Letter to the editor: Maine should move toward universal care
Gov. Mills must sign L.D. 1045, which would provide publicly funded coverage for all Mainers, and champion a federal bill that would let states use federal funds for their own single-payer plans.
Gov. Mills must sign L.D. 1045, which would provide publicly funded coverage for all Mainers, and champion a federal bill that would let states use federal funds for their own single-payer plans.
The pandemic has taught us the importance of a government willing to take responsibility for the health of the governed.
At the national level, Rep. Ro Khanna’s State-Based Universal Care Act (HR 5010) would allow states to use federal funds to support their own universal health care plans. Rep. Chellie Pingree is an original co-sponsor of this “states’ rights” bill.
In Maine, the Maine Health Care Act (L.D. 1045), which would provide publicly funded health care coverage, was passed, contingent on enabling federal legislation. Resulting cost savings would allow provision of the plan’s comprehensive care while reducing total state health care expenditures and most individuals’ health care costs. The Legislature also drafted a Joint Resolution addressed to Maine’s congressional delegation, stating that “every person in the State should have access to affordable and high-quality health care,” and it urges congressional support for HR 5010.
Gov. Mills’ health care focus has been on establishing a state-based Affordable Care Act marketplace. But the sad truth is that the vast majority of policies carry with them imposing deductibles, which leave enrollees functionally uninsured, and do not reduce insurers’ administrative overhead. Only by the payer consolidation can we put these dollars toward the care of all Maine residents.
As a primary care physician, I implore Gov. Mills to join the states seeking to establish well-funded, less-expensive medical care for their residents by signing L.D. 1045, and that she advocate for the federal legislation that can make state-based universal coverage a reality.
Thomas Sterne, M.D.
member, Maine AllCare
Bridgton
https://www.pressherald.com/2021/06/29/letter-to-the-editor-maine-should-move-toward-universal-care/
| Dems Launch Proxy War on Medicare For All | ||||||||||||||||||
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In mid-June, Democratic congressional candidate Nina Turner launched a television ad campaign promoting her support for Medicare for All. Less than two weeks later, the pharmaceutical industry’s lobbyists and its bankrolled lawmakers on Capitol Hill are trying to block her election to Congress through an opponent who has been publicly vilifying Medicare for All amid the pandemic.
A 2018 poll showed that Medicare for All is wildly popular in Northeast Ohio — and Turner is running in a district that has been represented for nearly 30 years by lawmakers who have supported legislation to create a government-sponsored single payer health care system. That includes Marcia Fudge, who left Congress to serve in President Joe Biden’s cabinet.
Pledging to carry on that legacy, Turner on June 15th launched her television spot entitled “Worry,” in which she talks about how her family’s struggle to pay health care bills led her to support Medicare for All.
The very next day, corporate lobbyists held a Washington fundraiser for Turner’s primary opponent, Shontel Brown. Among those headlining the fundraiser was Jerome Murray — a registered lobbyist for the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers Association, which has been backing a nationwide campaign to reduce support for Medicare for All.
The fundraiser was also headlined by a CVS Health lobbyist, as well as seven Democratic lawmakers who have raked in more than $5 million from donors in the pharmaceutical and health care sectors — including two whose top donating sector is the pharmaceutical industry.
The fundraiser followed Brown slamming Medicare for All, amid a pandemic that has seen more than 1 million Ohioans lose their employer-sponsored health care. Brown told Cleveland.com that while she would not oppose the legislation if it ever came to a vote on the House floor, “Medicare for All would eliminate employers from providing care for their employees. I know when I’m out in the community there are some people who are satisfied with the health care they’re being provided. I certainly don’t want to be the person to end that.”
Brown then rolled out an endorsement from Hillary Clinton, who infamously used her 2016 presidential campaign to declare that Medicare for All would “never, ever happen.”
Now, U.S. Rep. James Clyburn — one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken opponents of Medicare for All — is intervening to try to halt Turner’s rise in the polls.
Clyburn has vacuumed in more than $1 million from donors in the pharmaceutical industry — and he previously made headlines vilifying Medicare for All during the 2020 presidential primary.
When a Medicare for All bill was first introduced in 2017, Clyburn signed on as a co-sponsor. But two years later, Clyburn removed himself as a sponsor and turned against single-payer health insurance, arguing that it would hurt the party in congressional elections.
