Hi, there
Welcome to the show, still only
Taking place here for four more
Shows.
Can't come soon enough.
I think I liked it
Better when you were silent.
You know what wasn't silent?
When you f*cking blew me up.
You remember that?
I do.
Barcoding kirk scared everyone,
And the house began the
Investigation of the in spirit
Insurrection.
But when jim jordan struggled to
Answer a basic question.
Yes or no, did you speak to
President Tr*mp on january
Sixth?
Yeah, I mean, I speak... I
Spoke with the president last
Week.
I speak with the president all
The time, I spoke with the
President on january 6th.
I mean, I talk with president
Tr*mp all the time.
On january 6, did you speak
With him before, during, or
After the capitol was att*cked?
Uh, I'd have to go... I
I spoke with him that
Day after?
I think after?
I don't know if I spoke with him
In the morning or not.
I just don't know.
I'd have to go back and... I
Mean, I don't, I don't, I don't
Know when those conversations
Happened, but what I know is, I
Spoke with him all the time.
Oh, okay then!
That sounds reasonable!
You seem to be employing both
The nervous energy and deeply
Suspicious denials normally
Reserved for woody allen.
Why wouldn't I find that
Reassuring?
But instead of that, I'd like to
Briefly focus on afghanistan.
The u.s. Withdrawal from there
Is nearly complete, ahead of the
August 31 deadline set by the
Biden administration.
But many are concerned about
Who's being left behind.
As america ends its longest
w*r, the translators left behind
Are begging the biden
Administration to cut through
The red tape and grant them
Special visas to come to the
U.s.
Today, independent senator
Angus king told reporters the
President's hair should be on
Fire over this situation.
It's true.
This is a situation biden's hair
Should be on fire about... Both
Metaphorically and literally.
It'd frankly be a huge
Improvement on his current look,
Which I'd describe as
"Business ghost," also known as
The "sane doc brown" or
"The flat jamie lee curtis."
Because the fact is, there are
Thousands of afghans who helped
U.s. Troops during the w*r who
Badly need to be evacuated
Because the taliban very much
Wants to k*ll them.
Since 2014, more than 300
Translators or their family
Members have been k*lled.
And I will say, publicly, biden
Has been sending encouraging
Messages.
Our message to those women
And men is clear.
There is a home for you in the
United states if you so choose,
And we will stand with you just
As you stood with us.
Oh, well, that sounds
Great!
Although that "if they so choose
Part" is doing a lot of work.
Because it's not so much their
Choice as ours.
We're the ones in charge of the
Process, so putting the choice
On the applicants is basically a
Surgeon handing you a scalpel,
Saying, "there is a tumor-free
Pancreas in your body if you so
Choose, and I will stand with
You."
I think you might be
Fundamentally confused about who
Has power over the outcome here.
And the application process has
Been a mess for a long time.
As we discussed on the first
Season of this show...
Presumably 40 years ago... Just
Applying for a special immigrant
Visa can be a nightmare.
And while 18,000 afghans have
Applied on behalf of themselves
And their families...
Representing an estimated 53,000
People in total... Many have
Been stuck waiting, in some
Cases for years.
Moneer noori has been waiting
On a special immigrant visa for
Nearly a decade.
He first applied for a
Special immigrant visa in 2013
And said he's been rejected four
Times.
Moneer was told by the state
Department that his documents
Were fraudulent but was not
Given any specific example to
Appeal.
There is more than hundreds
And hundreds more special force
Interpreters left behind.
They have the same issues.
And I don't want to be left
Behind.
Yeah, of course not.
And we can't let that happen.
Because it's practically a
Death sentence.
Being left behind, in this
Context is even worse than
Seeing "left behind," the 2014
Nicolas cage faith-based
Thriller about the second coming
That boasts... And this is
True... A solid 1%
On rotten tomatoes.
Clearly, there aren't many
Things worse than seeing
"Left behind," but I'm going to
Say getting abandoned to be
m*rder*d by the taliban is
Definitely one of them.
