I went to a meeting of Whole Washington (@WholeWashington) volunteers at my local library today.

About 15 engaged community members met to discuss how to continue the fight for a universal healthcare plan that will cover all Washington state residents.

Whole Washington has run 3 different citizen initiative campaigns over the years. They continually lobby the Washington legislature. They keep trying. They never give up.

Whole Washington's got a universal healthcare bill in the WA senate this session. They are actively seeking a sponsor for a bill in the house of representatives.

There's nothing more uplifting than surrounding yourself with people who believe that positive change can be achieved, especially given the long, hard slog we face with the incoming administration.

If you want to get involved, visit https://wholewashington.org/

#USPol #USPolitics #Healthcare #WashingtonState #HealthcareIsAHumanRight

Kristen Bell & Matt Damon are paying off people's medical debt—but why should they have to? | The Mary Sue

https://www.themarysue.com/kristen-bell-matt-damon-are-paying-off-peoples-medical-debt-but-why-should-they-have-to/

#UniversalFreeHealthcare #SecondBillOfRights #HealthcareIsAHumanRight #NoHealthcarePrivatization #CapitalismKills

This is beyond insane. Why Americans aren't in the streets tearing the whole place down, I'll never understand.

#HealthInsuranceIsAMafia #HealthcareIsAHumanRight #USpol

There's that specious strawman➡️ You can condemn a murder, and still believe that it was justified in a certain case.
We all watch movies and television series, where we barrack for the good guy to 'take out' the bad guy who has killed many innocent people.
In reality, hundreds of 'bad guys' kill millions of innocents, and the law is either impotent, or geared to protect the bad guys. It's no wonder that millions celebrated the death of a truly evil bad guy, who preyed on the ill. That celebration is condemned by the establishment, because it upsets the order of things that make them comfortable.
#HealthCareIsAHumanRight

'It Had to Be Done': #LuigiMangione Manifesto Revealed

"A reminder: the U.S. has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy," the 26-year-old accused of assassinating a health insurance CEO reportedly wrote.

[contains transcript (corroborated by NBC) published by Ken Klippenstein]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/luigi-mangione-manifesto

#press #news #HealthCare #HealthcareInsurance #politics #HealthcareIsAHumanRight
#Medicare4All

Universal healthcare in U.S. would have saved 212,000 lives, $459B in 2020, study finds
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/universal-healthcare-us-would-have-saved-212000-lives-459b-2020-study-finds

#UniversalHealthCare #HealthcareIsAHumanRight #HealthCare

4/4
So, besides denial of care, UnitedHealth menaces our society in other ways. UnitedHealth’s acquisition rampage has gobbled up independent healthcare companies on its quest for monopoly control. UnitedHealth has also vertically consolidated to capture as many healthcare dollars as possible, even running their own bank to extract junk fees from health savings deposits.

So, imagine you work a shit job (at a healthcare provider!) with shit employer healthcare coverage that not only has the highest industry denial rate, it can leave you with $16,600 in uncovered healthcare expenses annually by design. That insurance plan pairs with a company-town-style bank that nickels and dimes your scant savings (because, you know, shit job).

Psychopath Brian Thompson created this. It was his life’s work. What a total shitbag.

#Healthcare #UnitedHealth #USPol #USPolitics #BrianThompson #HealthcareIsAHumanRight #GetProfitOutOfHealthcare

3/4
In the 1990s, I used to work where Carey works. Back then, it was called The Polyclinic, an independent, Seattle-based, physician-owned, multispecialty medical clinic with 89 physicians. The Polyclinic’s ownership structure granted one share to to each physician. Physician-owners’ votes dictated policy change. As an employee back then, I had full health coverage with no out-of-pocket costs.

The Polyclinic has been the target of multiple acquisitions. The Polyclinic is no more. It now runs under the brand of Optum, a UnitedHealth subsidiary. The physician-ownership structure is long gone. So is the good employee health insurance coverage.

In 2018, UnitedHealth purchased The Polyclinic, which until that point had remained “staunchly independent for more than century.” According to Carey, things went south pretty quickly from there.

Carey says their HSA balance at Optum Bank always zeroes out because they must use the money saved there to cover out-of-pocket health expenses, because, you know, high deductibles. So, at minimum, Optum skims another $1 per month off them in fees due to not meeting the $500 balance threshold. Talk about adding insult to injury.

#Healthcare #UnitedHealth #USPol #USPolitics #BrianThompson #HealthcareIsAHumanRight #GetProfitOutOfHealthcare