Days before the South Carolina primary, Clyburn endorsed Biden, arguing that Democrats who supported Medicare for All had not helped the party win back its House majority in 2018. (Exit polls showed that a majority of South Carolina primary voters supported Medicare for all.)
After Democrats lost a dozen House seats in the 2020 election, Clyburn blamed progressive policies, including Medicare for All. “[If] we are going to run on Medicare for All, defund the police, socialized medicine, we're not going to win," Clyburn said on a call with Democrats about the upcoming Georgia senate special election.
https://www.dailyposter.com/dems-launch-proxy-war-on-medicare-for-all/
Obamacare’s Survival Is Now Assured, but It Still Has One Big Problem
Twelve states have refused to expand Medicaid, leaving millions of poor Americans without health coverage and Democrats divided over how to respond.
by Sarah Kliff - NYT - June 28, 2021
Some Democrats are eager to build on their Affordable Care Act victories in the Supreme Court by filling a gaping hole created along the way: the lack of Medicaid coverage for millions of low-income Americans in 12 states.
But so far, Republican leaders in those states are refusing to use the health law to expand Medicaid, despite considerable financial incentives offered under the law and sweetened under the Biden administration. Some are trying to defy the will of their own voters, who passed ballot initiatives calling for expansion.
And in Washington, Democrats who want to act are divided about when and how.
Democratic House members from states that have not expanded have begun to push for the federal government to intervene and provide coverage to the four million Americans shut out of Medicaid expansion.
“We cannot wait anymore,” said Representative James Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina, one of the holdout states. “The states didn’t do it. We in Congress have got to move.”
But some Democrats quietly express reluctance about spending billions to fix a coverage gap created by Republican governors and legislatures when that money could go to other health care priorities. Democrats are also considering expanding Medicare, which provides coverage to older Americans, by lowering the eligibility age to 60 and covering additional benefits. For middle-class Americans, Democrats want to make Obamacare subsidies more generous in a coming legislative package.
“There are many competing priorities,” said Representative Lloyd Doggett, Democrat of Texas, who introduced Medicaid expansion legislation this month. “I’m not opposed to doing the other things, which are also very expensive, but just saying don’t leave out the economically disadvantaged.”
Fixing the Medicaid expansion gap may face long political odds because it targets benefits to a smaller group of people in states that typically vote Republican. Only three Democratic senators — Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both of Georgia, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin — represent a state that hasn’t expanded Medicaid.
“If you were thinking in strictly political terms, advocating for Medicare expansion has a lot more political gold than Medicaid expansion,” said Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from Texas, which has nearly 1.5 million people shut out of Medicaid eligibility, the most of any state. “But that is why we as Democrats need to redouble our efforts to focus on this vulnerable population.”
How to bring coverage to Americans in those 12 states is a problem that the creators of the Affordable Care Act never anticipated. The original law expanded Medicaid in all states to cover Americans earning less than 138 percent of the federal poverty line ($17,420 for an individual as of 2021) and required states to provide some funding. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that provision unconstitutional and instructed the government to make the program optional.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia, all with Democratic leadership, joined the program when it began in 2014. Twenty more states have since joined, including six that used ballot initiatives to circumvent Republican legislatures and governors opposing the program. That includes Oklahoma, which will begin enrolling patients into Medicaid expansion this Thursday.
A number of studies show Medicaid expansion has improved health outcomes, reducing complications or improving longevity for people with renal disease, cardiovascular disease and heart failure, and people recovering after surgery.
A recent study found that people 55 to 64 living in states that chose to expand Medicaid coverage were less likely to die in the four years after expansion than people with similar demographic characteristics in states that did not expand.
Yet recent efforts to bring the expansion to more states have struggled. After Medicaid voter initiatives succeeded in a few states, some other holdout states changed their process to make it harder to secure spots on the ballot. In Mississippi, ballot efforts were recently abandoned after the state’s Supreme Court stopped the ballot initiative process until legislators and voters changed the state’s constitution.
Missouri voters passed a Medicaid expansion ballot last summer, but the state’s Republican-led legislature refused to appropriate funding. A state judge ruled in the Missouri government’s favor on Wednesday, meaning the program will not go forward as planned on July 1. Medicaid expansion supporters plan to appeal.
Republican governors and legislators have often cited the potential costs of the program — states are responsible for 10 percent of the new spending, and the federal government 90 percent — as why they resist.