And it's not just that
Interpreter who's frustrated...
The u.s. Soldiers he worked
Alongside are also appalled by
The situation.
We're filling out all the
Paperwork.
We're going through all the due
Diligence and the process to
Make this right.
And nobody is responding with
Any information that would be
Critical to getting him out of
Country.
Like, this is, like,
Both a huge leadership failure
For me, like, personally, and
The m*llitary.
The... The fact that I haven't
Been able to get my... My guy
Out.
That does sound
Maddening.
Particularly because "getting my
Guy out" is basically what we've
Been conditioned to think the
m*llitary does.
It's supposed to be "saving
Private ryan, " not " filing
Paperwork on private ryan's
Behalf, waiting a few months,
Filing requisition paperwork to
Track down the initial
Paperwork, and then learning
Private ryan was sh*t in the
Head by a n*zi last month."
And there is real urgency here,
As the taliban currently
Controls about half of
Afghanistan's 419 district
Centers, and while they've yet
To capture any of the provincial
Capitals, they are pressuring
About half of them.
This is basically the bill cosby
Comeback tour of political
We can all see where
It's going, and if we don't act
Quickly, something terrible is
Going to happen.
And incredibly, there are
Some... Like supercuts superfan
Rand paul... Who have questioned
Whether we should be evacuating
All these people at all.
I would encourage them rather
To stay and fight.
I think it would be good to have
Many english speakers in
Afghanistan.
The future of afghanistan could
Be a bright future, but they're
Going to have to fight for it
And, ultimately, it is their
Fight.
Okay, first... f*ck all
The way off.
And second... Fight with f*cking
What, exactly?
Their working knowledge of the
Difference between there, their
And they're?
Also, telling translators to
"Stay and fight the taliban" is
Pretty rich coming from a guy
Who couldn't even win a fight
Against his neighbor on his own
Front lawn.
And the administration may point
To the fact that, this month,
Stages to an army base in
Virginia.
And that they're negotiating
With third countries like qatar
And kuwait to house afghans at
m*llitary bases while they await
Visa approval.
But so far a tiny percentage of
The peoplein the pipeline have
Been evacuated.
And the fact that we're just
Scrambling for a plan now is
Inexcusable when we've had 20
Years to develop one, and for
Around half that time, biden was
In the white house.
If we really want to make sure
These applicants are safe, we
Could bring them to the u.s. For
Processing.
Guam has been suggested.
And we should do that right now
Because the clock is ticking,
And the translators in
Afghanistan are well aware of
That fact.
While evacuation plans to a
Third country may still be
Uncertain, the taliban death
Threats here are crystal clear.
Yeah, I receive a lot of
Phone calls from them.
Phone calls?
Yes.
And they told me, "soon we will
Come to kabul, and we will find
You and we will k*ll you."
The taliban have said
Interpreters will not be in
Danger, as long as they show
Remorse for their treason.
Would anyone believe that?
You're almost laughing, you
Wouldn't believe them.
No, I will never believe
Them.
Yeah, of course he
Doesn't believe the taliban.
A "taliban promise" sounds
Inherently like bullshit.
It also sounds like a pretty
r*cist soft-core romance
Paperback written by a white
Woman who's never met anyone
From there.
But mostly it sounds like
Bullshit.
There is no reason to believe
Things will end well for anyone
We leave behind.
These people helped us at great
Risk to themselves and their
Families.
And if you don't think we should
Give them a safe home here in
Return, then all I have to say
Actually, can I get a translator
For that?
He said, "f*ck you."
I did.
Thank you.
And now this.
And now, and
Now, jim cramer loves chipotle.
The worst restaurants are
Going up and not the best ones.
But chipotle is the best.
I love them.
I would eat chipotle all the
Way.
They are back and they seem to
Love chipotle as I do.
I still love chipotle it was
Awesome.
I had a burrito.
Oh, boy, when it comes to
Chipotle.
