Can you imagine being in her shoes?
BUFFALO — Crystal Knihinicki is 33 years old. She’s a registered nurse, working with COVID-19 patients in the medical ICU at the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo.
In March, she planned her own funeral.
She sought out a funeral home, wrote the obituary, re-assigned her health care proxy to a trusted nurse practitioner she works with.
“When we got our first few patients, I had been on the phone doing union stuff, and we had people come on from New York City talking about what was happening there and the nurses that were dying,” Knihinicki said, stoic and unwavering in her explanation.
“And so I thought that it would be unfair to ask my husband, while he’s taking care of two young kids, to plan my funeral if I did die,” she said. “It’s overwhelming.”
The damage that’s being done to nurses, doctors and other providers and support staff will be similar to soldiers who fought in a war, but there will be so much pressure from Republicans to stuff COVID down the memory hole that they will only receive a fraction of the recognition, compensation and other assistance that they deserve.
BR
I’ve been expecting for many months that when this is all over the will be or should be a march on Washington by nurses and doctors. Maybe they should even propose an NHS-like national heath system, which is the only way they wouldn’t have been put in the positions they were without PPE and the rest — even single-payer wouldn’t have solved the hospital and clinic monopolies. If nothing else that will expand the space of discussion about fixing health care.
Cheryl Rofer
Trump has prevented us from recognizing the agony that many are going through. Not only does it isolate the devasting effects on the frontline workers, but also the grieving of those who lose relatives and friends.
Private organizations have sponsored events to honor the frontline workers and the dead, but they don’t have the impact a National Day of Mourning, say, would have.
We all suffer when these feelings are shoved under a rug. I think that President-elect Biden understands how much we need to do these things.
prostratedragon
Guardian/KHN find nearly 3,000 US health workers died of Covid
I think that works out to almost 2000 since late summer. Imagine a death toll like that in any civilian occupation!
ETA: Yes. I found this in my bookmarks.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@Cheryl Rofer:
If 4 deaths at BENGHAZI yielded investigations that spanned years and an 11 hour session by Hillary, how much should 80000 Benghazis yield?
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@prostratedragon:
“But 9/11!”
Inspectrix
I thought this was unsurprising. As a healthcare worker, the pandemic prompted me to finally get my affairs in order. My spouse and I wrote our will, healthcare proxies, power of attorney docs and took care of other legal stuff because it was clear I was at risk. This week over 10 coworkers fell ill from outpatient work. This is not just covid-ICU clinicians getting sick. And I live in a blue state where masks are the norm and work in a healthcare system where we have lots of access to PPE. I think everyone should put their affairs in order now.
Van Buren
Nurses writing their own obituaries while Wall Street celebrates the return of the 3 martini lunch. America 2020.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
My 1st cousin (who rents me my office space) just came up positive, so everybody in the office is having to test – this time, it’s the stabby brain one. Results should be back tomorrow.
We don’t spend a lot of time interacting, but this is the 3rd or 4th positive test.
Miss Bianca
I’m just so infuriated right now. Republicans would have crucified HRC for a death toll that would have been thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, less than Trump’s, and the media would have happily slurped up their word vomit and regurgitated it on their front pages. Meanwhile, we get this shit.
Meanwhile, also, our Republican Board of County Commissioners, also acting as our Board of Health, sits there and refuses to put any measures in place, not even to declare our county to be at level red, because that would “penalize businesses” and be “political suicide.” I am so fucking sick of these gutless wonders.
Mai Naem mobile
I feel so angry about this. The PPE available earlier was garbage. Super thin gowns . Face shields with the thickness of those clear report book covers. Reusing N95 masks. Are you fucking kidding me? A friend works in a doctors office and 2 9f them are still Trumpov supporters. There was a clip of an ER nurse at one of the stupid stop the steal rallies . WTF? I cannot believe 70 fucking million Americans voted for more of this. I want Jared Fucking Kushner and his modulated voice moron wife and her meth snorting brothers to work in a Big City ER for a week with no fuxking PPE. None. No masks. No gowns. No gloves. Just cleaning bedpans and housekeeping work.
Mary G
How do you find a good attorney for this stuff? I did the whole shebang 10 years ago and want to revise it, but my lawyer died.
germy
I remember a few months ago seeing footage of a nurse at a trump rally. And then some eagle-eyed people on twitter zoomed in and noticed details that suggested she was a civilian in masquerade.