“It’s a terrible time for Medicaid expansion, when we still have an economy that is failing,” said Troy McKeown, a Republican state senator in Wyoming who voted against Medicaid expansion in March.
Mr. McKeown is, like many other Republicans, opposed to the idea of enlarging the role of public health insurance. He also worries that providing free government health insurance will discourage adults in Wyoming from working — and that those who do work will have to cover the new Medicaid enrollees’ costs in the form of higher taxes.
“We’d be penalizing hardworking Americans to make sure everyone gets on a program,” Mr. McKeown said. “I think it’s terrible, and gets us closer to one-payer health care.”
To allay cost concerns, the federal government included incentives in the most recent stimulus package. The funding would more than cover the holdout states’ share of the expansion costs for the next two years. It has not yet enticed any states to join, but some top Biden officials say they still hold out hope.
“States have additional time to take advantage of the significant funding included in the American Rescue Plan,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, who oversees Medicaid for the Biden administration, told reporters, noting that the administration has been in conversation with multiple states.
Some in Congress contend that they have waited long enough, and don’t believe states will step forward.
“Anything that is based on what I’d call the ‘states will see the light’ approach is a false hope,” said Mr. Doggett, the Texas congressman.
The bill he introduced, the COVER Now Act, would allow cities and counties to work with the federal government to expand Medicaid locally. The bill has faced criticism that it would still leave large areas of the country uncovered.
Others have suggested that the federal government ought to intervene and directly provide coverage to those shut out of Obamacare. The Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus have sent a joint letter to Democratic leadership and the White House asking for “federal intervention.”
Black and Latino Americans represent more than half of the Americans in poverty who are affected by states deciding not to expand coverage.
Senators Ossoff and Warnock wrote to Senate leadership in late May asking that it “close the coverage gap in Medicaid nonexpansion states through federal action.”
It’s not clear what this would look like. President Biden’s budget proposed using a public option, allowing Americans to buy into Medicare, to solve the problem. That policy was not included in the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan he proposed in April, however.
Christen Linke Young, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said President Biden “wants to work with Congress this year to close the coverage gap.”
In Congress, health policy aides are exploring whether the federal government could run Medicaid expansions in the 12 holdout states, or if it could provide better insurance subsidies that customers could use to buy private coverage on the Obamacare marketplaces.
Devising such a policy is hard because legislators do not want to encourage current Medicaid expansion states to switch to a new, federal option — or penalize them for having signed up sooner.
Health policy aides envision incentives to ensure that current Medicaid expansion states stay in the program, which would probably raise the cost of any proposal. They also described possibly penalizing states that do not expand, but they have concerns that this could face a legal challenge if it looks too much like a requirement.
One Democratic aide described the Medicaid expansion gap as one of the hardest policy issues they had ever encountered.
Still, experts say federal action will be necessary if Medicaid expansion is to reach all states. They don’t see why states that have rejected expansion for years would change their minds now.
“This is a case where federal intervention seems to be especially important, but it’s a hard lift politically,” said Jamila Michener, co-director of the Cornell University Center for Health Equity. “I don’t know that it will materialize as a real political possibility.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/28/upshot/medicaid-expansion-democrats-obamacare.html
How to Take Charge of Your Medical Care
Walking into a doctor's office or hospital can be intimidating. But when you go armed with the right tools and frame of mind, you can walk out of that appointment or hospital stay feeling more confident and satisfied. Learn how to ask your questions, either for yourself or a loved one, figure out your various medical options and determine the best course of action. Just having that knowledge in your pocket can help you feel better.
When You're Healthy
It can be hard to think about dealing with a medical emergency when you are well, but the things you do now can really pay off later.
Get Your Paperwork in Order
As much as we don’t want to think about the end of our own lives, it’s a good idea to get a head start while you’re still relatively young and in good health. Don’t just assume your partner or family can read your mind about whether or not you’d want to be put on a feeding tube or be resuscitated if something went wrong. Yes, that means having an advance care directive on hand. This also means appointing a proxy granting him or her power-of-attorney to make your medical decisions if you’re not able to do so.
If you are fortunate enough to have some form of health insurance, always have your current policy information handy and organized in case you need it. In fact, keep it in an easily accessible folder, along with an updated list of all the medications you’re taking — prescribed, over-the-counter and supplements — and a record of your personal and family medical history. Regardless of whether you’re going to see your general practitioner about a viral infection or end up in the E.R. with a broken foot, you’re going to be asked about your medical history, so it’s best to come with as much detail as possible.
