Back in May, I tried to schedule a mammogram. I had a prescription from my then-primary physician, so I called the hospital that was in my shitty then-insurance network to make an appointment.
The person doing the scheduling told me the prescription didn’t have enough information on it for them to know what to do. I suggested they call the doctor and ask. She told me no, I had to go back to the doctor and get the right prescription.
“Then what is the right information?” I asked. She told me I’d have to ask the doctor.
Now, this doctor doesn’t really believe in being helpful. She charged me a $40 co-pay just to come in and ask a question, so I said, “Fuck that,” and figured I could wait another five years.
Yesterday morning, I got a call from the same hospital, saying they wanted to help me schedule the mammogram.
“You mean the one I tried to schedule five months ago?” I said. “I already have another primary care doctor and an appointment for a mammogram.”
Now, I have a friend who had breast cancer, and she told me she has the exact same problem: If it doesn’t have exactly the right code, they won’t do it. Then my sister told me the same thing. Am I the only person who didn’t know this?
Coding has been a problem in the for-profit health care system for 75 years and will continue to be a problem for as long as private, for-profit health insurance companies exist.
The military budget for 2020 is a tad over $682 billion ($300 billion of that is for fighting Middle Eastern wars).
Borrowing $682 billion from the Chinese and Saudi Arabia doesn’t seem like a good idea?
But at least now the military can afford to fight our endless, miserable wars in style.
The deficit for 2020 will be about $1 trillion dollars.
The other $300 billion making up the $1 trillion ($300 + $682) deficit will go to the rich and the corporations in tax cuts.
Adding $1 trillion to the National Debt gives “we the people” nothing but the shit end of the stick once again.
Medicare-for-all, including all active duty and retired military veterans living or dead.