Roger Moore
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes:
Someone in my department just tested positive. It’s a very strange case, because she’s actually in a lab that has developed its own COVID test that they’ve applied for an EUA for, and she’s the one who runs the tests. We’re very lucky that she regularly includes her own sample when she’s testing others. She actually tested negative last Wednesday (the last day of her work week) and positive on Sunday, so most of the rest of us weren’t exposed when she was positive. It’s still scary, because she was completely asymptomatic at the time she got the positive test, and it was a very strong positive. If she hadn’t tested herself on Sunday, we all would have been exposed on Monday.
Leto
One of the things I had to take care of during my Iraq pre-deployment training was asking my supervisor to, in the event of my death, handle any media coverage that might happen and also take care of my funeral arrangements. The Army taught us this because their long experience with this. They told us to ask someone we trusted because in all likelyhood our spouses/family were not going to be up to the task of having to deal with all of it. The fact that any frontline worker is having to undertake the same pre-planning that we had to… eternally angry. That’s all I got. I will forever be angry over what they’ve done, and over what they continue to do. The fact that the most irresponsible motherfuckers, who continue to eschew medical advice/downplay the pandemic/encourage their fellow mouth breathers to kill all the rest of us, are at the front of the line to get the vaccine is absofuckinglutely galling.
Flea, RN
(ER nurse here, delurking because this makes me so angry.)
My colleagues and I run into burning buildings every day, then go home and either isolate from our loved ones or walk on eggshells in the hopes that we don’t infect them (I tell my mom “I’m the most dangerous person you know” – she’s 82, and I haven’t seen her since February).
We then wake up and run into the same burning building, past assholes partying on the street.
I cried watching my colleagues get vaccinated yesterday. One of many times over this past year, but the first tears of joy I can remember in a long time.
Or, like Joni Ernst, shoving their way to the front of the line to get a vaccine after accusing ME of lying about this disease to make a buck.
I take my oaths very seriously, but it’s everything I can do to stop from strangling some of these fuckers.
Nelle
My friend, a Zen priest, is a volunteer chaplain for health workers (she’s also a retired doctor). She talks about moral injury that comes after this work, so sustained, in this society that finds it essential to be able to dine indoors and get free refills.
I don’t want to trivialize the term, but do we all have moral injury after living in a country that separates children from parents and just “loses” them? That sees disasters as an opportunity for profit? I could go on and on, as we all could. But what are the injuries to our moral integrity to being compelled, by paying taxes if nothing else, to be a part of all of this? In even just witnessing and compiling lists?
Princess Leia
@Mary G: I know you are in OC- try Elder Law and Disability Rights Center. They are a non-profit firm and do great work.
prostratedragon
River: The Joni Letters, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corrine Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza, Leonard Cohen, and the band
VeniceRiley
Brining up from the grievance thread… The Community Hospital I work across the street from has picketing nurses out front. 1 news media van from ABC covering.
Cousin’s husband update: He’s on a ventilator and critical. Right before her post that he was sick is a share of the Sherriff in the county saying they weren’t going to enforce Gov. Newsom’s dictatorial orders. So. Karma strikes fast.
Archon
When we found out Americans would get 600 bucks for their troubles, my friend asked me a question. He said, “Why hasn’t the capital building been burned down by the people?”
I can’t think of any government in history that purports to be a democracy having less interest in the well-being of it’s citizens then what we have seen in 2020.
oatler.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a35058338/trump-pardon-blackwater-contractors-iraq-murders/
Baud
@Archon: We just learned that nearly half the people support this state of things. Anyone from the far right to the far left to everyone in between who portrays this as government versus the people is helping Republicans and their donors preserve the status quo.
germy
germy
Gravenstone
@germy: So every single one of them who participated signed a waiver at the door preventing them from seeking medical care in the event they become ill as a result of their actions, right?
Omnes Omnibus
@Baud: Yes, there have been people and organizations who have been trying at various levels to fix this. Let’s make blame goes where it belongs.
Miss Bianca
@Flea, RN: : (
I can’t even imagine what you are going through every day. I would say “thank you for your service”, but that sounds so trite as to be almost demeaning.
But thank you.
LuciaMia
@Cheryl Rofer: And there are STILL RW asswipes claiming that doctors/nurses are somehow ‘profiting’ off of Covid.
frosty
@germy: So sad. It’s not like the VP and the Cabinet can’t do anything about it. The 25th Amendment is pretty much useless, but they could get the ball rolling if they cared enough about the country.
Hell, it might even enhance their future employability!
germy
@Gravenstone:
No, they’ll be first in line.
