Wow, it's been a super long time. How's everyone doing? I'm good--busy, of course, but good. (Happy tech week! We're all slowly dying but it's fine.)
Now, many of y'all know that last month, I attended the Iowa caucus. And I think all of you know--unless you, like, haven't been on the internet or spoken to anyone in the past several months--that the 2020 election is heating up, fast. Now I'm not gonna endorse any candidates on here, but the issues of this election hit pretty close to home for a lot of PWD, so I'm gonna break them down here!
So obviously, one of the most crucial issues of this election is healthcare coverage. Generally, the Democratic party is split into two opinions on the proper way to provide healthcare to Americans: Medicare for All, in which all private health insurance is replaced with one government-provided plan with no copays or deductibles, or a less radical plan which would allow people to keep their private plan or choose to opt into a government alternative.
So. Copays and deductibles. What are they? (other than the bane of my existence, lol.)
Copays--The baseline fee that you pay for a prescription, doctor's visit, etc. These aren't always super high, but they add up incredibly quickly, especially for things like insulin.
Deductibles--Mhm. These are... the worst. Basically, you have to pay a certain amount every year before your insurance kicks in at all. For people with a preexisting condition like T1D, deductibles are often super duper high.
If you have T1D or any other chronic condition, you know how screwed up our current healthcare system is. I have friends who have to ration their insulin because their insurance wouldn't cover all the meds they needed. I'm fortunate enough to have good health insurance, but even so, I'm well aware of the huge financial burden that T1D places on my family. I also have to fight to receive coverage for the things I need to manage my condition.
I've spent the past several days locked in a battle with my insurance trying to get them to continue covering my CGM, and I've been struck by just how little they seem to care about helping me. Like, I'm not tryna rant, but... this system ain't working. I've wasted so many hours on the phone with this provider and that provider and my insurance company has no interest in working to figure it out. And the thing is, my case isn't out of the ordinary. Insurance companies care more about profit than they do about our lives.
Like I said, I'm not endorsing a political candidate or even a political ideology. But I just want y'all do be aware that something needs to change. Maybe you have strong feelings about this--maybe you don't. But if you're lucky enough to not have to worry about being able to afford medication, or meet deductibles, of fight for a medical device that you need to survive... take a second to think about the rest of us. And then go out and VOTE for whatever candidate you believe will do the best job of fixing this broken system.
This will be my first election in which I'm eligible to vote, and I'm so excited to make my voice heard and support whichever candidate I believe is the best choice for our country. I hope all of you do the same! Register to vote here: https://ova.elections.il.gov/
(Did this turn into a PSA? Maybe. But seriously y'all, voting is so important. Also, Big Pharma sucks. Ok byeeee)
So obviously, one of the most crucial issues of this election is healthcare coverage. Generally, the Democratic party is split into two opinions on the proper way to provide healthcare to Americans: Medicare for All, in which all private health insurance is replaced with one government-provided plan with no copays or deductibles, or a less radical plan which would allow people to keep their private plan or choose to opt into a government alternative.
So. Copays and deductibles. What are they? (other than the bane of my existence, lol.)
Copays--The baseline fee that you pay for a prescription, doctor's visit, etc. These aren't always super high, but they add up incredibly quickly, especially for things like insulin.
Deductibles--Mhm. These are... the worst. Basically, you have to pay a certain amount every year before your insurance kicks in at all. For people with a preexisting condition like T1D, deductibles are often super duper high.
If you have T1D or any other chronic condition, you know how screwed up our current healthcare system is. I have friends who have to ration their insulin because their insurance wouldn't cover all the meds they needed. I'm fortunate enough to have good health insurance, but even so, I'm well aware of the huge financial burden that T1D places on my family. I also have to fight to receive coverage for the things I need to manage my condition.
I've spent the past several days locked in a battle with my insurance trying to get them to continue covering my CGM, and I've been struck by just how little they seem to care about helping me. Like, I'm not tryna rant, but... this system ain't working. I've wasted so many hours on the phone with this provider and that provider and my insurance company has no interest in working to figure it out. And the thing is, my case isn't out of the ordinary. Insurance companies care more about profit than they do about our lives.
Like I said, I'm not endorsing a political candidate or even a political ideology. But I just want y'all do be aware that something needs to change. Maybe you have strong feelings about this--maybe you don't. But if you're lucky enough to not have to worry about being able to afford medication, or meet deductibles, of fight for a medical device that you need to survive... take a second to think about the rest of us. And then go out and VOTE for whatever candidate you believe will do the best job of fixing this broken system.
This will be my first election in which I'm eligible to vote, and I'm so excited to make my voice heard and support whichever candidate I believe is the best choice for our country. I hope all of you do the same! Register to vote here: https://ova.elections.il.gov/
(Did this turn into a PSA? Maybe. But seriously y'all, voting is so important. Also, Big Pharma sucks. Ok byeeee)
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