podcast discusses potentially triggering issues relating to health, health care, medical debt, mental and physical illness, and corporate greed. It may also contain harsh language. If this upsets or disturbs you or those around you, feel free to reconsider listening.
If you ever feel unsafe or suicidal, please call your local crisis center, emergency services, or national hotline. In the United States the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988, or 800-273-8255.
[intro]
We live in a country without a national health care system. The basis of health care in the wealthiest country of the world is to require that people buy into insurance policies from for profit corporations, which are subject to monthly premiums, co-pays deductibles, multi tiered medication, formularies, and pre-authorizations for various procedures and treatments. Many cannot afford copays or to meet their plans deductible after paying the policy premiums.
GoFundMe has been the number one way for people to attempt to raising money for treatment, including for life saving procedures.
It has been repeatedly said that people should not seek medical advice from social media, but instead obtain the advice of a medical practitioner. That being said, Where are people supposed to turn to if they are unable to afford copays to see a doctor or are uncertain of their ability to afford necessary treatment?
I'm Johann, I'm not a medical professional, and This Is Not Medical Advice.
[music]
Johann:
Today, we have Joy with us. She is the host of The Unruly Hour and co-host of Postmortem Breakdown on YouTube and Rokfin. She has interviewed more than 200 candidates running for various offices from local politics to federal positions. She's an advocate and activist for disability rights. And she also helped organize a multi-state March for Medicare for All effort with actions in 56 cities. Is there anything else you'd like to let us know about yourself?
Joy:
Um, I co-authored a shitlib parody book called The Yas Kween Chronicles. And I do have a substack that I like to write. It's called the Blind Chick Chronicles.
Johann:
Okay. All right. And we'll make sure that we have a link in the description for the podcast for that.
All right, Joy, you immediately came to mind when I thought about addressing the topic of medical debt. But before we dive into that, as an activist, what kind of pushback and challenges have you found when addressing Medicare for All, an issue that is so popular and has support from a majority of all US adults?
Joy:
I think the biggest pushback, I think, well, there's probably a couple. I think one of the biggest is the incrementalists that don't think they're incrementalists. You know, they believe in State-by-State, which is inequitable, and, you know, ableist and privileged. And they believe we'll do one at a time. Okay, well, eight states have already failed. But, um, and it's not Medicare for All when states do it. So frankly, I find it very lazy when people say, "well, we'll just do one state at a time." Because 24 states don't even have ballot initiatives, and the eight states who have tried it have epically failed. So I get frustrated that people think we have this, like, unlimited time to just keep fucking around with you know, let's try one out of 50. That's the definition of incrementalism. So I think that's part of it. Also along with that it goes, "Well it hasn't happened yet, so how's it going to happen?" Well, it hasn't happened yet because there are incrementalists who are trying to take over and poison the idea that we should actually demand what we deserve and just settle for bread crumbs here and there. Which if you look at the bills from a lot of these State-by-State, it is not Medicare for All they are…. They go by income base, they have copays. There are caveats to let certain people bring big money into them. They're just…they're not single payer at all, but they label them as that. So that's probably the biggest. The other biggest would be, of course, "How are you going to pay for it?" And "I'm not paying for someone else's health care. Get a job."
Johann:
One of the things that I think is really interesting and frustrating is that, you know, there are 23 million adults who owe at least $250 or more in medical debt, with one in eight owing $10,000 or more. And as of 2022, the amount of medical debt on credit reports, and this is just what's reported on credit reports, in the US was roughly $111 billion, which accounts for more than half of all debt in collections - more than credit cards, personal loans, utilities, phone bills, all of these combined. And as I said, you know, this is just what's reported on credit reports. So the actual amount of medical debt is likely much higher than that. How would something like Medicare for All address the problem of medical debt?
Joy:
Well, that's I mean, that's the issue that I have. Well, one of the issues, Medicare for All, either Bernie's bill or Pramilla's bill is far from perfect. There are absolutely changes that need to be made, or added. At this moment, Medicare for All, as it stands, would not do anything to cancel any kind of medical debt. Now, that's one of the reasons I push cancellation for medical debt because, yes, it could be added to that bill. But I see that as a separate issue. And I do not see people being willing to give free health care and cancel medical debt. I do not, I think that will, like, lessen the chances even more by conflating those two together.
