From Pine View Farm

Health and Sanity category archive

Vaccine Nation, Quack Quack Quack Dept. 0

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Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0

Writing at Psychology Today Blogs, Mary McNaughton-Cassill recounts two experiences she had recently when health insurance “AI” bots turned down her claims because, well, they thought they were smarter than her doctors.

Here’s a tiny bit:

In the past seven months, I have undergone two different surgeries with two different surgeons, both involving an overnight stay in the hospital. The first, which received pre-approval from my insurance company, was the culmination of several years of battling a painful autoimmune disorder. Two weeks after the procedure, I received a letter indicating that my insurer had determined that the surgery was unnecessary because I hadn’t had cancer. It took my well-known surgeon’s office six months to convince the payer that their artificial intelligence system and their expert, who trained in an unrelated medical field, had made a mistake.

It is a distressing read, but methinks a worthwhile one. Go decide for yourself.

Afterthought:

Automating greed does not make it less greedy.

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Medicare Disadvantage 0

When I qualified for Medicare (yeah, I’m old), I made sure to get traditional Medicare, because even back then [mumble] years ago, I knew that “Medicare Advantage” was little more than a con and a scam designed to let insurance companies suckle at the public teat.

And, speaking of insurance companies . . . .

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Vaccine Nation 0

Suffer the children.

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Medicare Disadvantage 0

Thom and Matthew Cunningham-Cook contemplate the con. (Warning: Some occasional minor audio glitches.)

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Vaccine Nation 0

The editorial board of the Tampa Bay Times notes that, as more and more persons are falling for lies about vaccination (politely referred to as “vaccine hesitancy”), measles cases are increasing. (I can still remember suffering from measles when I was a young ‘un, before the vaccines came along, and mumps, which is much more serious in adults than in children, nearly killed my parents when I was a pre-schooler.)

The Times offers a simple bit of advice:

. . . listen to your doctor, not the clown on TV.

Follow the link for the complete editorial, where they point the finger of blame squarely at those who propagate this stupid.

Aside:

We have over two centuries of proof, starting with the smallpox vaccine, that vaccines work.

Unfortunately, we have no vaccine against stupid.

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Maskless Marauders 0

The Marjorie Taylor Greene No Deal.

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Vaccine Nation 0

Florida Man.

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Vaccine Nation 0

Case dismissed.

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Vaccine Nation 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, psychology professor Ronald Riggio looks at the flawed reasoning which can lead persons to spurn vaccination, despite three centuries of history starting with the smallpox vaccine that prove vaccines work.

He offers three bits of advice; follow the link for an exploration of each one.

  • When deciding about vaccinations or health interventions, rely on trusted scientific sources.
  • Avoid the common psychological biases that lead to poor decisions about your health.
  • Our limited experiences are prone to bias and error because we cannot see the bigger picture.

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The Privatization Scam, Medicare Disadvantage Dept. 0

Thom and Congressman Mark Pocan responds to a caller’s question about “Medigap” coverage. Thom also discusses the racist origins of the “Medigap” itself.

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Vaccine Nation 0

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against stupid.

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Vampire Capitalists 0

Rebecca Watson warns that hedge funds are coming for your medical care.

Or you can read the transcript.

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Medicare Disadvantage, Reprise 0

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Medicare Disadvantage 0

Over at Delaware Liberal, retired Delaware State Representative John Kowalko explains in detail why Medicare Part C, also called “Medicare Advantage,” is a con and a scam less desirable alternative than traditional Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B, plus a “stopgap” policy).

If you or someone you care about is using or considering using “Medicare Advantage,” the post is well worth a read.

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The Medicine Show 0

Or you can read the transcript (that’s what I usually do).

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The Privatization Scam, Medicare Disadvantage Dept. 0

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Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

Thom shares the backstory of why the United States is the only major industrialized country that does offer universal health care.

America’s original sin of chattel slavery continues to exact its toll.

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Vaccine Nation 0

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gene Collier comments on Florida Man’s losing a suit about propagating mis- and disinformation about the severity of the COVID pandemic in Florida. Here’s a couple of snippets; follow the link for the details.

Prior to the ig­ni­tion of the Delta vari­ant that sum­mer (2021–ed.), Flor­ida’s health de­part­ment rou­tinely fur­nished the pub­lic with de­tailed in­for­ma­tion on a daily ba­sis. But with the num­ber of cases mul­ti­ply­ing across the state and the gov­er­nor de­clar­ing “Flor­ida’s open for busi­ness!” the Depart­ment changed the way it was re­port­ing data to the Centers for Dis­ease Con­trol.

The new method made it ap­pear the vi­rus was in­stead de­clin­ing just as DeSan­tis was run­ning for a sec­ond term for gov­er­nor and keep­ing no se­crets about his White House am­bi­tions.

(snip)

All of this could be sloughed off as com­mon Flo­rid­ian slap­stick­ery if it weren’t for, you know, all the dy­ing.

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Vaccine Nation 0

PoliticalProf cites (in)credible sources that lead him to express a concern that he may have become zombiefied by yesterday’s emergency alert test.

Aside:

Y’know, he may be onto something. It’s pretty clear that something is eating away (some of) this country’s brains.

(I also got the alert. I guess I’m a zombie too.)

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