Remember, Rudy was “feeling fine” but they gave him a hospital bed and the best treatments.
Brachiator
@BR:
In the UK, the NHS did not have sufficient PPE because of Boris Johnson’s dawdling and screw-ups.
No matter the health care system, you need a caring, competent government to help ensure that things get done.
Wag
@Miss Bianca: Life in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos must be challenging right now. i feel for you. The views are amazing, but the neighbors disappoint on a repeated basis. I love visiting there, but could never live there. Stay safe and stay healthy
germy
@Brachiator:
A man who worked in the White House (security, I think?) lost his foot to COVID. He has hospital bills and his family has set up a gofundme page for him.
We’re GoFundMe nation.
arrieve
My best friend called me this morning to wish me a merry Christmas. She told me her aunt and her cousin were both in the ICU with Covid; other members of the family tested positive and are quarantining at home. She just called me back in tears — her aunt died. Between sobs she yelled about “this fucking virus” and said, “I just want to keep my family safe. How can I keep my family safe?”
How the bloody hell did we allow this to happen? In the spring here in NYC I knew many people who got sick and several who died, but over the summer as the numbers went down, I stopped hearing these stories. Now it’s all starting again, and I’m crying and I just want to kick every fucker who enabled or denied or lied for profit upside the head with steel-tipped stilettoes.
sdhays
@germy: I am sooooooo sick of hearing about these jackasses whining about their shitty work environment. No one is making them stay there. They don’t need to be there when the term ends. They didn’t need to be there before and they don’t need to be there now. If they don’t like it, they can leave and look for work in the booming Dump economy.
It really is the case that MAGA should have been MAWA – Make America Whine Again. “My hair won’t cut itself!” “Not being able to get free refills on my nasty factory-made iced tea is torture!” “I gleefully chose to work for one of stupidest, meanest, most awful people in the United States and boohoo, it sucks!”
Whine, whine, whine, all while hospital workers are facing war zones every day and front-line workers get to sacrifices their lives for minimum wage, or a bit more, if they’re lucky.
sdhays
@frosty: Dense has pretty much checked out, by the sounds of it. Not that you’d notice.
Brachiator
@germy:
Crede Bailey, director of White House security, had been in the hospital since September. He is a federal employee and supposedly very loyal to Trump.
You are right, it’s a damn shame that his expenses have be covered by a GoFundMe campaign. And a damn shame that Trump apparently had little to say about the man, or apparently did little to help him.
And Trump stupidity may have led to the man coming down with the virus in the first damn place.
ETA: I note that the stories have not noted any signs of decency on the part of Trump. I would happily give him credit if I am wrong here.
germy
@Brachiator:
I mean, if insurance won’t cover the director of white house security, what chance do I have?
Baud
@germy:
IIRC, the expenses he is asking money for are not for medical expenses, but for home remodeling to accommodate his disability.
Brachiator
@germy:
Damn good question.
And in a Tax Law Updates training class, I had to remind some preparers that funeral expenses are not deductible.
There is so much about this pandemic that makes me want to shout.
germy
@Baud:
I read they were to cover his hospital bills, I think he was in there for a few months.
OzarkHillbilly
I read that the family requested it all be kept private and quiet. A cousin did the go fund me and the cat was out of the bag at that point. Still the family refuses to comment. So trump keeping his yap shut was in line with their requests. Keeping his wallet shut on the other hand…
Tazj
Yesterday, Matt Yglesias wrote that there was one group that hasn’t been covered by the press. That group is liberals who against the shutdowns or restrictions but are afraid to complain about it because they would be shamed or something.
My only thought was and still is who cares? I’ve always thoughts the anti-restriction people have had way more coverage in the press than was necessary. Now I now businesses and people are suffering terribly and need relief immediately. However, this should have been handled differently by the government from the start, providing adequate relief all along and maybe asking citizens who can to sacrifice more.
Roger Moore
@OzarkHillbilly:
Was exactly what anyone with even passing familiarity with the man would expect. The only time he opens his wallet voluntarily is to put money in.
OzarkHillbilly
You sound like some kinda Commie.
Brachiator
@Baud:
These still might be considered to be medical expenses.
Recovery can be as devastating as the illness.
germy
Bailey has been the White House Chief Security Officer since June 2018. Carl Kline, who was the director of the Personnel Security Office, reported to Bailey until Kline left in January 2019 and Bailey took over as director.
