Health Insurance and Wellbeing

Summary

Health insurance is needed. Trump’s actions are affecting our lives, including our access to healthcare and our access to health insurance. Universal healthcare coverage would protect all of US from becoming bankrupt related to healthcare bills. Health insurance and access to healthcare are critical for our wellbeing. get involved and become informed.

Health Insurance and Wellbeing

Today’s post focuses on the importance of health insurance. Access to health insurance and wellbeing are interconnected.

Why Do I Need Health Insurance?

Health insurance is necessary to pay our healthcare bills. Let’s face it: healthcare costs are expensive.

Healthcare insurance allows us to purchase access to healthcare services by joining a company which contracts with healthcare delivery providers (hospitals, health clinics, laboratories, imaging centres, private practices). The health insurance companies negotiate contracts with the providers. We pay the health insurance companies every month. They invest our monies to make a profit. Then, the insurance companies are supposed to pay for services we receive from healthcare providers.

Accessing healthcare, even with health insurance, is not smooth sailing. Accessing healthcare in a capitalist market with commercial health insurance companies is not ideal. Hopefully, as a nation, we will see the light and develop a health insurance plan on the national level, for everyone. Like we already have in Medicaid and Medicare.

Today, we have to deal with the system that we have. We have to protect ourselves against losing everything to pay our healthcare costs. So, let’s talk about how the Trump Administration is affecting our access to healthcare insurance.

Health Insurance Options and Availability

There are basically three options for health insurance in the USA: Medicaid, Medicare, and Commercial Health Insurance. But, there is overlap. A Medicaid plan may be managed by a commercial health insurance company. A Medicare plan may have a component that is managed by a commercial health insurance company. A Commercial Health Insurance plan may be offered by some sort of community cooperative. All health insurance policies have restrictions and limitations so be cautious when selecting your health insurance coverage.

Under the Affordable Care Act, introduced by President Obama, people may purchase health insurance through a portal called the Marketplace. Again, be careful when selecting a plan. Some cooperative plans do not meet the standards required under the Affordable Care Act, meaning they can deny coverage for certain healthcare services as a basis of their plan.

And, the OBBBA grants tax breaks to the top 2% of the population and significantly defunds Medicaid and Medicare.

People are going to die as a result of these changes in funding for Marketplace subsidies; Medicaid; and Medicare.

Select your health insurance coverage judiciously.  Remember, cheaper premiums and out-of-pocket costs can cost you in the long-term. Be careful. Consult friends, family, and even an insurance broker specialized in health insurance when choosing your health insurance plan.

Are Costs Rising? Why?

Healthcare costs are rising. Thank the tariffs for increasing the cost of supplies which may be partly or wholly manufactured outside of the USA. Yes, tariffs are taxes on US. Taxes can only be authorized by Congress: Trump’s illegal tariffs are being litigated right now, and some are being challenged by the Senate, though not by the ass-licking House of Representatives’ thanks to Mike Johnson’s leadership tactics.

Health insurance premiums are rising, mainly because the Affordable Care Act subsidies are expiring December 31, 2025, and the ass licking Republicans in Congress refuse to authorize the extensions of these subsidies. Health insurance and wellbeing are connected: difficulty to access health insurance affects our wellbeing.

As more people forego health insurance coverage because they cannot afford it, the rest of the people will see an increase in premiums. One reason is that health care providers will negotiate for higher contract rates because they want to be able to treat people who don’t have insurance. And, ethically, those of us in practice have to treat people without health insurance. And, legally, settings like the Emergency Department have to treat anyone who presents for healthcare services and needs the emergency care, under EMTALA. Above all, treatment for our fellow human beings should not depend on the person’s ability to pay. Healthcare providers have to plan for that rainy day by negotiating higher reimbursement rates with the health insurance companies.

In a society based on the importance of our communities, we need to espouse a communal sense of responsibility and not be blindsided by an individualistic approach. That’s the right thing to do. And, that means universal healthcare coverage is also the right thing to do, ethically and fiscally.

Trump Is Screwing Our Health

Wellbeing is intrinsically linked to our health and the ability to maintain our health.

Trump’s hatred of the American people is manifested in all of his actions towards US.

  • He hates our diversity: thus, the 1950s style Labor Department advertisements of blond, brawny men and the ICE profiling of people who speak with an accent or who look Latino.
  • He hates our successes: thus, the targeting of universities who have engaged in world class research and the destruction of our economy with tariffs (taxes), an economy which has recovered and thrived every single time a Democrat has taken office after a Republican president.
  • He hates that people need to eat: thus, the Trump administration refuses to release Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds, already allocated by Congress with a 6 billion dollar reserve available, to persons already enrolled in SNAP, blaming this on “Democrats” during the government shutdown.