To be fair, no one looks good...
Everyone goes to chipotle.
Chipotle last week.
I had chipotle yesterday.
Why?
You were able to sit down and
Have your cilantro lime
Roasted... It is unbelievably
Good.
Have you ever had chipotle?
Yeah, I have.
I have had it.
Yeah.
He enjoys it a great deal.
It's got cheese.
A lot of cheese, right?
Is that what queso is?
Have you ever had a bowl?
I had a ball.
I've had a burrito?
You get the box?
I don't go there that often.
Moving on.
Our main story tonight concerns
Ambulances.
Y'know, big ouchie trucks that
Go woop-woop.
Ambulances can be an annoyance
To city dwellers with their
Shrieking sirens.
Although, not if you live in
Brussels, where that siren
Sounds very different.
Okay, that's just an objectively
Better siren.
It sounds like mickey mouse
getting f*cked on a
Washing machine... In a good
way.
And I know that's hard to
picture, so let me help:
Oh, boy.
I mean, that's
Fantastic.
I'd far rather be woken up by
The sounds of america's rat
Getting railed on the spin
Cycle, because I'd immediately
Laugh, then remember that
Someone was having a medical
Emergency and feel bad, then
Hear the siren and laugh myself
To sleep again.
What a siren!
Anyway, ambulance crews clearly
Play a critically important role
Across the country.
So it's no wonder that during
The height of the pandemic last
Year, they were among those who
Got an outpouring of gratitude
And nightly applause, with new
York's mayor even making this
I want to guarantee you one
That when that day comes
That we can restart the
Beautiful, vibrant life of this
City again, the first thing we
Will do is we will have a
Ticker-tape parade down the
Canyon of heroes for our health
Care workers and our first
Responders.
We will honor those who saved
Us.
I don't
Know if a parade is quite the
Dangling carrot de blasio seems
To think it is.
Because parades... And this is
True... Suck.
They're loud, crowded, and go on
Approximately four hours too
Long.
The only good thing about the
Thanksgiving day parade is
Seeing which country singer gets
To lip sync next to the jolly
Green giant's d*ck.
But second, there was a small
Irony in all the vocal
Appreciation that took place
Last year, as this emt we
Featured pointed out.
Right now, I'm doing all of
This with no health insurance.
The job doesn't offer it.
And our affordable marketplaces
Aren't very affordable.
If I get sick and, okay, I go
Get tested positive, I can't go
To the hospital.
And, you know, people come out,
And they show us their support.
And I love it.
I love... I have eaten so much
Pizza in the last two weeks.
It's been great.
I don't need pizza.
I need to be able to pay my
Bills.
Right.
People clapping and giving pizza
In appreciation was very nice
But wasn't a substitute for the
Things they actually needed,
Like a living wage and health
Benefits.
If you
Had a heart att*ck and
Paramedics showed up with a
Pepperoni pie and some garlic
Knots, you'd grateful, sure,
But you'd be also justified in
Pointing out that's not
Everything that the situation
Demanded.
And that man's story is by no
Means a one-off.
Ems workers around the country
Are shockingly underpaid, which
Is kind of amazing, especially
When you consider how
Prohibitively expensive taking
An ambulance can be... So much
So that you'll often see local
News stories like this:
It was rush hour at the mass
Avenue station when this
Passenger stepped off the
Crowded train.
Surveillance video shows the
Moment her leg dropped into the
Gap, trapping her between the
Train and the platform.
As other commuters rocked the
Train to dislodge the woman's
Leg, a boston globe reporter
Tweeted from the scene, "she
Begged 'no one call an
Ambulance.
It's $3,000.
I can't afford that.'"
Wow.
It's a pretty strong indictment
Of our current healthcare system
That that woman's main concern
Was getting crushed financially,
Even while she was getting
Crushed physically.
So given that we have injured
People begging bystanders not to
Call ambulances and the emts
Who work inside them forced to
Live off pizza donations,
Tonight, let's take a look at
Our emergency medical services:
Specifically, how they function,
Why they can be so expensive,
And what we can do to fix
Things.