I did...a few months ago, I went to DC and met with Congressman Ro Khanna and I brought over $15,000 worth of my medical bills and showed him you know, I you know, this is what, you know, it looks like to be disabled with insurance. And his response was, "Wow, are you in debt?" I absolutely could not believe it. I was like, This cannot be happening. Like he...literally he's shocked I'm in debt when I do show them all these. But it's that they don't comprehend the severity of how bad people are suffering. So we met with him and he agreed to start working on some legislation for medical debt cancellation. It is coming to finalization. Bernie Sanders is working on it with him. So we are keeping updates with Ro to see what the status is. Do I think it's going to pass? Probably not. But I do want people to start talking about it. Because if people posted about medical debt, even a fraction as much as they posted about student debt, I think a lot more people would be aware.
But you know, as far as you know, medical debt goes, one of the things that I always try to explain to people is Medicare for All is the bare minimum. And if we got Medicare for All today, amazing, but it does not give people a fresh start. It gives people a fresh start from today, but it is not retroactive. So we're still having people in debt and still having people suffer from something they have acquired in the past. So Medicare for All would be from this day forward. So we need to get people, you know, help from getting out from under this entirely as well.
Johann:
Yeah. And that's a really good point. And there was a study that was done at Stanford by an economist named Neal Mahoney, and in the study it suggests that those with unpaid health care bills are less likely to seek needed care.
Joy:
Absolutely.
Johann:
However, yeah, and I mean, if that makes sense, because you know, if you're already in debt, you for medical reasons, are you likely to go see a doctor, because you're just gonna end up with more bills. I mean that, that makes sense.
Joy:
A lot of doctors will not see you, if you have an account, that's not zero. That has happened to me.
Johann:
That's a really good point as well. And the findings in the study were also that when debt was forgiven, there was an uptick in doctor visits and prescription refills for medications like high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression. So I mean, that just makes sense that, you know, if you can't see a doctor, because you've got so much debt, and then you get that forgiven, you're going to be able to go see the doctor again. You're going to be able to get treated for those different conditions and disabilities that need attention.
Joy:
Absolutely. And, you know, it, it makes absolute sense that anyone who really thinks about this would understand that people, if this happened, people's mental health would increase greatly. People's physical health, people's psychological health... it would help in so many ways. I mean, your mental health affects literally your entire life. And, you know, trigger warning, but we are witnessing higher suicide rates than ever before, higher depression and anxiety than ever before, higher self-harm than ever before. And this was all while, people have no ability to get any medications, to see a therapist to, you know, reach out when they need help. The people do not have that ability. And that's one of the reasons these numbers have been exacerbated. So you take, you know, even just giving people the ability to know that that is an option relieves so much stress.
Also, one of the things that really absolutely disgusts me is when people say, you know, "Oh, well, medical debt, you can, you know, you can just file bankruptcy." Well, for those who actually look into bankruptcy, and what it is, you can only file once every seven years. And furthermore, credit scores are racist, and they're garbage, but they do matter. So you're also telling people, well, who cares, just get the doctor bills, and, you know, if you can't buy a house, too bad. You know, and, and it's very, very privileged to be like, "Oh, well just file bankruptcy."
So you're saying to file bankruptcy, and for seven years, wait for another one. So for seven years, they're not supposed to see any doctor or anything like that? Because they know, they cannot write it off for another seven years. That is so privileged that bankruptcy is not an equivalent to healthcare. It's completely inhumane to even suggest such a thing.
Johann:
I just want to jump back to one of the things that you had said about meeting with Ro Khanna you said that you had presented him with, I'm sorry, how much did you say that you had in bills?
Joy:
Over $15,000.
Johann:
And you said that was with insurance?
Joy:
Yeah. With insurance.
Johann:
Wow
Joy:
Yay, Highmark! Well, the thing is, you know, it sucks, because I know what it would have been without, you know, with my disability, unfortunately, comes very, very, very expensive things because my disability is really rare. And like my eye treatments, were over $1,000, excuse me over $12,000 each, for each eye, every 30 days, because of my blindness. So that being said, without insurance, it would be $24,000 per month, plus the doctor visits and the testing and you know, all the X-rays I get all the time and stuff like that on my eyes. So without insurance, it would be like hundreds of 1000s of dollars. So yes, it's better. That's a you know, if that's saying much, that's actually better. So and and having interviewed people in the UK And, you know, people who are like, can absolutely not fathom, you know, what we pay for things. They are just absolutely blown away that we charge as much as we do. And, you know, I've worked in healthcare for about 10 years before I went blind, and I saw what, you know, what our country charges for things before, you know, the insurance pays their portion. And there was a young girl who was 16 years old, and she needed cancer medication, and the cancer medication was $500,000 - it was half of a million dollars. That was, so that's a hostage situation. So... insurance would not pay any of it, at all. So her parents were faced with, "Do we even try to take out a loan that big?" Like what I mean, this could save this girl's life. But there's a price tag on it. And you know, the military industrial complex, just, we are so expendable to every single one of them. We just have dollar signs, and they just don't care.