Meidas Touch News: Breaking: Trump Skewered by Judges before SNAP deadline

  • He hates workers: thus, he proclaimed the dismantling the NLRB (National Labor Review Board), despite this not being within his authority. Recall my Labor Day weekend post about the importance of labor organizations and the rights of workers.
  • He hates that we, The People, have the right to speak our opposition to his actions and decisions. First Amendment entrenches our right to protest. And, protest we will.
  • He hates our history: thus, he has proclaimed that key elements of our history be censored from our museums (The Smithsonian), our national parks, our national monuments, government websites, and national lands, in addition to banning books in gift shops and issuing proclamations for the sale of public lands.
  • He hates the Peoples’ House: thus, he has destroyed the East Wing and fired those authorized to approve changes to what we call in French “notre patrimoine”, that is our national collective heritage. Not the heritage of Drumpf’s Nazi family members.
  • He hates that we are alive: thus, the decimation of the funding for healthcare in the USA. As a client recently told me, this is population control. The goal is to eliminate those of US who oppose him, via a number of measures, including limiting our access to healthcare; extinguishing our very lives by placing US in detention centers (aka, Concentration Camps); by eliminating the food safety experts who protect our food supply; and by engaging in extrajudicial killings.

Health Insurance and Healthcare Access: Our Wellbeing

The plan must be to oppose this administration.

Get involved:

Defiance.org: https://www.defiance.org/

Indivisible: https://indivisible.org/

50501: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/

Meidas Touch News: https://meidasnews.com/

The Bulwark: https://www.youtube.com/@bulwarkmedia

The Lincoln Project: https://lincolnproject.us/

Adam Kinzinger: https://adamkinzinger.substack.com/podcast

LegalAF: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN

Reese Waters: https://www.reesewaters.com/

Don Lemon: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDonLemonShow

Michael Cohen on Meidas Touch News.

The Young Turks: https://tyt.com/live/streams/17760

Status Coup News: https://statuscoup.com/

Leaving Maga : https://leavingmaga.org/

Veterans for Peace: https://www.veteransforpeace.org/

Vets Against Trump: https://commondefense.us/join-the-vets-against-trump-campaign

Brian Tyler Cohen: https://www.briantylercohen.com/

Glenn Kirschner: https://glennkirschner.com/

Michael Fanone: https://www.youtube.com/@themichaelfanoneshow

Kris Goldsmith: https://www.krisgoldsmith.com/

Tennessee Brando: https://www.youtube.com/@TennesseeBrando

Pod Save America: https://www.crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-america/

And, many more.

 

Get involved.

Become informed.

Do it for your wellbeing and the wellbeing of the USA. We need to remain committed to nonviolent, peaceful opposition to Fascism in the USA.

 

Music, as a reminder of how art captures life in all of its beauty and ugliness:

And the Money Kept Rolling in: ‘Evita’

 

Disclaimer: This post is not meant to substitute for a consultation with your mental health care professional team.

 

If you are thinking of hurting yourself or of hurting someone else, please CALL 9-1-1; CALL 9-8-8; or GO TO the nearest emergency room.

 

Selected References:

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Annenberg School of Communication. (October 30, 2020). In Conversation with Emile Bruneau: Dehumanization. University of Pennsylvania. Accessed online on July 5, 2025, at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9991937/

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (October 23, 2025). Trump Administration Is Legally Required to Provide SNAP in Shutdown, Contrary to Its Claims. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.cbpp.org/press/statements/trump-administration-is-legally-required-to-provide-snap-in-shutdown-contrary-to

Center for Medicare Advocacy. (July 24, 2025). Impact of the “Big Bill” on Medicare. Center for Medicare Advocacy. Accessed online on October 26, 2025, at https://medicareadvocacy.org/impact-of-the-big-bill-on-medicare/

Cox, C. (October 28, 2025). ACA Insurers Are Raising Premiums by an Estimated 26%, but Most Enrollees Could See Sharper Increases in What They Pay. KFF. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.kff.org/quick-take/aca-insurers-are-raising-premiums-by-an-estimated-26-but-most-enrollees-could-see-sharper-increases-in-what-they-pay/

Cutler, D.M. (August 28, 2025). The Worst Piece of Health Care Legislation Ever. JAMA Health Forum, 6(8). Accessed online on October 26, 2025, at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2838483

Greenberg, M.T. (March 6, 2023). Evidence for Social and Emotional Learning in Schools. Learning Policy Institute. Accessed online on September 20, 2025, at https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/evidence-social-emotional-learning-schools-brief

Hagan, R, Foulkes, I. (October 31, 2025). US Strikes on alleged drug boats violate law, UN human rights chief says. BBC. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2nx95pgz7o

Herman, D., Benson, R., Gogulsetti, V. (August 12, 2025). The Authoritarian Playbook in Action: What Global Cases Tell Us About Trump’s 2025 Military Deployments. Center for American Progress. Accessed online on October 5, 2025, at https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-authoritarian-playbook-in-action-what-global-cases-tell-us-about-trumps-2025-military-deployments/

