One of my favorite podcasts is Arm and a Leg, a show about self-defense from medical billing in the US health care system. As a Canadian in the US, I often feel gaslit by the system, as my doctors and their offices act as though predatory, disgusting practices are natural.
Arm and a Leg documents these unethical practices in eye-watering detail, making it clear at ever turn that these are Not Okay, and that they are victimizing the American people, and must be overturned. And, in the meantime, they focus on practical ways to protect yourself.
This week’s episode is a short masterclass in using small claims courts to fight predatory billing. It builds on the tale of Jeffrey Fox, a lawyer’s son who has mastered the small claims system as a means of holding corporate bullies to account.
Fox sued UCLA health in 2015 over a $1,444.37 co-pay (the total had been $1,698.70, but his insurance picked up some of it) for a simple procedure that other local facilities charged $180 for.
UCLA was a no-show at the hearing, and Fox had an exquisitely prepared case to show the judge, who issued a judgment in Fox’s favor, including costs.
Naturally, UCLA stiffed him on the judgment, too, so Fox wrote a letter telling them he’d pay the sheriff to confiscate the hospital’s computers and auction them off to pay the judgment and the sheriff’s fees. A check arrived promptly by Fedex.
The Arm and a Leg episode that tells Fox’s story explains the full procedure: how to deal with the billing department, how to research the fair price for your procedure, how to go to court, and how to collect your judgment. It’s amazing.
It’s a sequel of sorts to another episode: “Can They Freaking Do That,” which documents how even a credible threat of a small claims action can get predatory medical bills reduced or eliminated.
It’s a wonderful and heartwarming David and Goliath story, but there’s a sting in the tail: this works fine if you’re on the receiving end of one or two predatory bills, but if you’re struggling with a chronic illness, you might get several of these bills every month.
In other words, fighting those bills could easily become a full time job for someone who’s already struggling. And while Arm and a Leg has practical advice for dealing with medical bill collectors, the whole enterprise is a source of national shame.
Arm and a Leg is a reminder of how a country has turned its back on its people, literally left them to die, rather than stand up to the investor class and demand the same health care that every other wealthy nation in the world guarantees to their citizens.
It boggles my mind that Americans don’t have #Medicare4All.
Since neither Mr Trump or Mr Biden have any interest in providing universal Healthcare, Americans really ought to take the opportunity afforded them by the 2020 election to cast their ballot for the Green Party USA presidential candidate Howie Hawkins.
More eligible American voters did not vote in 2016 than voted for Mr Trump *or* Mrs Clinton. If all those voters were to vote tomorrow, they could change the world.
One of my favorite podcasts is Arm and a Leg, a show about self-defense from medical billing in the US health care system. As a Canadian in the US, I often feel gaslit by the system, as my doctors and their offices act as though predatory, disgusting practices are natural.
Arm and a Leg documents these unethical practices in eye-watering detail, making it clear at ever turn that these are Not Okay, and that they are victimizing the American people, and must be overturned. And, in the meantime, they focus on practical ways to protect yourself.
This week’s episode is a short masterclass in using small claims courts to fight predatory billing. It builds on the tale of Jeffrey Fox, a lawyer’s son who has mastered the small claims system as a means of holding corporate bullies to account.
Fox sued UCLA health in 2015 over a $1,444.37 co-pay (the total had been $1,698.70, but his insurance picked up some of it) for a simple procedure that other local facilities charged $180 for.
UCLA was a no-show at the hearing, and Fox had an exquisitely prepared case to show the judge, who issued a judgment in Fox’s favor, including costs.
Naturally, UCLA stiffed him on the judgment, too, so Fox wrote a letter telling them he’d pay the sheriff to confiscate the hospital’s computers and auction them off to pay the judgment and the sheriff’s fees. A check arrived promptly by Fedex.
The Arm and a Leg episode that tells Fox’s story explains the full procedure: how to deal with the billing department, how to research the fair price for your procedure, how to go to court, and how to collect your judgment. It’s amazing.
It’s a sequel of sorts to another episode: “Can They Freaking Do That,” which documents how even a credible threat of a small claims action can get predatory medical bills reduced or eliminated.