And the first thing to know is,
There is absolutely no
Consistency when it comes to ems
In this country.
When you talk about "emergency
Medical services," you're
Actually talking about 19,000
Locally run ems providers with
Wildly different structures.
To give you an idea of just how
In
Houston, ems is provided by
Firefighters cross-trained as
Paramedics or emts.
In new york city, it's under the
Fire department umbrella, but
It's a separate division and
Supplemented by private
Companies.
In pittsburgh, it's a
Free-standing municipal
Department of its own.
And in rural wyoming, ems is
Mostly provided by
Volunteer-based organizations.
And frustratingly, in no parts
Of the country does ems have
Ambulances that sound like this:
The very fact our sirens could
Sound like a puccini aria
Performed by a flustered
Parakeet, and yet, we choose for
That not to be the case, makes
Us a bunch of f*cking idiots.
But all of this is to say:
If you've seen one ems setup,
You've seen exactly one ems
Setup.
And one reason for this is that
There is no single federal
Agency overseeing and supporting
Ems in the same the way that,
For instance, fire departments
Have the u.s. Fire
Administration.
And the frustrating thing is, it
Didn't have to be this way.
Back in 1973, congress enacted
The ems systems act, which
Created a new program to help
Develop regional ems systems,
Something that was badly needed.
Prior to that, ambulance
Services were frequently
Provided by hearses, simply
Because they were long enough to
Transport a human body.
Unfortunately, under the reagan
Administration, budget cuts
Eliminated direct federal
Funding and oversight, shifting
The responsibility onto the
States... Many of which opted to
Direct their money away from ems
And into other public health
Services instead.
Which brings us to an incredible
Unlike other first
Responders, such as police and
Fire departments, right now, in
All 39 of these states, ems is
Not considered an essential
Service, meaning local
Governments don't have to
Provide it to their citizens.
Which, as a practical matter,
Means ems generally has less
Access to government funding.
This is a huge deal.
And if this is surprising news
To you, you're not alone.
Just listen to this utah state
Representative.
I became aware of the fact
That this issue existed when I
Asked the question to chief brad
Hannig, what can I do for you?
He started explaining to me this
Issue and I was like, really?
'Cause I thought this was an
Essential service too.
I didn't know any better.
Yeah, of course he was
Surprised!
Finding out that ems is not
Deemed essential is like finding
Out that most states don't
Consider geese to be birds.
That's what they are.
They have beaks, wings,
Feathers, they rain sh*t from
The sky, sully sullenberger is
Their jeffrey dahmer...
They're f*cking birds!
I didn't realize anyone was even
Disputing that.
Ems providers can be so strapped
For cash... Especially in rural
Areas... That they have to
Fundraise for themselves.
Do a quick search on gofundme
Right now, and you'll find
Multiple outfits trying to raise
Money for equipment, gear, and
Updated ambulances.
And you know our healthcare
System is f*cked up when
Patients and providers are
Relying on the same crowdfunding
Platform.
Some people even do fundraising
Stunts for their local ems,
Whether it's this guy doing a
Polar bear plunge for a thousand
Bucks or this dj doing a
Three-hour livestream that
Raised money for ems workers in
New york.
And I have to say... My
Admiration for that man's
Generosity is almost enough to
Overcome my horror at the idea
Of a three-hour livestream dj
Set.
It's like someone donating a
Million dollars to cancer
Research by writing out a check
In turtle blood.
Love the end, hate the means.
And these massive funding
Deficiencies start to explain
Why it is that ems workers like
That guy you saw earlier are so
Terribly paid.
The median annual wage is just
Over $36,000... Well below what
Police officers and firefighters
Make... And for a dangerous and
Emts and
Paramedics have an injury rate
About three times the national
Average and they're roughly ten
Times more likely to have
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
So it's no wonder that ambulance
Services can have real trouble
Finding or retaining workers and
Volunteers, especially in rural
Communities.
