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Day 73

Woke up this morning to find a request from my employer to complete a survey about safety and social distancing in our office once we return to work. Admittedly I was a little surprised that they would even ask us questions like, “do you think leadership cares for your safety needs?” or “is there anything you need to feel safe upon returning to work at the office?”… and I felt motivated to submit my input as these concerns have been in the front of my mind.

I was disappointed, however, to find that the survey was not anonymous. So you can choose to respond honestly, but you have to attach your name and department to your response. Which in these times, when so many are losing their jobs, seems like a hinderance towards being honest and forthcoming about a worker’s concerns regarding their health and safety. Many are scared and simply don’t want to “rock the boat.”

I did respond honestly (for the most part), but held back the intensity of my thoughts on a couple questions. I hope it helps somehow. Really wondering how this transition towards “opening up” will go, as everything seems so uncertain…

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Day 60

Today’s episode of Democracy Now! was incredible, and well overdue. It covered the impact the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, and the impact it could have for generations to come. I know many who have been struggling (myself included), and I have felt like the issue has barely been covered. Thank you Amy Goodman! You can watch/listen to it here.

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Day 33

I started the day off scared and infuriated. Every morning at work, we typically attend something called “Stand Up” — which entails everyone in the office congregating in the lunchroom to read directives from our organization aloud. Not everyone attends, but it is good to do once in a while to make sure you don’t miss any major announcements that the organization slips in.

Since the shelter-in-place began, we were told to read these daily announcements by logging into our organization’s “intranet.” I am not sure I have ever done this, never mind knowing how to do so from home. But today, our office’s Executive Assistant happened to forward it to us. And I just happened to open the attachment.

On the bottom half of the page, couched between other mundane HR blurbs:

“We are excited to announce we will be switching to a new medical carrier!”

…with no other relevant details.

Less than a year ago, they ended all of the HMO plans under our current carrier, so everyone had to move over to a PPO. I just got caught up on transitioning from my HMO plan to a PPO (and fixing all related billing problems) — and now they are changing carriers on us?

These kinds of switches are extremely difficult for people with chronic illnesses, not to mention coping with the uncertainty regarding changes to co-pays, deductibles, co-insurance and out-of-pocket expenses. I easily spent dozens of hours on hold over the past 10 months trying to understand all of my benefit and billing changes.

I also spent thousands on procedures at the beginning of this year thinking that I will reach my out-of-pocket threshold early on, to get less expensive care (minus co-pays, deductibles, co-insurance and out-of-pocket expenses) during the second half of the year. What happens to that “out-of-pocket maximum” now, given that our carrier will change on June 1st?

Reason 1,277,903 why we need Medicare for All now.

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Day 32

I talked to my Nana today, who was just diagnosed with COVID-19 and is now in the hospital. I kept thinking to myself: how, in the richest country in the world, are we letting our most vulnerable people suffer and/or die in this way?

Nana also has Alzheimer’s, so while is aware she is in the hospital, she doesn’t seem to understand the full situation. Her primary complaints were about how hot her room is and that she hasn’t been able to see anyone. She also said not many people have called, because she doesn’t think they know where she is.

She isn’t even aware that she has tested positive for COVID-19.

Imagine, suffering from dementia and being sent to a hospital where you are isolated and can’t see any loved ones, and you don’t fully understand what is happening (as you fight for your life). This thought sickens me. No one should have to go through this. And so much of it could have been avoided.

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Day 31

We need Medicare for All now.

It is complete insanity that even the concept of employment-based healthcare exists in this country. Is this the “American Exceptionalism” we hear so much about? That only in America, are people afraid to go to the doctor or emergency room when they are sick, for fear of financial repercussions?

National Nurses United members rally for Medicare for All in front of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America in Washington (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Just since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. about 4 weeks ago, over 22 million people have registered for unemployment. Many of these people will have also lost their health insurance, which is largely tied to one’s employer. So how are people supposed to attend to their health during a global pandemic, if their ability to access healthcare is tied to a job they just lost?

The answer is they can’t.

Healthcare should be a human right, not a privilege. At the very least we need to walk out of this disaster with universal healthcare.