It’s a wonderful and heartwarming David and Goliath story, but there’s a sting in the tail: this works fine if you’re on the receiving end of one or two predatory bills, but if you’re struggling with a chronic illness, you might get several of these bills every month.
In other words, fighting those bills could easily become a full time job for someone who’s already struggling. And while Arm and a Leg has practical advice for dealing with medical bill collectors, the whole enterprise is a source of national shame.
Arm and a Leg is a reminder of how a country has turned its back on its people, literally left them to die, rather than stand up to the investor class and demand the same health care that every other wealthy nation in the world guarantees to their citizens.
It boggles my mind that Americans don’t have #Medicare4All.
Since neither Mr Trump or Mr Biden have any interest in providing universal Healthcare, Americans really ought to take the opportunity afforded them by the 2020 election to cast their ballot for the Green Party USA presidential candidate Howie Hawkins.
More eligible American voters did not vote in 2016 than voted for Mr Trump *or* Mrs Clinton. If all those voters were to vote tomorrow, they could change the world.
They wanted Trump and Republican control of the legislative and judicial branches of local, state, and federal branches of government, now they can live in blissful ignorance. These people continue to vote for the same party that causes dysfunction in the economic and social sphere of this society. Are they fools for punishment, or ill-informed, are they racists, or just religious fanatics? Any way, their ignorance is causing many problems for the MAJORITY of citizens who don’t share their beliefs and who have an entirely different take on what is real and what is right.
I certainly hope everyone who uses the Internet is paying attention.
I know a lot of people have serious concerns, but the fact remains, the new administration was the result of the American winner-take-all election.
If you’re a Democratic supporter and the system didn’t work for you, it is time to see about fixing it. Fighting among yourselves won’t get you anywhere, it is time to find common ground. Complaints might make you feel better but working for productive change would be better. Seek out fairvote.org or see what you can do to help @lessig with campaign finance reform. If you want change, now is the time to knuckle down and work for it.
Feuds are counterproductive, so I recommend treating those whose politics you disagree with with respect, even if you think they don’t deserve it, because the only good way to real change that will stand the test of time is through dialogue and working together. The shape of your country’s future depends on it.
I know a lot of people are happy with the election result. You were unhappy during the last administration, and now you’re on the winning side. But no matter what your reasons for voting the way you did, chances are good that you are going to be seeing a lot of broken promises as your newly elected President finds his way, but that’s how it works. Even when your team wins in winner-take-all politics, chances are you are going to have to lobby the government to actually deliver on the promises that got your vote. If you want the system to deliver, now is the time to knuckle down and work for it.
Feuds are counterproductive, so I recommend treating those whose politics you disagree with with respect, even if you think they don’t deserve it, because the only good way to real change that will stand the test of time is through dialogue and working together. The shape of your country’s future depends on it.
I know a lot of people are unhappy, and would have been unhappy, no matter whether Mr. Trump or Mrs Clinton won. These are the citizens who support other parties, third parties, or are so disgusted with the unfairness of the system they support none. Nearly half of your eligible voters didn’t vote at all; I imagine many of them have bought into the idea that voting for what they wanted would have been futile. Not voting doesn’t get you what you want, it lets those who did decide your fate. If the system doesn’t work for you, it is time to see about fixing it. Complaints might make you feel better but working for productive change would be better. Seek out fairvote.org or see what you can do to help @lessig with campaign finance reform. Or get involved with the party of your choice to see what you can do to help it’s candidate(s) get elected next time there is an election.
Feuds are counter-productive, so I recommend treating those whose politics you disagree with with respect, even if you think they don’t deserve it, because the only good way to real change that will stand the test of time is through dialogue and working together. The shape of your country’s future depends on it.
Democracy shouldn’t be a team sport.
It shouldn’t divide citizens into “us” and “them.”
To make democracy work, people have to work together, for the good of all. For the public good. Remember the golden rule and stay classy.
I know a lot of people have serious concerns, but the fact remains, the new administration was the result of the American winner-take-all election.