Know Your Rights
In the United States, we have various sources setting forth our rights as patients. HIPAA, for example, guarantees on a federal level a patient’s right to get a copy of his medical records, as well as the right to keep them private. There is also the Patient’s Bill of Rights that is part of the Affordable Care Act, though it primarily deals with insurance-specific rights, rather than general health care. Some states, like New York, do have a Patients’ Bill of Rights which grants additional protections, like receiving an itemized bill and explanation of all charges, as well as a right to get emergency care if you need it, meaning that hospitals are not permitted to turn away a patient requiring emergency care, regardless of where they live and regardless of whether they can pay the bill. In addition, some organizations, like the American Hospital Association, have their own guidelines outlining the rights of patients.
All patients also have the right of informed consent, meaning that if you require any sort of treatment or procedure, your physician should explain what will happen to you in a way you understand, which allows you to make an educated decision. Being familiar with informed consent before needing medical treatment can help you achieve the best outcome possible.
Schedule Regular Appointments
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Seeing a Medical Professional
Being a patient is stressful. These strategies will keep your mind clearer when you are dealing with a medical diagnosis.
Prepare for Your Appointment
To ensure you have the best possible experience with your doctor, it’s best to come prepared. Ideally, you’ll already have your medical history and list of current medications ready to go, but there are a few more steps that could make your visit even more productive.
- Set goals of what you’d like to address with your doctor.
- Make a list of all your symptoms and concerns about your health scare
- Try not to overdo internet research before you get to the doctor’s office.
- Keep in mind that your doctor is only human, and has probably worked a long day. Advocate for yourself, but also be respectful of your medical team and their time.
Ask Questions
We’re taught to listen to what the doctor says, and while in most cases that’s a good idea, in order to be our own advocates, we also have to speak up and ask questions. Remember: There is no such thing as a stupid question. If something comes up that you hadn’t considered, ask about it. If you don’t understand something, say so. This includes having the doctor explain any complex medical terminology.
But direct your questions appropriately.
- Questions about scheduling appointments? Ask the front desk.
- Getting ready for a hospital stay? Ask the nurse (not the doctor) about what clothes to bring.
- Have a specific medical questions about your diagnosis or treatment? Ask your doctor. Chances are you’ll come up with additional questions as soon as you leave the appointment. Ask the doctor or nurse for the best way to contact them with these follow-up queries.
Keep Track of the Answers
When you’re in the doctor’s office because of a health problem, you may feel anxious or rushed — either way, it’s helpful to record the answers to the questions you ask your medical team, as well as the other information they give you. Bring paper to your appointment (or if you forget it or a pen, just ask the receptionist) to take notes of everything that is said during the appointment. If you’d feel more comfortable having an audio recording of the appointment, ask your doctor if you have their consent to record the office visit. There’s no need to purchase any equipment: most smartphones come with a free recording app, like Voice Memo. Depending on the nature of the appointment, it may be helpful to have a family member, friend or partner either go with you for a second set of ears, or call in on speakerphone so they can hear and take notes on everything being discussed.
Make Sure You Are Heard
A doctor’s appointment should feel like a conversation, and it’s important for both you and your physician that your voice is heard. Asking questions is one thing, but it’s also necessary to speak up when you don’t think you’re being heard or understood. There is no rule saying that the doctor’s opinion is the be-all and end-all. They are capable of making mistakes or, in some cases, simply ignoring patients and their concerns, which can be especially true when the patients are women or people of color. Therefore, it’s very important that you leave the appointment believing that your doctor is taking your pain seriously.
Be as specific about your symptoms as possible. The more information you’re able to provide to your medical team, the better your chances are of getting an accurate diagnosis. If the doctor is still being dismissive, calmly and respectfully express your concerns, and let them know that you don’t feel as though you’re being fully heard. If this doesn’t work, it may be time to change doctors or get a second opinion.
Make Sure You Understand
If the doctor ends up making a diagnosis in the appointment and you don’t understand what it is or what it means, feel free to ask additional questions. Don’t hesitate to ask the doctor to refrain from using medical jargon when explaining what is happening to you. Some medical professionals will even draw pictures or diagrams to help illustrate exactly what is going on in your body. If you’d like more information than the doctor is able to provide during the appointment, ask them where you can read more about the condition. This way, they’ll point you to a reputable book or website, so if you’re going online for information, it will be accurate. You can also ask if there are any online resource groups for people with the condition.
