I never intended to use this blog as a political soapbox, but I have to say one thing: I am so glad it's an election year. Yesterday I got a letter from AHCCCS (AZ Medicaid) outlining the changes to coverage starting October 1st. Our unelected governor has pared down coverage for the poor (of which there are more of every month) to try and flush some more money into the budget. The only nice thing about these changes is they do not affect coverage for children. For adults over 21 however, a lot of things have been cut. Liver transplants are now unavailable for those with Hep C unless they are getting a kidney transplant at the same time. Why this is okay, I don't know. Maybe surgeons throw in the liver for free with every kidney transplant? Dental care was never great for adults. Pretty much the only thing you could get done on the state's dime was getting a rotten tooth pulled. You're not even allowed that anymore. There's a dentist, great lady, her whole practice is pulling teeth for poor folk and she's the best. What is she going to do now? What the hell is anybody who needs a tooth pulled going to do now?
The worst change by far has to be the physicals. They're gone. If you're not in pain then you have no reason to go to a doctor. For ladies, you're allowed to have a pap smear every year if you're sexually active. You are not allowed to have STD tests anymore unless you have reason to suspect a problem. What the fuck? So, pap only, no exam for cysts lumps or bumps? Fantastic. Even better is if you have had 3 normal paps in a row and are not sufficiently sexually active the state can now dictate to you how often you can have paps, if at all. Just because the governor doesn't care about early detection of cervical, ovarian, endometrial and uterine cancer I have to be put at risk? I have to pony up for an STD test? Given how many nasty little bugs have a tendency to wait around for years before fucking with you, I think it's only responsible to do so, or not fuck I suppose. What the fuck else can I afford to do, Gov? I'm poor! Yes condoms cost money but they're a hell of a lot cheaper than STD tests and cancer screenings.
Why is it that in the era of the American Universal Health Care Reform this happens? Isn't every American supposed to be able to count on a certain amount of care in order to make this a HEALTHIER nation? How can we be healthier if we don't have the chance to have physicals, preventative screenings, or even the most basic dental care? The governor thinks the system gets abused now? The only thing she has accomplished is to once again pull shit against people she doesn't like without putting it up for a vote by the very people it affects. The horrible immigration bill the feds smacked down? Hers. The "anchor baby" movement looking to change the goddamn 14th fucking amendment to the US Constitution? Right here. Her homies. Why not target Medicaid recipients? Most of them are damn Mexicans anyway, right? Wrong, bitch. I work, I pay taxes, I don't cheat the system and I'm not Hispanic. You know what else I do, Madam Unelected? I. Fucking. Vote.
That's why I'm glad it's an election year.
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