Democratic debates or fight night?
Helping patients understand health care
People often turn to hospitals in a time of need, and no one should have to worry about financial hardship as a result of seeking the care they need at a hospital.
Across the country, consumers are being targeted by hospitals with lawsuits and other predatory actions when hospitals have the option to pursue more consumer-friendly options first. All this comes at a time when Americans are increasingly anxious about the costs of hospital care. According to recent Ipsos-cqc research, 91% of patients are concerned about receiving surprise bills from hospitals and 65% say it’s difficult to understand the cost of care at a hospital, including finding out how much a hospital charges for a specific type of care.
Because hospitals and the groups that represent them have largely failed to adequately address these practices, Consumers for Quality Care (CQC) recently sent a letter to the National Governors Association (NGA) urging governors to take action and protect their constituents.
As patients continue to struggle financially due to these toxic practices, Gov. Lee has an opportunity to stand up for the people of Tennessee by implementing reforms that cut consumer costs and increase transparency in the health care system.
Jim Manley, Seattle, WA
Providing support for cancer patients
I recently traveled from Memphis to the statehouse in Nashville to represent cancer patients and survivors. I called on our state lawmakers to make reducing barriers to care for cancer patients in Tennessee a priority. I was honored to be joined by more than 100 of my fellow American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteers from across the state.
I met with both Rep. G.A. Hardaway and Sen. Brian Kelsey and made it clear that the state legislature needs to put politics aside on behalf of all those Tennesseans who will hear the words “you have cancer.” Since so many Tennesseans will hear the words “you have cancer” this year, I asked our lawmakers to support legislation to reform a practice known as step therapy. Through step therapy, a patient may be required to try, then fail, on alternative drugs selected by their insurance company before coverage is granted for the drug prescribed by the patient’s health care provider.
This matters to me because I am a young adult cancer survivor, and I personally know that cancer patients do not have time to try and fail.
My fellow volunteers and I let our lawmakers know that we are all are counting on them to take a stand against cancer by supporting what works to treat it. It’s time to end this devastating disease as we know it.
Brittney Block, Memphis
The real frontrunner
In his Feb. 23 column, Keel Hunt asks “Who will defeat Trump?”
I’ll answer him.
Nobody.
The American economic engine is running fantastically at high RPM and Trump is the Master Mechanic who keeps it highly tuned. Why would any intelligent person want to replace him with a shade tree mechanic. One who promises to replace it with a weaker one with a history of being unreliable.
Hunt reported he let a super racist comment of “old white men” pass. One of the reasons Trump was elected was people are tired of left leaning racists calling anyone who disagrees with them racist.
Curt Loudermilk, Memphis
I turned off the democratic debate this past Tuesday because they failed to address realistic ways to resolve problems that our nation is facing. They are focused on tearing each other down and reversing the positive changes to our economy.
This nation was founded on a principle of the people who decide the direction of our nation. If you think the government should control our health care, then just look at the care given to our veterans. I know the tweets of our president sometimes go overboard and turn some people away. I feel that the welfare of our workforce is improving on a positive scale.
Adding more taxes on the workforce will reverse this continued growth. It seems that President Trump has the people first and the constant attacks from the Democrats are getting ridiculous. The latest being his lack of reacting to the virus concerns.
The structure of the DNC gives more power in our presidential selection with over 450 special delegates that sway who they want to be the candidate.
If your disdain of our president is greater than the positive direction of our military, lower taxes, more jobs created, better trade deals, less regulations, and energy independence then vote to reverse all of these things.
God bless America.
David Wieland, Eads