(02-14-2025, 08:46 PM)gorzek Wrote: Yeah, things are heading to a new low and it's fucking horrible.
No medical care, no education, no infrastructure, no food, no jobs...
You'd think rich assholes would figure out that they can't even fly safely right now. That's how bad they've broken things.

Quote:squirrelstone said:

The sponsor, Earl Carter, is doing this to distract from the bill he sponsored immediately before this, H.R. 1160, which appears to classify all traveling doctors and "advanced care practitioners" as independent contractors (can't be 100% sure as the text hasn't been released yet, but it sounds like it's gonna be exactly what it says on the tin).

If you've ever seen a post about doordash or lyft drivers being overworked and underpaid, this is basically the same thing but for doctors. Here's an article about why independent contractors are bad for the worker, but here's the cliff notes:

• shit pay
  
• no benefits
  
• social isolation (coworkers changing frequently, so you don't have time to make friends or even proper acquaintances)
  
• not actually independent workers/still tied to a company
  

They dressed it up by adding this reasoning to the end of the title "to help alleviate physician shortages, including in underserved areas," but it's just political theater. Any physician would still need proper licensing, and there are already systems and travelling doctor companies in place designed to address underserved areas. The only difference is that the companies would be "required" (i.e. CEOs have been chomping at the bit to do this) to make all these doctors ICs instead of salaried employees.

All this to say, when you see some outrageous shit like this, look for the stuff that's been released at the same time. That's what they're actually trying to get passed.

•  Medicare coverage of telehealth services will end April 1
  
• Postal Service to have its leadership board dissolved and the entire department absorbed into the administration (this is bad)
  

(03-04-2025, 12:43 PM)gorzek Wrote: Tariffs are happening starting April 2, including on all food imports/exports with Mexico/Canada.
Trump, in his pure genius, told American farmers to ramp up production ahead of time.
I am not sure the sun and the soil can be told to hurry things up but, I dunno, I'm not a farmer.

(03-14-2025, 02:01 PM)gorzek Wrote: So I guess we're not having a shutdown because Dems decided to vote for a CR. lol.