Early in the Donald Trump Presidency, concerns were raised over issuing a White House security clearance to the President’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, because of his pursuit of large loans from Qatari financiers. Carl Kline did eventually issue Kushner a clearance. Bailey later testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform that he had never felt any pressure from anyone at the White House over deciding on security clearances. Bailey was responsible for suspending security office employee and whistleblower Tricia Newbold after her objections to Kushner getting clearance.
OzarkHillbilly
@Roger Moore: A sucker born every minute.
gvg
There apparently aren’t enough reporters locally. Every news station and paper should have been doing human interest stories about the individuals who were sick or dying. It should have been like Vietnam coverage. That would have gotten through. But all we have is reporters who focus on what the VIPs in government say. It should be the other way around, the VIP’s should be told by the public what to do.
trollhattan
@Brachiator:
Donny at most will toss him a paper towel roll and give a thumbs up. “Suckers, what was in it for them?”
Old School
@Brachiator: The GoFundMe covers both medical and renovations:
Roger Moore
@OzarkHillbilly:
Unfortunately, that’s barely enough to keep up with COVID.
Omnes Omnibus
@germy: I don’t necessarily believe it when a Trumpie does a GFM. I would not be surprised if his Fed health ins. covered his medical expenses and he is now grifting.
mad citizen
Good post and jackal posts as well. Just going back to BR’s and Cheryl’s posts at #1 and #2, yes, I would support a National Day of Mourning. This nation needs at least one reckoning. It would be great if somehow we could all agree to shut almost all of the stores, have no sportsball, etc (how about all the tv channels play a meditation screen/music). Let (force) everyone have one day to meditate on this event.
Brachiator
@Tazj:
Exactly. I don’t care about the political ideology of stupid people. They are just plain stupid.
Yep. Should have been way more assistance for people whose businesses were shut down, and assistance for their employees.
Van Buren
@Archon: I see you have been talking to my son, who is scornful that Americans have not done whatever the American equivalent of storming the Bastille is. I’m not disagreeing. I can think of a few people whose actions would improve if there was a very real possibility of meeting up with Mr. Guillotine.
Baud
@Omnes Omnibus:
Yeah, I’m suspicious about the medical expenses, beyond the deductible. Fed insurance is pretty good. It wouldn’t cover renovations though, I think.
Leto
@Omnes Omnibus: So as someone who has Fed health ins, it won’t even begin to help touch what his bills are/were. Yes it paid for a lot during my 6 week hospital stay (my motorcycle accident), but I still owed north of $300k. What eventually happened were lawyers were involved, a number of suits, and then a settlement was reached. Oh, do we want to talk about physical therapy? I have the best plan available and you get 75 visits, total, for the year. He’s going to need more than that. That’s another out of pocket expense. I had a good PT who understood my situation and only charged me what the copay would’ve been.
Federal health insurance isn’t what people think it is. It’s not some type of golden Cadillac plan. It’s just a basic health care plan. It’s nice, but doesn’t even begin to compare to what I had as active duty military.
Baud
@Leto: I don’t understand that. Even if the insurance covered nothing, there’s still an out-of-pocket limit of $9000 for Obamacare compliance insurance, which a Fed health plan should be.
ETA: That wouldn’t cover out-of-network expenses, so that may be where the bills add up.
J R in WV
@Tazj:
@Brachiator:
What on earth gives Yglesias the idea that there any liberals who are against shutdowns and restrictions? Is he that stupid / pig ignorant? I guess so.
All my friends are liberals, and not one of them is against shutdowns and restrictions. We all wear masks, and wear them properly, and will seek out vaccinations ASAP.
I think Matt has some disorder affecting his judgement. CJ syndrome, early onset dementia of some sort, something. He is obviously not thinking straight.
Part of what makes one a liberal is a desire to help others do better. Part of what makes one a conservative is an overpowering urge to kick anyone who is below you on the success ladder right in the face! Can anyone tell Yglesias what this difference means in how one responds to a pandemic? Since he obviously can’t figure it out on his own, I mean!
MisterForkbeard
@J R in WV: I have a liberal friend who is against some shutdowns. For example, she thinks restricting things like outdoor nail salons and hairdressers is stupid, because most of the time the virus is transmitted indoors when people are together for an extended period of time without masks (like at restaurants).
Her opinion is that since we’re not giving these people any relief, we should give them the option of opening. She’s pretty pissed at the SF mayor about it.