Johann:
Wow! And I mean, it's amazing to think that, you know, people like this when the insurance isn't covering the costs, you know, people end up having to turn to things like GoFundMe. You know, GoFundMe... 1/3 of all fundraisers, on that site, are for medical debt.
Joy:
I honestly think it's higher. Because when I looked at GoFundMe, and I did need one, in the past, because of my medical debt, there are certain selections you have to make when you go into create your GoFundMe. And there's a couple that could be applicable. So I honestly think it's higher than that. But yeah, I mean, it's that's, that is our healthcare system in America is GoFundMe. And now, Biden, this has been pushed on next year...yay.... But Biden is…has it in place that if you now - it's always been if you make $600 or more on say, I don't know, maybe eBay, Etsy, something like that, you get a, you know, a tax form. Well, now he's standing in on things like GoFundMe. So what's going to happen is these people who are raising... who are trying to raise this money to keep them housed to pay for their kids cancer treatment, to pay for food on the table... If they reach over $600, they're now going to be faced with a tax bill. Next April, not this April, but next April. And how are they going to pay that? Well, what's going to happen is they're going to take away their child tax credits, and things like that, that they count on, to be able to pay bills. So you are penalizing the poor in so many different ways. And this is just another way that is going to happen.
Johann:
Speaking of the poor, another piece of information that I had found was that as of 2021, there were 27 point 5 million non-elderly people who were under uninsured according to Kaiser Family Foundation, and that's in part because of the expanded Medicaid coverage under the Family First COVID Response Act. We're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 million people who are going to be removed for no longer being eligible. And another 7 million who are technically still eligible but won't have submitted the renewal paperwork. So we're looking at going from the lowest number of uninsured people to back where we were before the ACA went into effect.
Joy:
That is correct. Absolutely. And I keep screaming into the void on my social media, "Why is nobody talking about this?!" Because people who are on this Medicaid expansion, that means they are poor/low income. It is means tested. So that means they are already low income. So you are taking away health care from disabled people, children, single moms, like people who are hurting monetarily, and you are taking that away from them. And that's exactly... exactly what would happen on State-by-State. Exactly what would happen because it's up to each state, just like each state could approve or deny medical Medicaid expansion, and only less than half did. They can also take it away. So state-by-state is not permanent. State-by-state, if someone gets into office and they don't want that there, they just cancel it. It's nothing permanent. Just like this. So it's another reason people need to be really, really cognizant of what they're pushing. But yeah, I mean, we are looking at a lot of people. And I've tweeted at people who preach Medicaid, or Medicare for All, and have huge accounts. And I have, and I know they follow me...so I know they're seeing this...and I am just screaming into the void, "We need to talk about this! Please post about this!" Because yeah, it's we're gonna see so much more depth, so much more poverty, we are watching eugenics of the poor, and people are too busy talking about shit that does not matter. And focusing on shiny objects and having the lack of empathy, a lack of empathy, and full of cognitive dissonance, instead of just looking around them and recognizing that people are hurting more than they ever have been.
Johann:
So what do you think we can do?
Joy:
Well, I mean, the activist and organizer in me, honestly, I want to do things like... I want to go to Highmark, and handcuff myself to the outside of that building. I want to do more protests in front of these places. I want people to submit their testimonial videos in to M4M4All so you can be part of our campaign that we're doing to file a human rights violation grievance with the United Nations. I want people to.... which, by the way, it has never been done in history. So we're putting it on the United Nations Human Rights Council, that this is inhumane, and people need health care. So you can contribute your video to that.
I want people to gather. And when I say gather, I don't mean 10, 20 people. I don't even mean 1000 people. I mean, so many people that it looks like Europe. Go to the White House, signs blazing, and actually demand what we deserve.... not ask. We're done asking. People are dying, we don't have time for that shit. Demand. We will not leave until, not unless, until you give us either 1881A or HR 1976. Just until you give us Single Payer, period. We will not leave.
