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Author Topic: Duh, uninformed disturbed Aussie here.  (Read 21214 times)

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Offline leatherman

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Re: Duh, uninformed disturbed Aussie here.
« Reply #50 on: May 14, 2010, 12:01:27 pm »
Sigh.
when I went to the SC ADAP Funding Cut protest rally in the middle of March, SC didn't even have a waiting list. Though we were able to get some funding, we weren't able to stop the list from beginning. Just two short months later and there's nearly 100 people on the list for this state now. On March 9, NC's waiting list had 168 people, that has increased by 315% in two months. Back in March, the nationwide total was already at 622; now it has reached 1004. That's a 61% increase in those two months, and we haven't even reached the middle of the year yet.

That's 1004 Americans, not like "us" at all. They not undetectable, have a low enough tcell/high enough VL to require meds, yet have no meds. These are not newly tested people receiving "good" numbers who have time to wait to decide which meds and when to take them. today those people, already in the zone to be on meds, have tcells that are still dropping and the virus inside them is still going unchecked.

Sigh, indeed ;)
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline blackwingbear

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    • THE DARK MIND OF BLACKWINGBEAR
Re: Duh, uninformed disturbed Aussie here.
« Reply #51 on: May 14, 2010, 12:37:28 pm »
That's 1004 Americans, not like "us" at all. They not undetectable, have a low enough tcell/high enough VL to require meds, yet have no meds. These are not newly tested people receiving "good" numbers who have time to wait to decide which meds and when to take them. today those people, already in the zone to be on meds, have tcells that are still dropping and the virus inside them is still going unchecked.

Sigh, indeed ;)

From my understanding, also, most that have the virus are completely unaware due to the "better not to know"-mindset.
It's all a sham. Politics is a big game, same as the media - and same as religion. The point is to distract & control. If we're looking at what they tell us is the "big issue", we're not looking at what they are doing. In time, there will be different causes and different minorities to pick-on. All in the name of keeping the system going, and the people distracted.

Offline David_CA

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Re: Duh, uninformed disturbed Aussie here.
« Reply #52 on: May 14, 2010, 01:54:07 pm »

I don't think of my posts as "sucky" posts :D per se; however I do think they point out the precariousness of many of people in the US. If you and your hubby lived just a few miles south down here in SC, where the government recently wanted to totally cancel funding any ADAP money, he very likely could have ended up with no meds at all, much less that upcoming surgery. There's already 92 people on the SC waiting list who are not as lucky as your hubby or I. They get no meds and no surgeries and very possibly, just like a few years ago in this state in 2006, some of them might die before receiving medical help. At the whim of several politicans, your hubby could be no better off than those 92 South Carolinians or those in Uganda. (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=32597).
No, every post you make about the US is not sucky!  That's why I didn't quote you in my earlier post.  I was trying to point out that many of us (citizens, not HIV+ people only) do have insurance.  The post that I had quoted seemed, to me, to imply that very, very few of us have coverage.  That certainly doesn't negate the need to ensure that ALL of us, HIV+ included, need to have some sort of coverage.  Not to get into the 'reduced viral load reduces infections' debate, I can't help but think that keeping people off of HAART (due to budget issues) can only increase infections.  Also don't think for a second that my employment and resulting insurance are not a large part of what keeps us living where we do.

I'm also seeing a number of 356 as of April '10... I'm curious as to the sudden jump.  Perhaps it's previously employed / insured people losing jobs.  Oddly enough, I've not personally know of too many people having problems getting meds through ADAP (or somehow).
Black Friday 03-03-2006
03-23-06 CD4 359 @27.4% VL 75,938
06-01-06 CD4 462 @24.3% VL > 100,000
08-15-06 CD4 388 @22.8% VL >  "
10-21-06 CD4 285 @21.9% VL >  "
  Atripla started 12-01-2006
01-08-07 CD4 429 @26.8% VL 1872!
05-08-07 CD4 478 @28.1% VL 740
08-03-07 CD4 509 @31.8% VL 370
11-06-07 CD4 570 @30.0% VL 140
02-21-08 CD4 648 @32.4% VL 600
05-19-08 CD4 695 @33.1% VL < 48 undetectable!
08-21-08 CD4 725 @34.5%
11-11-08 CD4 672 @39.5%
02-11-09 CD4 773 @36.8%
05-11-09 CD4 615 @36.2%
08-19-09 CD4 770 @38.5%
11-19-09 CD4 944 @33.7%
02-17-10 CD4 678 @39.9%  
06-03-10 CD4 768 @34.9%
09-21-10 CD4 685 @40.3%
01-10-11 CD4 908 @36.3%
05-23-11 CD4 846 @36.8% VL 80
02-13-12 CD4 911 @41.4% VL<20
You must be the change you want to see in the world.  Mahatma Gandhi