Leto
@Baud:
So here’s where they get you: I got a settlement from the driver who hit me. I also got a settlement from my insurance. Under law, health insurance companies are able to take that from you. They consider it “double dipping”. Health insurance paid out for medical bills, but they see you’ve been paid medical bills, so they want to recoup their losses. I’m 99.99999999999% certain the same shit will happen with him. Because it happens with so many other people. So that $9k out of pocket limit is basically just black ink that means nothing.
You know, maybe it’ll be different for him. Maybe after the millions spent on him he’ll have, at max, $9k out of pocket for his three months at the hospital (I remember right, he was there for three months). He’s still going to have extensive PT that needs to be done, home modifications, and just the life altering impact that losing a part of you will incur. The hospital part is only 1 part of his medical expenses and it’s all downhill from there. I’m not going to lose any sleep over this dude, but I’m also not going to say that my Federal health insurance is something really nice
Edit: just as an aside it was an in-network hospital that I was taken to, although I didn’t have a choice in the matter because I basically wasn’t conscious at the time. The only time I’ve seen a number that high, very high 7 digit figure, has been in video games. I hope to never receive another piece of mail with something like that attached again.
scav
In a just world, their ice tea refills and their hair roots would be red with the blood of their victims.
Leto
@Baud: Also if I seem like I’m yelling, I apologize. Realize how that comment can come off so apologizes. Just trying to relay my experience with the system. I honestly wish we could all have a similar system to the VA/active duty military. Basically “soshalust” healthcare, though there are some reforms that are much needed, but overall pretty darn good.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Leto: I think what’s different in his case is there are not other parties to the payment process. In your case you have entities(your health insurance, the driver who caused your injury’s auto insurance company and personal liability on the part of the other driver) competing on who would pay. None of them want to left holding the bag on the cost. You’re right a single payer system would make that much simpler. I think Baud’s right that the GoFundMe is not covering hospitalization, but you’re right that it’s probably covering PT and making his home accessible for him during and after his recovery.
Dan B
@Flea, RN: Thank you for posting this! I wear masks to protect myself and others but it’s also to prevent a disaster at hospitals.
Keep in mind that the people who accuse medical professionals of profiting are projecting their values onto you. Their proxy for morality is money since their moral center is a blackened heart. They try to fill this charred ember with status. Money does not make a heart as full of courage as yours.
Baud
@Leto: I appreciate it. I’m just trying to understand. I’ve only had one major medical event in my life, and everything worked as it should have, so I’m lucky. I still kind of agree with @?BillinGlendaleCA about what’s going on in that guy’s case, but who knows?
marcopolo
Apparently Trump just vetoed the Defense Authorization bill claiming it was a gift to China. No word yet on what he does with Covid relief or the Omnibus Funding bills but I’m sensing a trend here.
Sure hope this hurts Loeffler & Perdue in GA.
Mai Naem mobile
@germy: if Bailey was involved in getting Kushner his security clearance in any way I frankly couldn’t care less about him. Don’t mean to sound like an asshole but Kushner has done so much damage in four years I have zero fucks left to give about anybody who assisted him.
Gravenstone
@marcopolo: May the Republicans have the very merriest of Christmases having to clean up after their asshole.
Mary G
@Princess Leia: Great, thank you!
Leto
@?BillinGlendaleCA: It still could be covering hospitalization; if he’s received any type of insurance payout, they’ll go after it, and he’ll still need to pay medical bills. Idk, trying to get in on the grift while you’re laying in bed wondering what your life is going to be like without a foot/leg… maybe I’m giving him more credit than I should. Maybe that was his first thought when he looked down at his stump. Idk. As much as I want to say, “FUCK YOU, GOOD! YOU GOT WHAT YOU FUCKING DESERVED!”, I still also remember laying in bed with all the same questions/concerns and wondering how the fuck is this going to be ok?
Side note: thanks for the pictures of the convergence. It’s continued to be overcast all the time here so seeing any of the event has been really nice.
Baud: I can’t wait to see the BAUD 20XX healthcare plan for all of us! Hopefully some of these shitty adjacent laws are removed in your plan ;)
Baud
@marcopolo: I hope so. I’d imagine that will get overridden.
Ksmiami
@Flea, RN: my only happy thought regarding the coup is that if Trump does manage to overturn the election, then all rules are out the window and we can start targeting the anti-masker GOP Congress ppl and governors
Leto
@marcopolo: he’s attempting a military coup while also refusing to pay them. Too on brand.
@Baud: it supposedly passed with veto proof margins in both chambers, so we’ll see if that holds.