Lukens, G., Zhang, E. (October 29, 2025). Health Insurance Premium Spikes Imminent as Tax Credit Enhancements Set to Expire. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/health-insurance-premium-spikes-imminent-as-tax-credit-enhancements-set-to-expire

Mendez, M.F. (Mar 1 2023). A Functional and Neuroanatomical Model of Dehumanization. Cogn Behav Neurol, 36(1): 42-47. Accessed online on July 5, 2025, at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9991937/

Miller, M. (October 4, 2025). One Way the “beautiful bill” does touch Medicare. Retirement Revised (on Substack). Accessed online on October 26, 2025, at https://retirementrevised.substack.com/p/one-way-the-beautiful-bill-does-touch

National Council on Aging. (September 9, 2025). Poverty Among Older Adults Keeps Growing. National Council on Aging. Accessed online on October 26, 2025, at https://www.ncoa.org/article/poverty-among-older-adults-keeps-growing/

Noguchi, Y. (June 16, 2025). The doctor said ‘be happy’. Music therapy can help cancer patients do that. NPR (National Public Radio). Accessed online on October 26, 2025, at https://www.npr.org/2025/06/16/nx-s1-5414500/music-therapy-cancer-patient-survivor

Odede, K. (November 19, 2023). Kennedy Odede is Building New Communities Among Nairobi’s Poor. TIME. Accessed online on June 13, 2024, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv6rP-e1KuA

Ortiz, A.A. (March 21, 2025). Trump’s Attempt to Deride the NLRB Won’t Stop Power of Collective Actions. American Civil Liberties Union. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/trumps-attempt-to-deride-nlrb-wont-stop-power-of-collective-actions

Pluta, A., Mazurek, J., Wojciechowski, J., Wolak, T., Soral, W., Bilewicz, M. (13 March 2023). Exposure to hate speech deteriorates neurocognitive mechanisms of the ability to understand others’ pain. Scientific Reports, 13 (article 4127). Accessed online on October 9, 2025, at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-31146-1

Posner, J. (July 16, 2012). Building Community: Jessica Posner at TEDxMileHigh. TEDx Talks. Accessed online on June 13, 2024, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0nM8l9qeGY&t=99s

Post, J. (May 21, 2025). USDA Budget Cuts Present Food Safety Risks. Risk Management. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.rmmagazine.com/articles/article/2025/05/21/usda-budget-cuts-present-food-safety-risks

Rao, P. (March 4, 2025). A Visual Breakdown of Who Owns America’s Wealth. Visual Capitalist. Accessed online on August 31, 2025, at https://www.visualcapitalist.com/a-visual-breakdown-of-who-owns-americas-wealth/

Sentner, I. (October 28, 2025). Why the East Wing Destruction Fallout May Linger. Politico Magazine. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/10/28/east-wing-demolition-first-ladies-interview-00625147

Sutton, B. (October 29, 2025). Trump fires all members of fine arts commission that reviews construction projects in Washington, DC. The Art Newspaper. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/10/29/president-trump-fires-commission-fine-arts-members

UN Innovation Network. June 15, 2023. The Neuroscience of Peace and Conflict. Accessed online on March 9, 2025, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxJPHLbipNM

Webb, A.Q. (October 30, 2025). Arrested by ICE and deported in a vegetative state: A Costa Rican man’s family seeks answers after his death. El País. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-10-30/arrested-by-ice-and-deported-in-a-vegetative-state-a-costa-rican-mans-family-seeks-answers-after-his-death.html

Weller, C.E., Baker, N. (January 23, 2025). The Biden Administration Handed Over a Strong Economy. The Center for American Progress. Accessed on November 1, 2025, at https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-biden-administration-handed-over-a-strong-economy/

U.S. Congress Joint Economy Committee. (October 7, 2024). The U.S. Economy Performs Better Under Democratic Presidents. Joint Economy Committee. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/2024/10/the-u-s-economy-performs-better-under-democratic-presidents

Villagomez, A., Zeno, S., Sala, G. (October 23, 2025). The Trump Administration Is Erasing American History Told by Public Lands and Waters. Center for American Progress. Accessed online on November 1, 2025, at https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administration-is-erasing-american-history-told-by-public-lands-and-waters/

Zaki, J. (May 14, 2020). Catastrophe Compassion: Understanding and Extending Prosociality Under Crisis. Trends Cogn. Sci, 24(8): 587-589. Accessed online on November 17, 2024, at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7221394/#:~:text=Extending%20Catastrophe%20Compassion&text=Floods%2C%20bombings%2C%20and%20earthquakes%20are,boundaries%20that%20typically%20separate%20people.

 

Nota Bene:

USA Government websites are being purged by the current Trump Administration to align the website content with the regime’s political agenda. Please note that any government website cited in this and other posts on this website may no longer contain evidence based or historically correct information. Thus, I am trying to avoid including any references or resources which derive from a USA government website. This is not bias; I take this action in an effort to maintain a factually sound content in my posts.

 

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