If you’re a Democratic supporter and the system didn’t work for you, it is time to see about fixing it. Fighting among yourselves won’t get you anywhere, it is time to find common ground. Complaints might make you feel better but working for productive change would be better. Seek out fairvote.org or see what you can do to help @lessig with campaign finance reform. If you want change, now is the time to knuckle down and work for it.
Feuds are counterproductive, so I recommend treating those whose politics you disagree with with respect, even if you think they don’t deserve it, because the only good way to real change that will stand the test of time is through dialogue and working together. The shape of your country’s future depends on it.
I know a lot of people are happy with the election result. You were unhappy during the last administration, and now you’re on the winning side. But no matter what your reasons for voting the way you did, chances are good that you are going to be seeing a lot of broken promises as your newly elected President finds his way, but that’s how it works. Even when your team wins in winner-take-all politics, chances are you are going to have to lobby the government to actually deliver on the promises that got your vote. If you want the system to deliver, now is the time to knuckle down and work for it.
Feuds are counterproductive, so I recommend treating those whose politics you disagree with with respect, even if you think they don’t deserve it, because the only good way to real change that will stand the test of time is through dialogue and working together. The shape of your country’s future depends on it.
I know a lot of people are unhappy, and would have been unhappy, no matter whether Mr. Trump or Mrs Clinton won. These are the citizens who support other parties, third parties, or are so disgusted with the unfairness of the system they support none. Nearly half of your eligible voters didn’t vote at all; I imagine many of them have bought into the idea that voting for what they wanted would have been futile. Not voting doesn’t get you what you want, it lets those who did decide your fate. If the system doesn’t work for you, it is time to see about fixing it. Complaints might make you feel better but working for productive change would be better. Seek out fairvote.org or see what you can do to help @lessig with campaign finance reform. Or get involved with the party of your choice to see what you can do to help it’s candidate(s) get elected next time there is an election.
Feuds are counter-productive, so I recommend treating those whose politics you disagree with with respect, even if you think they don’t deserve it, because the only good way to real change that will stand the test of time is through dialogue and working together. The shape of your country’s future depends on it.
Democracy shouldn’t be a team sport.
It shouldn’t divide citizens into “us” and “them.”
To make democracy work, people have to work together, for the good of all. For the public good. Remember the golden rule and stay classy.
Guest Post by Louisette Lanteigne OK. So there is this project to bury nuclear waste beside Lake Huron called the Lake Huron Deep Gelological Repository project, or DGR for short. Over 92,000 people signed petitions against it. Read the Globe and Mail article Petition opposing Ontario nuclear waste plan garners 92,000 signatures. Here is a list of Ontario Members of Parliament who have passed…
7.2.2 DGR Not a Concern
Research shows that there is little interest among the general public regarding the DGR Project at the Bruce Nuclear site. OPG had a social media analysis prepared in the fall of 2016. The analysis began with a detailed query in Sysomos MAP – a media analysis platform that provides news, blogs, forums, tweets and many other media results. A year’s worth of data was passed through IBM Watson’s Alchemy – a language analysis platform to identify key themes identified from OPG DGR related media activity and conversations in the past year. In addition to media analysis, the Google Keyword Planning Tool as well as Google Trends was used to understand how Ontarians are seeking information about nuclear waste disposal. In particular, the analysis focused on the keywords being used, and the frequency with which Ontarians are looking for this information.
The analysis showed that Ontarians are not looking for information on nuclear waste disposal in large volumes. This topic is not a popular one, nor is it generating large volumes of curiosity.
Compared to other energy related keywords (wind turbines, solar power) there is very
little curiosity about nuclear waste disposal, or deep geologic repositories.
DGR related searches are at a frequency of virtually zero, and nuclear waste as a topic
shows less interest amongst Canadians than other energy topics.
Looking at how Ontarians search, there is an even greater discrepancy. Energy and
power are more important (or generate more curiosity) than disposal and waste related
searches.
Currently, interest in DGR in Ontario has flat-lined; outside of a spike in May 2015
attributed to the release of the Joint Review Panel report, there has been very little
search frequency for ‘deep geologic repository’.
The Federal Government has extended the deadline to make a decision on this twice has been extended twice; I believe the current deadline is August 12, 2017 ~ Laurel
Guest Post by Louisette Lanteigne