Do I think our country has that in them? Hell no. But throughout history, that is what has changed things. Not voting. Not you know, kissing the asses of politicians. That does not change anything. Getting out in the streets and demanding what we are owed and what we deserve. That is the only thing that is going to change.
Johann:
You had mentioned 1881 A could you go into that a little bit?
Joy:
Yes. So there is this town called Libby. And it's in Montana, Libby, Montana, and several years back, they found that they had asbestos in their air, and it was making a lot of people sick. So what they did in Libby Montana was they created 1881A which is essentially single payer. It is free health care for everyone in Libby, Montana. That happened several years ago, it is still in effect. Now, that being said, in 2019, when the pandemic happened, we all could have had 1881 immediately, stroke of a pen, executive order by the President, entire country gets it. Never happened, of course.
But now, you know, I'm focusing on people of, you know, East Palestine area, to be able to have 1881A, because people are being exposed to awful things. We do not know the effects, especially in long term effects. They're not, you know, they don't have free health care, they're not getting checked out like they should and like they're, you know, expecting everyone to do. When it comes to any kind of disaster like that, it should be immediate. I mean, it should be immediate regardless. But I don't think even the people in East Palestine know that 1881A exists. So that's why I've been pushing it like crazy. You know, they had a huge Town Hall. I wish people knew about it, because they need to hold their governor accountable, and their mayor, and their President and everyone accountable, that it's unacceptable. Not only are people having trouble, surviving people are not thriving. And this is the bare minimum that they could do.
Johann:
I thank you for joining us, Joy. And where can people find you?
Joy:
So the easiest way is probably on my Twitter. I have my DMs open all the time. You can find me at @SavageJoyMarie1. And that's usually the best place. My YouTube, you can type in Savage Joy Marie Mann and Rokfin as well. Please subscribe. YouTube took away over 3000 of my subscribers. So please subscribe and smash the like button and all those fun things. But yeah, probably Twitter and my show are the best ways.
Johann:
Alright, and is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners?
Joy:
Um, well, on March 2, I'm going to be having a Musician's for Mutual Aid. I am looking for musicians, I do have several. But essentially what it's going to be is it is going to be musicians playing. And I will be dropping links to people's mutual aid requests in the comments of my YouTube stream, while musicians play so that they can get donations directly to them...to their cash apps or Paypal or however they're requesting it. I get mutual aid requests every single day. And I just want to make sure that I'm doing something to draw attention to them. Most are about health care, fear of becoming unhoused, trying to run from abusive relationships, things like that. So I just want to do something to hopefully get them some donations while, you know, bringing some people together with music.
Johann:
Alright, sounds really good. Well, thank you again.
Joy:
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Episode 1 - Welcome
19/02/23 23:46
Episode One
Welcome to This Is Not Medical Advice.
Music - Jesse Jett
https://jessejett.bandcamp.com/
Intro -
We live in a country without a national healthcare system. The basis of "health care" in the wealthiest country of the world is to require that people buy into insurance policies, from for-profit corporations, which are subject to monthly premiums, co-pays, deductibles, multi-tiered medication formularies, and pre-authorizations for various procedures and treatments.
Many cannot afford copays or to meet their plan’s deductible after paying the policy premiums.
GoFundMe has been the number one way for people to attempt raising money for treatment, including for life-saving procedures.
It has been repeatedly said that people should not seek medical advice from social media, but instead obtain the advice of a medical practitioner. That being said, where are people supposed to turn if they are unable to afford copays to see a doctor, or are uncertain of their ability to afford necessary treatment?
I’m Johann, I’m not a medical professional, and This Is Not Medical Advice.
——
In this series, I’m looking to explore the situations and hear the voices and stories of people who have faced, or are facing, issues with obtaining adequate and/or appropriate care under the system we have.
Common social media responses to challenging the market-based system we have that “passes” in this country as a health care system include “go get a job with insurance” “just sign up for Obamacare” “haven’t you heard of Emergency Rooms, they are required to treat everyone.”
In this podcast, I hope to show how things aren’t so cut and dry when it comes to obtaining health care in the United States.