Experts now warn close to one
Third of all rural medical
Services are in immediate danger
Of closing down.
In rural marmarth,
North dakota, no one remembers
The last time the town had a
Doctor.
The ambulance is the community
Safety net.
We're literally one person
Away from closing if we lose one
Of our emts, one of our care
Providers.
We will have to look at shutting
Down and closing our doors.
That's terrible.
No workplace should be in danger
Of shutting down because it
Loses one person.
Unless that workplace is the
"Sex and the city" reboot.
What are you thinking?
It's never going to work without
Kim cattrall.
It's not that any of you are
Bad, it's that you only work
Together.
I can't appreciate my puritan
Charlotte if I don't have my
Naughty samantha.
And I live for miranda hobbes,
But if she's not serving
Side eye while samantha uses
Penne pasta to describe her new
Italian lover's d*ck, what's the
Point?
And to be clear, this isn't just
A rural problem.
Some big-city services are
Stretched to breaking point,
Too.
Take chicago, where its ems is
Operated by the fire department.
Both workers and city officials
Have complained for years that
Not enough resources have been
Allocated to ems, leading to an
Ambulance shortage.
And while the fire department
Says its fleet meets the needs
Of residents, a local-news
Of residents, a local news
Investigation found some pretty
Harrowing stories
One analysis of 700,000
Medical 911 calls found in 19%
Of them it took an ambulance
More than seven minutes to get
To the scene.
Sometimes there just isn't
One.
We're out of ambulances.
We'll let you know.
Wow.
"We're out of ambulances."
That is not something you want
To hear.
I think we all know, when you
Call an ambulance, you
Want it to show up
Like that.
What's wrong with you?
Aw, no.
I'm sorry, george.
I did it again.
I'm sorry.
How hard is it not to snap
Your fingers?
Y'know, it turns out,
It is surprisingly hard.
You know, I got the power to
Clap my hands and summon kermit
The frog, do you think I do it?
No, I do not.
Because I respect kermit.
I get that.
But, hey, george?
Do it.
Do it now.
Please.
All right.
This better be good, george.
It's not.
Well, I thought that
Went very well.
Anyway, where were we?
Oh, that's right.
Emergency medical services in
America are underfunded, because
In most places, they're not
Supported by federal programs
And local dollars the way that
Police and fire departments are.
And the fact they are so
Underfunded starts to explain
Why they can cost so much.
Because for many, the way they
Recoup their costs is by billing
Patients.
Although interestingly, if they
Don't physically transport those
Patients to a hospital, they can
Be out of luck.
You're reimbursed based on
The number of patients that you
Transport to a hospital.
So you could get called 1,000
Times a year and only transport
Those other 250 calls, you made
No money on.
Yeah, it's true.
And policies like that can not
Only put ems providers even
Further into a financial hole,
It can also incentivize them to
Take patients to the hospital,
Even if it's not totally
Necessary.
Which makes no sense.
It's a practice known throughout
The ems industry as "you call,
We haul," which is a fun phrase,
Although to be honest, nowhere
Near as fun as the fire
"You hurt?
We squirt."
And ems's funding structure
Doesn't just serve providers
Poorly... It serves patients
Poorly too.
Because right now, patients and
Their insurance reimbursements,
Are most ems outfit's primary
Funding sources, which is not a
Good situation for either side.
Some patients have medicare and
Medicaid... And by law, ems
Providers are required to accept
Their reimbursement rates,
Despite many saying they're set
Too low.
But for patients with private
Insurance, the fact is, emses
Are not required to accept that
At all.
In fact, many choose to keep
Themselves out of network for
Most insurers, meaning they can
Generally set their rates
Wherever they want.
This situation can often leave
Patients facing so-called
"Surprise bills."
Some of which can be absolutely
Ridiculous.
Baby sawyer just couldn't
Wait to enter the world.
Katie moraida's water broke a
Week before he was due.