Ksmiami
@scav: your offer is acceptable
Mary G
@J R in WV: Matt takes pride in taking the “savvy contrarian view,” to the point where I just decided he was a troll with better grammar skills and blocked him.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@marcopolo: Merry Christmas, Mitch!
rikyrah
When this is all over, we are going to lose an entire generation of healthcare workers;
marcopolo
As for medical stuff, I did not have health insurance for about 5 years in the mid-90s. During this time I also had to have my appendix removed–or else. The total cost I was billed was slightly north of $32,000, which was bargained down, over the course of several months to $16K. With insurance it would have been a couple thousand. I am blessed to have a family that could help me handle that cost. I don’t want to think about the in-long-term-medical-debt alternative.
I became re-insured with the passage of the ACA & have had insurance via that since. It’s been a godsend & I am hoping that Biden & his team put in place some kind of Medicare buy-in starting at 60 in the next couple of years so I can move over to that. That would also help several of my friends. We are all aging, being on the market & looking for a job at 55+ is often grim, and our health care needs ain’t decreasing.
rikyrah
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes:
Prayers.
rikyrah
@marcopolo:
I hope that they lower it to 55.
Mary G
@Leto:
I love that so much I just wanted to see it again. The president in a nutshell.
McConnell and McCarthy have got to be so pissed off. They have trouble controlling their teams at the best of times, and this ain’t it. I’m enjoying the thought of them spending Christmas making phone calls, lots of phone calls, while Nancy SMASH sips her eggnog and smiles.
Bill Arnold
@marcopolo:
Perhaps the shell corporations language bothered him.
Ksmiami
@arrieve: I really think the media has done a bad job capturing how enraged we Dems/liberals are at our nation’s failing due to GOP malfeasance. I’m pretty much like Dr. Banner at this point (Always angry) so if the Proud Boys are dumb enough to start something, We will respond in kind
rikyrah
@marcopolo:
I think it’s because they have that shell company reveal language in it.
marcopolo
@Baud: Well, I’d also imagine it gets overridden, but the damage is done by Trump bad mouthing it–that will go straight into the veins of his MAGA cult idiots. As a result, the R’s voting to override will become part of the never Trump deep state or something–it isn’t like I understand that shit.
Baud
@marcopolo:
That’ll take Congress to do. Hope that GA pulls through twice.
rikyrah
I want a memorial like the Vietnam Memorial – with everyone’s name on it who has died of COVID-19.
Leto
@rikyrah: #3 is a very real possibility and part of why our immigration policies need a total overhaul. The majority of my docs for my accident were foreign born, trained, and immigrated here. I also had a fair number of foreign medical students who poked and prodded me, and I was happy they were there. I always made sure to express my thanks to them, as well as trying to engage them on where they were from, etc etc.
The AMA restriction on the # of docs trained per year also needs a scorched Earth campaign rework.
JoyceH
@marcopolo: He was also pissed off at the attack on our ‘heritage’, in other words, changing the names of military bases named after traitors.
MattF
Perdue has chosen a side on the NDAA veto.
ETA: Well, look at the date on that. Now I don’t know what’s going on.
Avalune
I don’t remember the details because I pretty much try to put all that shit behind me but there were definitely a lot of digits on a lot of bills that absolutely shocked the pants off me. And majority of it was from the first couple weeks at the hospital. Insurance covered a lot. Also didn’t cover a lot. But when they tried to call in on the lien to take all the settlement funds our lawyer bought them off pretty cheap (30k).
All in all still a very expensive very endeavor, with co pays, ongoing costs, costs that were not covered, lawyers, etc etc.
O stars. Do not recommend being hit by car.
Mary G
@Baud: The “tax cut” bill also screwed over disabled people by making it impossible to write off home modifications unless you have a huge number of deductions and can itemize, so I sympathize. I am resigned to just having to pay for anything I want.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Leto: You may be right, his health insurance company might go after some of the GoFundMe funds to offset hospitalization costs, but I kind of doubt it. The thing with Auto/Health insurance is they explicitly say that one will cover the other and compensatory damages in litigation or a settlement would also be earmarked the same way. Punitive damages would be different.
Glad you liked my Great Conjunction photo, here’s one of the conjunction over downtown LA.
Baud
@MattF:
Haha. Chickenshit @’s POTUS rather than realDonaldTrump. As of Trump won’t find out.
Leto
@Avalune:
Worst Yelp review I’ve been involved in. :P
Mary G
@Baud:
That said, baby boomers aging has made many more things helpful to the disabled available at a much lower price than when I started needing help in the ’80s.
marcopolo
@rikyrah: This is an excellent idea. I’m going to send a note to my congress critter elect, Cori Bush, to suggest it to her.