Along with your diagnosis, it’s important that you also understand how the doctor plans to treat your condition. Don’t leave until you know the plan.
Making decisions regarding your health care or treatment can be difficult.
- If you are faced with having to choose from multiple options, you can ask to speak with a bioethicist or counselor. While not all medical facilities have them on staff, your medical team should be able to point you in the direction of someone who can help walk you through the decision-making process.
- Make a list of the risks and benefits of each option, taking into consideration what is best for treating your current medical issue, as well as what would be best for your health in the long run.
- Once you understand your diagnosis and treatment plan, it may be helpful to let trusted family members or friends know that you’re sick so they are aware and can check in periodically. You can also ask them to weigh in on the decision you have to make regarding your treatment if you’d like additional opinions.
When You Need (or Want) a Second Opinion
Some medical conditions have routine, straightforward treatment procedures. Other times, there are multiple ways to treat a patient, and it can be difficult to determine which option would be most beneficial. That may mean it’s time to get a second opinion. Moreover, if your doctor recommends a procedure that is invasive or your diagnosis is severe, that’s another good time to get a second opinion. This is true for diagnoses and treatment for both your physical and mental health. Doctors should not be offended if you ask for a second opinion, and may even recommend other physicians they trust.
When it comes to selecting a doctor for a second (or even first) opinion, don’t be afraid to shop around. If you’re going in for surgery, ask potential surgeons how frequently they perform a specific procedure. Even if it’s something basic that you assume all doctors know how to do, ask if the procedure is a regular part of their practice.
During a Hospital Stay
Advocating for yourself while in the hospital requires additional considerations and planning.
Understand How (and What) the Bill Will Be
When you’re admitted to the hospital, your focus should be on getting the treatment you need and healing, but that can be challenging if you’re worried about how you’re going to pay for it. Even if you are fortunate enough to have health insurance, that doesn’t mean that all of the members of your medical team — which may include out-of-network specialists — are covered by your plan. Bills can add up quickly over a multiple-day (or week) stay. Keep in mind that in addition to the cost of your medical care, your bill will likely include administrative fees that can significantly increase the cost of your hospitalization. If you have questions or are confused about your insurance or payment process, you can ask to speak with someone on the hospital staff who specializes in billing.
Know Your Team
Depending on the condition that put you in the hospital, you may be assigned a team of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, physical therapists, physicians’ assistants and social workers.
- Take the time to learn each of their names — write them down if it helps. Caregiving can be a very intimate act, so developing a rapport with your medical team — especially the nurses who oversee your day-to-day care — is important.
- Don’t forget about the nonmedical personnel, like the environmental services staff, who are in charge of disinfecting your room and potentially other tasks like changing your linens or bringing fresh towels. They are an essential part of your care, can be instrumental in getting you basic necessities and helping with logistics, like fixing a broken TV or getting an extra chair for visitors.
Keep Asking Questions
It’s your body, and you should know what’s happening to it. If there’s something you’re unsure about or don’t understand, never hesitate to ask. Hospital stays can be particularly tricky because patients interact with many people during a hospital stay and you may hear conflicting advice or information. For instance, a doctor who only sees you once a day may have one opinion on your treatment, while a nurse who spends long shifts monitoring your vital signs may have a different suggestion. Either way, keep asking questions to ensure you’re doing what’s best for your health, recovery and treatment. While you’re at it, continue to write down the answers. It may be helpful to keep a notebook next to your bed so you can record your questions and the answers, and keep a journal of your progress, treatment and notes from your medical team.
Leave With a Plan
Before you are released from the hospital, doctors and nurses should provide you with a discharge plan. Your medical team should walk you through any specific instructions you should follow once you are discharged. If this doesn’t happen, you as the patient should initiate the conversation:
- What medications do you need to take? When? How long?
- Do you have to do physical therapy?
- Do nurses or health care providers make home visits?
- What should you do if something goes wrong?
Start by assembling your team of people who can assist with your care once you’re home. Depending on your needs, you should have a list of dependable caregivers or people to help with different facets of your recovery, like driving you to and from follow-up appointments, preparing meals, helping you sort out medications, and checking in on your mental health.