She and husband daniel raced
To sutter roseville.
With the emergency room in
Sight, katie screams for him to
Stop the car.
He said, "don't push."
And I said, "I have to push."
She went like this.
And I pushed.
And then pop!
And he came out!
Roseville pd called the
Paramedics, who cut the
Umbilical cord and drove katie
And sawyer a matter of a few
Hundred yards to the hospital
Door.
The entire time with a
Paramedic, 10 minutes.
It is such a blur.
But later it would come into
Focus when two equal amr
Ambulance bills showed up, one
For katie, one for baby sawyer,
Totaling more than 3,500 bucks.
Not even a full minute worth
Of an ambulance ride.
We had already done the hard
Part.
We delivered our child in the
Front seat of our car.
Well, hold on there.
Did "we" really do the hard
Part, dan?
Because from what I just heard,
You did some driving, and then
Sat back while your wife... In
Your words... "Popped" out a
Human, so I'm not sure you
Really "did the hard part," so
Much as you were just sort of
There.
C'mon, dan.
Be an ally.
Read a tweet.
And there can be absolutely
Crazy examples of surprise
Billing, even when ems is run by
The city.
In houston, literally all
City-run ambulance services are
Out-of-network for all insurers.
And a study of one large
National insurance plan found
That 71% of ambulance rides had
The potential to generate a
Surprise bill.
And when you know that, is it
Any wonder that woman begged
People not to call an ambulance?
Or that this incredibly grim
Trend has emerged:
Ambulance or uber?
That's now the choice as more
Americans are using uber and
Other car services to get to the
Emergency room.
Chandra steele did it.
What were your symptoms?
I had some internal bleeding
Which I already...
You had internal bleeding and
You took an uber to the
Hospital?
Emergency room doctor robert
Glatter of lenox hill hospital
In new york says uber e.r., As
It's been nicknamed, is not a
Smart idea in a crisis.
They don't have any kind of
Oxygen, they don't have
Intravenous fluids or ivs, they
Don't have paramedics.
That's the main difference.
They have a driver.
Right!
They also may
Not know which local hospital
Has a trauma, stroke, cardiac,
Or pediatric unit.
Because they're uber drivers.
The most they have are tiny
Water bottles you're afraid to
Drink from and a charger for a
Samsung phone you do not own.
Instead of all of
Us paying a little bit all the
Time for ambulances, we have a
System where some of us pay an
Awful lot all at once when we
Have a terrible emergency.
And if you're thinking, "how
Could this possibly get any
Worse?"
Well, wait, it can.
Because for-profit businesses
Are also involved here... In
Fact, currently, private
Companies represent about 25% of
All ambulance providers.
And many of them are owned by
Private equity firms who've been
Acquiring distressed local
Ambulance providers for decades.
Remember that baby who got a
Bill for being born?
That came from a private
For-profit company, american
Medical response.
They're currently the largest
Ambulance company in the u.s.
And are owned by one of the
Country's largest private equity
Firms.
And when a private equity firm
Swoops in to help wring profits
Out of ambulance services by
Keeping costs low and revenues
High, things generally don't
Change for the better.
Take transcare, an ems company
Acquired out of bankruptcy by a
Private equity firm run by this
Woman, lynn tilton.
And a few things to note about
Aside from serving looks that
Can only be described as
"My style icons are wayne newton
And a ferrero rocher candy,"
Lynn tilton is a self-described
Poet, already one of the biggest
Red flags imaginable.
We looked, and one of the only
Things close to poetry we could
Find from her was this instagram
"I am a woman of strength,
Nothing can break my spirit,
I am wild and free,
I am a warrior of light,
I am me."
Which feels less like real
Poetry and more like someone
With a concussion trying to
Remember kesha lyrics.
Lynn tilton was also the star of
The sadly canceled reality
Series "diva of distressed,"
Where she portrayed herself as a
Savior of troubled companies in
Inspirational moments like this:
One of the things we do is we
All commit.