Omnes Omnibus
@Leto: I had fed ins when I worked for the courts. It was a gold plated Cadillac plan. I spent about 200 out of pocket on ACL (plus) surgery. It can be very good ins.
Dan B
@rikyrah: So true, sadly, unless we get help with mourning. Some groups helped gay people recover in the aftermath of AIDS so there are people with experience. Hopefully Biden / Harris will tap into this well of knowledge.
Baud
@Omnes Omnibus:
Also, important to note that there’s not one plan. Feds get to choose from different plans at different prices.
Princess Leia
@Mary G: Yes, they helped with all that stuff- wills, advance directives/med POA, financial POA. And they also are doing human rights law to help homeless folks in the OC. Love them!!
Gravenstone
@Baud: Look at the date. He was haranguing Obama.
Ang
Another possible medical cost is what they call durable medical equipment (DME). Even the military insurance (TRICARE) only covers DME at 50%. DME is basically any supply that you use at home or goes home with you. Portable oxygen machine, CPAP supplies, blood testing strips for diabetics, basically anything you can actually touch that isn’t a medicine. The velcro removeable walking cast my spouse was sent home with from the hospital post-surgery got billed at 50% through the hospitals (technically for legal purposes) outside provider. Since the guy will probably need a wheelchair, crutches, and walker at least temporarily, it could really add up, plus a prosthetic and maybe multiple ones. And DME is just as ridiculously high priced as you would guess.
Mary G
Baud
@Gravenstone:
Ah, it was a snark link. Ok, that makes more sense.
I don’t know if Trump’s actions will tank GA for the GOP, but I will laugh my ass off of it does.
Nutmeg again
@Leto: Go ahead and yell — I think I must have posted here, but here’s an illustrative story of what you get in another, more civilized country. Germany in this case. Not a gold-plated policy or anything (although you can get that stuff there, it’s unnecessary).
A friend took a fall and had a non-mobility affecting bone break. She’s older, about 62 when it happened. After she mostly healed, her primary care doc decided she wasn’t resting enough (she does very sedentary solo office work).
She got a prescription to go to a sea-side spa for 3 weeks (massage; PT; sauna; whatever…) Paid by her health care. Oh, and she got there via public transit. Yeah.
Mary G
@Ang: Don’t even get me started on that. So many DME providers sell the cheapest crap for the highest price. It’s a little better now with the internet, but every time I see an old person going into a certain store I want to run over and beg them not to do it.
Brachiator
@Leto:
So right. Trump can’t help but be Trump. He only has a few moves, and is incapable of learning or changing.
Strangely enough, UK prime minister seems to suffer from similar defects.
Kathleen
Ohio Department of Health produced this powerful video featuring Ohio nurses talking about Covid. It’s amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzpfJVykCz0
Dan B
@marcopolo: It would be great to have mourning processes where people can participate like the AIDS quilt. Pictures of people who died showing not only loving grandparents but also the many faces of those who died young. It would be great to have print and digital media do a memorial to stories of a cross section of people. There was a program -Frontline? – on Covid in Italy shot mostly in hospital. The most moving was a very fit, and healthy looking 18 year old guy being intubated. He asked the nurses if he was going to die. I’m tearing up writing this but at the time I was overloaded emotionally. We are missing these stories and it is helping prevent awareness of what we are facing. Without visceral imagery words have little force.
Avalune
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Yeah – I don’t think they CAN go after the Go Fund Me really. Your insurance generally has a line in there about liens and whatnot that clearly says they can do so. I suspect that like us few people know that is in there. :D I’m just super happy we were able to “pay them off” at a significantly lower amount. It was all very difficult to manage while also trying to deal with Leto’s folks and his health/recovery. I’m very grateful that we had good insurances for car and health – otherwise it would have been a different scenario.
Even so, system is very frustrating and I’m going to bitch about it. :-P
Leto
@Omnes Omnibus: @Baud: It can be. I think pre-ACA it might have been better, but I know now that we have a slew of plans to choose from. We have to do all the research as to which plan might be the best for us, which price point, do you have family/kids, and Mr Anderson has covered what a shitshow that is. I know when I was looking it over, and trying to parse all the info, that I basically went with the best BlueCross/BlueShield plan because I was familiar with that (dad was a high school teacher and that was what we had growing up). Transitioning from active duty to that was a rough experience.