A lot of people end up foregoing preventative screenings, and even necessary treatment because they can’t afford it. Not only are there issues faced by those who are uninsured, but there are issues faced by those who are underinsured, and even those who have insurance. For example, can someone please tell me how much I’m going to pay when I’m being told that I’d be responsible for “30% of allowable costs after deductible is met”? What the hell does that even mean?! The insurance company couldn’t, and they said to call my Doctor’s office, but then the Doctor’s office said they couldn’t tell me…and I should contact the insurance company…I end up just running in circles and on hold for who knows how long for nothing, and still have no idea of how much it’s going to cost!.
I hope to explore the economics of the system we have and its focus on profits over providing adequate treatment.
One topic that is definitely related to profits over health and safety has to do with Railroad companies and their workers - how railroad employees have no time off for seeing a doctor, no mental health days, long shifts, and the impact on both physical/mental health. Not to mention how train derailments are impacting the health and wellbeing of communities, and that the corporations have been fighting safety features for years…
Let’s talk about how the current administration, who was supposed to be a solution to the previous administration’s ills, is continuing with plans to privatize Medicare, which includes Medicare Advantage Plans and the fact that Medicare has not been allowed to negotiate prescription prices thus necessitating Medicare D (prescription) plans to be offered through private corporations. This topic touches on some of the economics of austerity, profit motivations of corporations, and the impact on health care.
There’s also the Biden Administration’s looming end of the Covid-19 national health crisis declaration & how it relates to Medicaid eligibility, plus the fact that millions of people are facing being kicked off, including about 7 million people who are still technically eligible.
Speaking of Medicaid, I’d also like to look at the Mechanics of qualifying for aid & how this is more of a bandaid and not actually a bonafide solution in lieu of a health care system.
Then I’d like to dive into at Obamacare - what it promised to be, what it never intended to be, how it got sold to us, where we are now, and what happened to the “baby steps” for improving it since it’s enactment in 2010 - we’re now in 2023, so It’s been almost 13 years now!
As for topics that have been around for a while, how about the fact that it’s 2023, and Flint, MI still doesn’t have clean water nearly a decade later? Neither does Jackson, MS…and things aren’t looking so great for many other municipalities. With This Is Not Medical Advice, I’d like to explore the topic of environmental racism and how that impacts vulnerable communities.
Another series of topics I’d like to address include health care with regards to economically disenfranchised, minority, and LGBTQ+ communities.
With regards to the economically disenfranchised, how about the fact that 1/3 of GoFundMe fundraisers are for medical expenses, and studies are showing that medical debt can lead to issues of homelessness.
Additionally, I’m open to learning about what you’d like to hear discussed. You can contact me via twitter @tinmapodcast (at-T I N M A podcast), facebook.com/tinmapodcast, or you can also reach me through my website at tinmapodcast.com (again, that’s T I N M A podcast dot com).
Thank you for listening, and I hope you join me and future guests for This Is Not Medical Advice.
(End song by Jesse Jett - Apple Model III Slave Collar)
Welcome to This Is Not Medical Advice.
Music - Jesse Jett
https://jessejett.bandcamp.com/
Intro -
We live in a country without a national healthcare system. The basis of "health care" in the wealthiest country of the world is to require that people buy into insurance policies, from for-profit corporations, which are subject to monthly premiums, co-pays, deductibles, multi-tiered medication formularies, and pre-authorizations for various procedures and treatments.
Many cannot afford copays or to meet their plan’s deductible after paying the policy premiums.
GoFundMe has been the number one way for people to attempt raising money for treatment, including for life-saving procedures.
It has been repeatedly said that people should not seek medical advice from social media, but instead obtain the advice of a medical practitioner. That being said, where are people supposed to turn if they are unable to afford copays to see a doctor, or are uncertain of their ability to afford necessary treatment?
I’m Johann, I’m not a medical professional, and This Is Not Medical Advice.
——
In this series, I’m looking to explore the situations and hear the voices and stories of people who have faced, or are facing, issues with obtaining adequate and/or appropriate care under the system we have.
Common social media responses to challenging the market-based system we have that “passes” in this country as a health care system include “go get a job with insurance” “just sign up for Obamacare” “haven’t you heard of Emergency Rooms, they are required to treat everyone.”
In this podcast, I hope to show how things aren’t so cut and dry when it comes to obtaining health care in the United States.
A lot of people end up foregoing preventative screenings, and even necessary treatment because they can’t afford it. Not only are there issues faced by those who are uninsured, but there are issues faced by those who are underinsured, and even those who have insurance. For example, can someone please tell me how much I’m going to pay when I’m being told that I’d be responsible for “30% of allowable costs after deductible is met”? What the hell does that even mean?! The insurance company couldn’t, and they said to call my Doctor’s office, but then the Doctor’s office said they couldn’t tell me…and I should contact the insurance company…I end up just running in circles and on hold for who knows how long for nothing, and still have no idea of how much it’s going to cost!.