So I'm going to ask you all to
Commit with me that we will not
Stop until we've achieved our
Goal.
I commit!
We commit.
Thank you.
Commit, commit!
No pussies in my mill!
She seems great.
And lynn tilton certainly knows
How to instill a sense of
Courage in those around her.
Reminds me of that famous fdr
"The only thing we have
To fear is pussies in my mill."
And tilton promised to bring
That uplifting leadership to
Transcare.
But many who worked there
Described rough conditions on
Her watch, with one former
Employee saying they were sent
Out in a vehicle where the
Brakes didn't work properly and
During the 2014 ebola scare had
Trouble getting enough sanitary
Wipes to disinfect their
Ambulances.
Former staff even said they were
Pressured by transcare
Supervisors to go "e.r.
Shopping," meaning they'd steal
Medical supplies from the e.r.s
To restock their ambulances.
And when transcare inevitably
Ended up filing for bankruptcy
In 2016, its employees found out
That they'd lost their jobs like
This.
Workers were told they had 30
Days left on the job.
They showed up today to find
This.
Transcare was shuttered.
I was in shock.
We were all in shock.
It was horrible.
It's absolutely horrible.
A work emergency for dozens
Of paramedics.
You know, I have to find
Another job.
I have another side job to
Support me right now, currently,
But that doesn't pay the bills.
Last night we were told, "see
You tomorrow.
Have a good night."
Well, that's f*cked up.
There are certain businesses you
Assume might disappear
Overnight, like a kid's lemonade
Stand or any circuit city in
The late 2000s.
Incidentally, they all became
Kingdoms of optical cables and
Loose batteries governed by
Rats, and that's absolutely
Fine.
But it is not great when what's
Disappearing is a community's
Life-saving medical service.
And it's not just that transcare
Folded... It's that, in a
Bankruptcy court ruling last
Year, a judge recommended
Finding tilton liable for nearly
$42 Million for stripping value
Out of the company.
Which isn't totally shocking
From a woman whose employees
Were encouraged to strip value
Out of f*cking emergency rooms.
Now, I have to say: tilton
Denies having done anything
Wrong and has challenged that
Recommendation in federal court.
And the thing is, I'm not just
Mad with lynn tilton here.
I'm mad that we're operating a
System where a vital service is
Left vulnerable to the
Lynn tiltons of the world.
So what can we do about this?
Well, as I've said before,
Ideally, we'd transition to a
Medicare for all approach, but
That doesn't seem to be in the
Cards right now.
And in the meantime, there are
Smaller things we could do.
For patients, we need to put an
End to surprise billing.
The good news is, congress
Passed a bill last year called
The "no surprises act," making
It illegal to send patients
Steep medical bills when an
Out-of-network provider is
Unexpectedly involved in their
Care.
The bad news is, while that
Applies to air ambulances, the
Bill, for some reason,
Explicitly carved out ground
Ambulances.
Most f*cking
Ambulances.
We should
Establish a lead federal agency
Dedicated to them.
And they should absolutely be
Labeled an essential service.
Especially because that's what
Everyone thinks they are.
But for that label to mean
Something, it has to come with
Funding at the local, state, and
Federal levels.
And there's no better time to
Make those big changes than
Right now, when we still
Remember the absolute hell of
What these workers went through
Last year.
Remember that parade that bill
De blasio promised?
It actually took place last
Month, but you know who notably
Didn't attend?
Emts, many of whom boycotted it
Because of stagnant wages and
The fact that they worked during
The pandemic without hazard pay.
Last year, everyone was
Anxious to show how much they
Supported emts.
Well, now's the time to prove it
And make big changes on their
Behalf.
And if we do that, maybe we'll
Collectively be worthy of a
Siren that sounds like this:
Get yours, mickey, you filthy
Mouse.
That's our show.
Thanks so much for watching.
We'll see you next week.
Good night!
08x19 - Emergency medical services
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American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by comedian John Oliver.
American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by comedian John Oliver.