Back at Home
The right mindset is needed to help you get back to your old routines.
Once you’ve been discharged, follow your doctor's instructions, and ease back into life outside the hospital. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Develop a relationship with your pharmacist; you’ll likely be seeing him or her a lot, and he or she can be a wealth of information on everything from adjustments in your medication to potential contraindications. She may also be able to answer other medication-related questions. Along the same lines, do not hesitate to follow up with your doctor or other members of your hospital medical team if you have any questions or concerns about your recovery. Lastly, even though you’re out of the hospital and in recovery mode, be sure to finish all your medication and any prescribed therapy sessions, even if you start to feel better.
Advocating for Others
When looking out for other family members or friends, many of the same tactics apply, but there are other things to keep in mind, too.
For a Child
Caring for a sick child is challenging not only because your baby doesn’t feel well and it hurts your heart, but also because, depending on their age, they may not be able to fully express their symptoms.
The best way to start is by listening to them if they say they don’t feel well.
- Ask detailed follow-up questions so you and your child can present the doctor with as much information as possible to make an informed diagnosis.
- Encourage your child to tell the doctor how they’re feeling. An important lesson to impart is that doctors are there to help, so they should try not to be afraid.
- Explain to your child what’s on going during the appointment as thoroughly and appropriately as possible, according to their level of understanding.
- Allow them to participate in the discussion whenever possible, including speaking up if they don’t think the doctor truly understands why they don’t feel well.
- Keep in mind that you are your child’s primary caregiver and decision-maker, and ultimately have the final say. This may involve some necessary but unpleasant responsibilities, like making sure your child has all their vaccinations, even if they are afraid of shots.
Interacting with a doctor is also a good time to talk to your child about consent. For instance, you can ask the doctor to explain what he or she is doing during each part of the physical examination, including why they’re touching any private parts. Use this as a teachable moment to explain that it’s not O.K. for anyone else to touch them, and that even a doctor isn’t allowed to touch them there if a parent or guardian isn’t present and has given their permission.
For a Parent
Today, many people find themselves part of the sandwich generation, taking care of themselves, their children and their parents. Acting as a patient advocate for a parent comes with its own particular set of challenges. While young children, for the most part, understand that their parents make their decisions for them, that may not be as easy for aging parents to accept. After all, they were the ones who raised us, and this role reversal can be jarring. In some circumstances, your parents may not even want your help, insisting that they can look after themselves. While this may be the case, you can explain to them that it’s always helpful to have a second pair of ears at a doctor’s appointment and someone with whom to discuss potential treatment options. Emphasize that this has nothing to do with their capability to care for themselves.
Part of advocating for a parent may include having difficult conversations with them on end-of-life decisions. Work with them to create an advance care directive, if they don’t have one already. Even if you think you know their views on palliative care, it’s important to ask and have these conversations before the onset of any sort of cognitive decline.
From a logistical perspective, if you are acting as a patient advocate for a parent, attend as many of their important doctor’s appointments as possible in-person. If that’s not feasible, see if you can make arrangements to call into their appointment so you can be part of the discussion. If neither of these options work and you still want someone there, look into getting an outside patient advocate or hiring a firm that specializes in it. Keep in mind that if you are a long-distance caregiver, there are ways to advocate for your parents even if you don’t live in the same city, like utilizing shared calendars or apps designed to coordinate schedules, and checking in with them regularly.
Finally, don’t forget to keep an eye on your parent’s mental health. If they are part of the generation that avoids talking about feeling anxious or depressed, they may be reluctant to seek out professional assistance. You can talk to them about the importance of looking after mental health and its connection to physical health. Alternatively, if you are in touch with their physician or hospital medical team, you can reach out to them to suggest setting up an appointment for your parent with a counselor or social worker.
For a Nonfamily Member
You may find yourself needing to act as an advocate for someone who is not a part of your family. This can present a new set of challenges, beyond those associated with routine caregiving and patient advocacy, as it may be difficult to obtain access to the medical team. Attending appointments with the person should not be difficult, but doctors may be hesitant to disclose personal medical information over the phone to a nonfamily member. In these cases, the patient can request authorization for you to receive this information either in-person or over the phone, or can appoint you to be their proxy if they’d like you to be in charge of their medical decisions.
Editor's Note:
As for the preceding article: Res Ipsa Loquitur!!! Way too complicated.
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