New toolkit helps doctors address patients’ financial needs – a role doctors say they feel thrust into amid worsening crisis
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20250127154219/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/27/medical-debt-tool-kit-doctors
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I think a big problem arises when a doctor says a particular medicine or procedure is medically necessary, but the insurance company disagrees and tries to bullshit their way out of covering it. Doctors shouldn’t be having to spend so much time arguing against these situations, but many of them feel like they have no choice, because if insurance doesn’t cover it, the patient just isn’t going to get the medication.
That is literally the doctor’s job though. Doctors can band together to get someone like Bernie Sanders elected if they want change. But they keep supporting corporate Democrats primally, or some even support Trump.
Doctors can’t unionize. And even if they could, they’re not numerous enough to swing elections, even if you could get them all to agree, which I doubt.