Offline leatherman

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Re: Duh, uninformed disturbed Aussie here.
« Reply #53 on: May 14, 2010, 07:18:52 pm »
most that have the virus are completely unaware due to the "better not to know"-mindset.
troubling, these 1004 are not those kinds of people. The "better not to know" crowd is a much, much larger hidden/uncounted group of people. These 1004 are actual people who have tested, been deemed to fit the criteria for meds, and are unable to obtain the ADAP funding to get meds.

I'm also seeing a number of 356 as of April '10... I'm curious as to the sudden jump.  Perhaps it's previously employed / insured people losing jobs.  Oddly enough, I've not personally know of too many people having problems getting meds through ADAP (or somehow).
Ah! I just joined the Peer Counseling Group at my ASO and attended training classes over the last couple of days. I enquired (who better to ask than the people handling the ADAP cases ;) ) as to this jump, and found out the reason. I also learned that we're about to see the same issue in SC (and I would imagine other states too) when the new numbers are issued at the first of June.

It seems that because the criteria for being eligible for ADAP is being raised (as a cost cutting measure), people who would have been eligible under the rules last month will now be making "too much" to qualify. Many of us close to these qualifying lines know that it doesn't take much to make you ineligible yet still unable to afford the services that you are supposedly able to afford now.

And to make matters even worse, and what I thought was the most outrageous thing I heard, those who come up for their yearly re-certification in SC, who now do not meet these new eligibility levels, will be dropped!! So even though ADAP might have been supplying someone's meds in April, if they are now above the cut off line, then ADAP will no longer help and it'll be up to them to obtain their own meds.
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline leatherman

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Re: Duh, uninformed disturbed Aussie here.
« Reply #54 on: May 14, 2010, 07:19:53 pm »
No, every post you make about the US is not sucky!  That's why I didn't quote you in my earlier post.
I didn't think you really meant me, my "northern" neighbor. LOL I just feel bad talking about where this country is failing it's own.

For an awful lot of Americans, health care is quite good and affordable. For others it is  good, but expensive - but not unattainable. However, there's a growing group of people for which the expense is making health care more and more unattainable. Unfortunately, many people being newly diagnosed with HIV, are tending to fall into this later category. Quite frankly, I didn't know people had problems getting meds until I started working more closely with this ASO after moving to SC.

As I told them, I had originally gone to several ACTup rallies in Cleveland back in the late 80s. However, my partner's illness, our fight just to get him medical help, and his death began to consume my life. Then there were all those years that I was ill and trying to not die myself, when I was unable to be part of the crowd, that voice requesting/demanding care. Thankfully there were those other voices though, as getting health care for myself was a million times easier than the hell we went through for my partner. Over the following years while I was sick and then recovering, unfortunately many of those early activists and voices died and people grew complacent about the HIV problem in America. Now years later, when I'm finally feeling better, I have felt obligated to "give back" and to try to be that voice for those in trouble and in need because of HIV.

Unlike others, I don't think that America and it's health care system totally sucks, but I see that it does have it's fair share of flaws. Volunteering as I have been lately, I see one of those flaws affecting people who have the same disease that I have, and I feel it's my turn to speak out and try to get the situation fixed to help them just as others fixed the system to help me.
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline pozniceguy

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Re: Duh, uninformed disturbed Aussie here.
« Reply #55 on: May 15, 2010, 12:13:54 am »
sorry to belabour a point Dachs  , but I thought I was pretty clear   "Medicare" doesn't have the conditions  that prevent you from seeing a particular Dr.., some Dr , clinics/ hospitals/health care providers can refuse to accept Medicare....   and some do exactly that....and also refuse to accept certain insurance companies and other "Aid" type programs....  that is what free enterprise is all about...they don't have to take you as a patient even if you can pay.   and by the way  just because I happen to attend groups with certain concerns doesn't mean I automatically agree with all of them....   I read this forum regularly and don't agree with everything I read here....

Nick
remember the good times...honor the past but don't live there
Le stelle la notte sono grandie luminose, nel cuore profondo del Texas

 


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