I hope to explore the economics of the system we have and its focus on profits over providing adequate treatment.
One topic that is definitely related to profits over health and safety has to do with Railroad companies and their workers - how railroad employees have no time off for seeing a doctor, no mental health days, long shifts, and the impact on both physical/mental health. Not to mention how train derailments are impacting the health and wellbeing of communities, and that the corporations have been fighting safety features for years…
Let’s talk about how the current administration, who was supposed to be a solution to the previous administration’s ills, is continuing with plans to privatize Medicare, which includes Medicare Advantage Plans and the fact that Medicare has not been allowed to negotiate prescription prices thus necessitating Medicare D (prescription) plans to be offered through private corporations. This topic touches on some of the economics of austerity, profit motivations of corporations, and the impact on health care.
There’s also the Biden Administration’s looming end of the Covid-19 national health crisis declaration & how it relates to Medicaid eligibility, plus the fact that millions of people are facing being kicked off, including about 7 million people who are still technically eligible.
Speaking of Medicaid, I’d also like to look at the Mechanics of qualifying for aid & how this is more of a bandaid and not actually a bonafide solution in lieu of a health care system.
Then I’d like to dive into at Obamacare - what it promised to be, what it never intended to be, how it got sold to us, where we are now, and what happened to the “baby steps” for improving it since it’s enactment in 2010 - we’re now in 2023, so It’s been almost 13 years now!
As for topics that have been around for a while, how about the fact that it’s 2023, and Flint, MI still doesn’t have clean water nearly a decade later? Neither does Jackson, MS…and things aren’t looking so great for many other municipalities. With This Is Not Medical Advice, I’d like to explore the topic of environmental racism and how that impacts vulnerable communities.
Another series of topics I’d like to address include health care with regards to economically disenfranchised, minority, and LGBTQ+ communities.
With regards to the economically disenfranchised, how about the fact that 1/3 of GoFundMe fundraisers are for medical expenses, and studies are showing that medical debt can lead to issues of homelessness.
Additionally, I’m open to learning about what you’d like to hear discussed. You can contact me via twitter @tinmapodcast (at-T I N M A podcast), facebook.com/tinmapodcast, or you can also reach me through my website at tinmapodcast.com (again, that’s T I N M A podcast dot com).
Thank you for listening, and I hope you join me and future guests for This Is Not Medical Advice.
(End song by Jesse Jett - Apple Model III Slave Collar)
This Is Not Medical Advice - Trailer
09/02/23 23:54
Music - Jesse Jett
https://jessejett.bandcamp.com/
Intro -
We live in a country without a national healthcare system. The basis of "health care" in the wealthiest country of the world is to require that people buy into insurance policies, from for-profit corporations, which are subject to monthly premiums, co-pays, deductibles, multi-tiered medication formularies, and pre-authorizations for various procedures and treatments.
Many cannot afford copays or to meet their plan’s deductible after paying the policy premiums.
GoFundMe has been the number one way for people to attempt raising money for treatment, including for life-saving procedures.
It has been repeatedly said that people should not seek medical advice from social media, but instead obtain the advice of a medical practitioner. That being said, where are people supposed to turn if they are unable to afford copays to see a doctor, or are uncertain of their ability to afford necessary treatment?
I’m Johann, I’m not a medical professional, and This Is Not Medical Advice.
https://jessejett.bandcamp.com/
Intro -
We live in a country without a national healthcare system. The basis of "health care" in the wealthiest country of the world is to require that people buy into insurance policies, from for-profit corporations, which are subject to monthly premiums, co-pays, deductibles, multi-tiered medication formularies, and pre-authorizations for various procedures and treatments.
Many cannot afford copays or to meet their plan’s deductible after paying the policy premiums.
GoFundMe has been the number one way for people to attempt raising money for treatment, including for life-saving procedures.
It has been repeatedly said that people should not seek medical advice from social media, but instead obtain the advice of a medical practitioner. That being said, where are people supposed to turn if they are unable to afford copays to see a doctor, or are uncertain of their ability to afford necessary treatment?
I’m Johann, I’m not a medical professional, and This Is Not Medical Advice.