Dear friends,
Summer weekends tend to spread into the weekdays. Goodness knows we need the rest. We do, however, have some pressing Monday business.
I made the mistake of posting this first action on Friday, at the end of a piece that started with the verdict in Trump’s first trial. We have just a few days left to submit public comments on the dangers of health care gigantism. (Trump’s own too-muchness is also bad for our health.)
A story about the privatization of Medicare caught my attention because it highlighted the dangers we all face when we get sick. A woman who had worked as an EMT was suddenly disabled by a combination of rare diseases. As her medical bills mounted, she decided to change her disability plan from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage.
Traditional Medicare is accepted at practically every doctor’s office and hospital in the US. But it can be expensive. Most Americans will pay $679 a month just for hospital and medical coverage, with the potential for more costs if they get sick.
With monthly premiums of $18.50 per month on average, Medicare Advantage often looks like a frugal alternative. However, private insurers keep premiums low by limiting providers and using byzantine cost containment tools such as prior authorization.
When coverage for treatments and medications was denied, the woman found herself facing even higher bills for the care she required.
Private insurance, pharmaceutical giants, and healthcare corporations hospitals masquerading as nonprofits all threaten our health.
The good folks at the Debt Collective called my attention to this action, as they share my passion for the public comment as a tool of liberation.
Please submit a comment to the FTC, DOJ, and HHS about the dangers of consolidation in health care. I made it easy!
We are also in the final days of the NYS legislative session and we need to push some climate action. The Just Energy Transition Act directs New York Energy Research and Development Authority to develop a study on the replacement of New York’s fossil fuel facilities and their sites by 2030.
This study would prioritize peaker plants.
Peaker plants are typically old, dirty, inefficient electric generating units that are only called on to supply the electric grid during times of peak power demand. Despite the infrequency of their operations, these facilities are propped up by capacity payments . . . and also negatively impact public health in their host communities, according to another study.
A reminder that you can take this action even if you are not in NYS and you can personalize it. The Senate has passed the bill. Let’s get this done!
Email the NYS Assembly leadership to tell them to pass the Just Energy Transition Act! This quick action is from NY Renews.
We’re also nearing the moment of truth for the NYC budget. Since last November, Mayor Adams has proposed $80 million in cuts to the city’s Parks budget, and there have been no moves to restore that funding.
While other major cities across the U.S. spend anywhere from 1 to 5 percent of their overall budget on parks, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation receives a paltry 0.5 percent of the City budget, woefully insufficient for an agency that oversees 14 percent of New York City’s land.
Outdoor recreation and time spent in green spaces are good for both our physical and mental health. Forecasters anticipate an unusually hot summer in NYC and every green space in every community must be maintained.
Tell the Mayor to restore the budget for city parks! I made it easy. Please, make it personal!
I hope you feel better already!
with love,
L