@Nutmeg again: I spent a lot of time thinking about how if I had had my accident back in the UK, how it would’ve been handled differently. How if I was still active duty, it would’ve been handled differently. I had to stop because I simply became too mad. I’m more mad because I was fortunate enough to have the resources/help to get through it, but there are so many people who don’t. The whole, “Someone else might have it too good! They might use TOO MUCH healthcare!!!!”, is just… it’s just going to keep on killing us.
Avalune
@Nutmeg again: And you hush with your showy German health care. :D
Somewhat funny story about Italian Health Care? If they give you anything for pain because you are a wussy American and are used to being offered medication for pain, they give it to you with a syringe so you have to inject yourself with it.
I’ll just take some commissary motrin I guess? I’d broken my wrist in two places. :D
Dan B
@Kathleen: Stunning and so simple video. From my home state. Shocked. It’s what we need, desperately! More of this!
And it didn’t have dying / suffering sick people porn, just nurses trying to control their emotions.
Omnes Omnibus
@Leto: I have never understood the urge that some have to try to take nice things from other people. Why not say “hey, I deserve that too?”
Kathleen
@Mary G: He may be testing a new “branding” niche. The “Look! Even Liberal XYZ Hates Democrats” niche is too crowded and competitive. The “Even The Liberals Chafe At CoVid Restrictions” is wide open, though too bound to an event.
Kathleen
@Dan B: Yes it is. It airs frequently on TV so it’s front and center. And this is from a state with a Republican governor. I really admire how DeWine has handled this and very grateful he is our governor.
cckids
@rikyrah:
I’ve posted before about the CNN clip of the nurse talking about the toll it was taking, especially being with people as they were dying. She said that in their training, and before COVID, they cultivated a professional distance; for their own sake, and because most patients had family to be there with them as they passed. Now, as so many were dying alone, nurses (of course) are sitting with them, holding their hand, being present in place of family. Day after day, emotionally engaging with a dying person.
PTSD will be the least of it, when this is over.
I’m hit hard by it because my sister is a hospice nurse in Maryland. In before times, she was mainly with people at home, now she is in hospitals and nursing homes. She said one nursing home she regularly works with had zero COVID cases till the end of August. By Nov, of 100 residents, they had 58 cases. It is just devastating.
Ruckus
@Brachiator:
Competency is always the key. Because it’s either competency or pure fucking luck. And some of us just can not count on luck. (During Vietnam I was of age, now I didn’t want to go but for me I could only stand 2 yrs being 1A before I really, really started getting worried that I wasn’t going to be lucky. So I enlisted, very shortly thereafter the lottery was announced. So I would likely be above 300. Nope, still got that streak going, my number was 15. One way or another, I was serving.)
J R in WV
My dad had a Hospice nurse his last few weeks. She was an angel in real life. Of course, dad had his kids and grandkids with him off and on. Not like today with the Trump Plague.
The Pale Scot
@BR:
If only, the UK fucked up by the numbers also. Handing out PPE supply contracts and contracts to set up tracing to good, solid Tories. The results are pretty much the same as here.
Ruckus
@Leto:
As a VA patient I have to say, overall, it’s the best healthcare I’ve ever had. It isn’t perfect, but really what is? My doc that wanted me to come in set me up for an appointment 2 weeks ago and the first I could get was July. He intervened and now I have an appointment in January. Now I’m not sure how and why, but that’s actually about as fast as I’ve ever seen.
Anyway a system like the VA would be better for most people, other than some docs, but the concept would likely not be acceptable to many, as it is to many vets, as I hear some complaints all the time. I think that if they had to pay what civilians have to pay and find out that wait times really aren’t a lot different their minds would change.
Brachiator
@Ruckus:
Very true.
I had a high number in the lottery. A college roommate got a low number and enlisted. He did OK later in life.
debbie
Keyword search tells me no one’s brought up Ron DeSantis, the despicable FL governor who has ordered that the elderly will get vaccines before the front-line healthcare workers. Am I the only one offended by this toady’s order?
enplaned
Over the next year or two, many will leave the profession or at least find other, less stressful perches within medicine. Whether they leave their jobs or not, some will be sorting out PTSD for decades. Some will be thrown for a loop and end up homeless, the way that some veterans are devastated by PTSD. Our massively dysfunctional society is chewing them up the way we chew up our young military folks.
centerfielddj
@BR: Many to most physicians are opposed to an national health care system, particularly a single payer system. Too many doctors are blinded by greed and/or ideology.
There are many, many reasons why it is difficult to improve the U.S. health care system. This is among them.