Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, the workplace humor sketch, is pictured at work in 2006. Adams has metastatic prostate most cancers and he appealed to President Trump to assist save his life by fixing a bureaucratic downside together with his medical insurance. It labored: His appointment is Tuesday.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Like many, many Individuals, Scott Adams had medical insurance issues.
However Adams — made well-known first by his long-running Dilbert cartoon, and later for a racist rant on YouTube — counts some highly effective folks in his social media circle: President Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr. and Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
So Adams posted his criticism on X, saying Kaiser of Northern California, his well being insurer and care supplier, had “dropped the ball” in scheduling a process wanted to deal with his metastatic prostate most cancers. Adams wrote he was going to ask Trump to assist save his life, and he added: “I’m declining quick. I’ll ask President Trump if he can get Kaiser of Northern California to reply and schedule it for Monday.”
Donald Trump Jr. responded to the submit on X first, saying: “Going to be sure that my dad sees this.”
Simply after 11 am on Sunday morning, Kennedy responded, saying, “Scott. How do I attain you? The President desires to assist.”
Later that day, President Trump posted a display shot of Adams’ authentic submit and responded “On it!” on his favored social media platform, Reality Social.
And on Monday, Adams posted that he had an appointment to obtain the infusion he wanted of the most cancers drug, Pluvicto, on Tuesday.
“For context, I waited months for the drug, like everybody else,” Adams wrote. “However I feel my information bought misplaced or one thing and that glitch simply bought corrected. Unsure.”
The U.S. well being care system is notoriously complicated, complicated and costly, and lots of Individuals have had equally irritating experiences as Adams did. Few, although, have the social media attain to enlist such highly effective serving to arms.
“Our well being system should not be one the place we’d like the intervention of the president or the HHS secretary to weigh in on behalf of a high-profile political backer,” mentioned Anthony Wright, the chief director of Households USA, a well being care advocacy group.
Wright added that he’s gratified Adams bought the assistance he wanted and mentioned it must be out there to all. “Glad the President is providing to do casework,” Wright mentioned, noting that federal staff who do related downside fixing have been fired and navigators who assist folks join Inexpensive Care Act medical insurance have been reduce by 90%. Wright additionally known as out the” “present shutdown over the problem of tax credit that assist tens of millions entry and afford well being care.”
NPR reached out to Kaiser for remark they usually e-mailed this assertion: “Mr. Adams’ oncology staff is working carefully with him on the subsequent steps in his most cancers care, that are already underway. Because it was accredited by the FDA three years in the past, Kaiser Permanente’s nuclear medication and medical oncology consultants have handled greater than 150 sufferers with Lu-177 PSMA (Pluvicto) in Northern California alone. We all know this drug and this illness.”
Adams’ expertise drummed up a refrain of well-wishes on-line, in addition to those that known as out the preferential therapy he apparently bought.
“There are Individuals throughout America who’re at present going by means of related circumstances,” wrote one X poster, responding to Kennedy’s provide to assist Adams.
One other responded: “How about selling UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE, like the remainder of the Industrialized 1st World Nations, so EVERYONE could be handled, not simply Movie star & the Rich?”
Within the shutdown well being care struggle that began Oct. 1, about 24 million Individuals who purchase their insurance coverage on the ACA marketplaces will see their premiums skyrocket — the common plan will double in value — if Congress would not act. Democrats say they won’t reopen the federal government except the tax subsidies that convey down the fee are renewed. Republicans say they won’t talk about renewing the subsidies till the federal government is reopened.
