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    Signs That It Might Be Time To Get a New Car

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    Mercedes-Benz to Launch Global Branded High-Power Charging Network in North America

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    5 Important Tips for Every New Jeep Owner

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    The Best Ways To Increase the Value of Your Car

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    Los Angeles implemented a new tax on luxurious real estate to finance affordable housing and combat homelessness

    Los Angeles implemented a new tax on luxurious real estate to finance affordable housing and combat homelessness

    Working shorter hours: 38 companies in the USA are testing the 4-day week

    Working shorter hours: 38 companies in the USA are testing the 4-day week

    World’s largest trial in the UK: 86 percent want to keep 4-day week

    World’s largest trial in the UK: 86 percent want to keep 4-day week

    Rewarding “Good” Companies—How the Economy for the Common Good Wants to Change the World

    Rewarding “Good” Companies—How the Economy for the Common Good Wants to Change the World

    Redistributing 11 billion dollars: Colombia’s left-wing president wants to fight poverty with a wealth tax

    Redistributing 11 billion dollars: Colombia’s left-wing president wants to fight poverty with a wealth tax

    Ban or regulate: The world searches for a way to deal with cryptocurrencies

    Ban or regulate: The world searches for a way to deal with cryptocurrencies

    Bolivia: Less poverty and booming economy through nationalisation of mineral resources

    Bolivia: Less poverty and booming economy through nationalisation of mineral resources

    “Creating Prosperity Together”: How the social economy model saved the English city of Preston

    “Creating Prosperity Together”: How the social economy model saved the English city of Preston

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    Amazon continues to destroy new goods and returns 

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    • Fashion
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      Essential Tips for Planning a Great Fashion Show

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      Make a Bold Style Statement With These Wide-Leg Pants

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      Power Your Winter Workouts With The Best Zip Hoodies for Men

      The Ultimate Watch Buying Guide

      The Ultimate Watch Buying Guide

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      Our 7 Favorite Field Jackets for Tackling Fall Weather

      The Best Leather Jackets for Guys – No Matter Your Budget

      The Best Leather Jackets for Guys – No Matter Your Budget

      Campus-Ready Backpacks for Storing *All* the Books

      Campus-Ready Backpacks for Storing *All* the Books

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        Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara

        Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara

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        Unusual Products That Come From Animals and Their Uses

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        Tips for Creating a Homemade Wine Cellar

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        How the Wine You Choose Can Help You have an Eco-Friendly Home

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          More States OK Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Beyond Two Months

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          California Confronts the Threat of ‘Tranq’ as Overdose Crisis Rages

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          As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ of Americans Lose Coverage

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            Tips for Growing a Fuller and Healthier Beard

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              OpenSecrets releases report on out-of-state donations’ rising role

              OpenSecrets releases report on out-of-state donations’ rising role

              Independent Sen. Krysten Sinema continues using liberal platforms to fundraise for 2024 reelection campaign

              Independent Sen. Krysten Sinema continues using liberal platforms to fundraise for 2024 reelection campaign

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              Watchdog bites Ron DeSantis for alleged “soft money” campaign finance violation

              Press Release: Over 30,000 White House financial disclosures to be made public in first for transparency and accountability

              Press Release: Over 30,000 White House financial disclosures to be made public in first for transparency and accountability

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              Adam Schiff heads into California’s 2024 U.S. Senate race with a sizable cash advantage

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                Ways To Invest in Real Estate With No Experience

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                • Automotive
                  Tips for Crossing Water in Your Jeep Wrangler

                  Tips for Crossing Water in Your Jeep Wrangler

                  4 Helpful Tips for Giving Your Car a Glossy Finish

                  4 Helpful Tips for Giving Your Car a Glossy Finish

                  4 Common Mistakes To Avoid With Car Restorations

                  4 Common Mistakes To Avoid With Car Restorations

                  Signs That It Might Be Time To Get a New Car

                  Signs That It Might Be Time To Get a New Car

                  Mercedes-Benz Charging Network

                  Mercedes-Benz to Launch Global Branded High-Power Charging Network in North America

                  Ways To Surprise Your Partner Who Loves Cars

                  Ways To Surprise Your Partner Who Loves Cars

                  5 Important Tips for Every New Jeep Owner

                  5 Important Tips for Every New Jeep Owner

                  The Best Ways To Increase the Value of Your Car

                  The Best Ways To Increase the Value of Your Car

                  Why Jeeps Are Awesome for Off-Roading Adventures

                  Why Jeeps Are Awesome for Off-Roading Adventures

                  Trending Tags

                  • Mercedes-Benz
                  • Mustang
                • Business
                  Los Angeles implemented a new tax on luxurious real estate to finance affordable housing and combat homelessness

                  Los Angeles implemented a new tax on luxurious real estate to finance affordable housing and combat homelessness

                  Working shorter hours: 38 companies in the USA are testing the 4-day week

                  Working shorter hours: 38 companies in the USA are testing the 4-day week

                  World’s largest trial in the UK: 86 percent want to keep 4-day week

                  World’s largest trial in the UK: 86 percent want to keep 4-day week

                  Rewarding “Good” Companies—How the Economy for the Common Good Wants to Change the World

                  Rewarding “Good” Companies—How the Economy for the Common Good Wants to Change the World

                  Redistributing 11 billion dollars: Colombia’s left-wing president wants to fight poverty with a wealth tax

                  Redistributing 11 billion dollars: Colombia’s left-wing president wants to fight poverty with a wealth tax

                  Ban or regulate: The world searches for a way to deal with cryptocurrencies

                  Ban or regulate: The world searches for a way to deal with cryptocurrencies

                  Bolivia: Less poverty and booming economy through nationalisation of mineral resources

                  Bolivia: Less poverty and booming economy through nationalisation of mineral resources

                  “Creating Prosperity Together”: How the social economy model saved the English city of Preston

                  “Creating Prosperity Together”: How the social economy model saved the English city of Preston

                  Amazon continues to destroy new goods and returns 

                  Amazon continues to destroy new goods and returns 

                  Trending Tags

                  • Fashion
                    Essential Tips for Planning a Great Fashion Show

                    Essential Tips for Planning a Great Fashion Show

                    Signs That Your Tuxedo Doesn’t Fit Right

                    Signs That Your Tuxedo Doesn’t Fit Right

                    Make a Bold Style Statement With These Wide-Leg Pants

                    Make a Bold Style Statement With These Wide-Leg Pants

                    Power Your Winter Workouts With The Best Zip Hoodies for Men

                    Power Your Winter Workouts With The Best Zip Hoodies for Men

                    The Ultimate Watch Buying Guide

                    The Ultimate Watch Buying Guide

                    Outdoor Enthusiasts, Take Note: These Watches Are as Tough as You

                    Outdoor Enthusiasts, Take Note: These Watches Are as Tough as You

                    Our 7 Favorite Field Jackets for Tackling Fall Weather

                    Our 7 Favorite Field Jackets for Tackling Fall Weather

                    The Best Leather Jackets for Guys – No Matter Your Budget

                    The Best Leather Jackets for Guys – No Matter Your Budget

                    Campus-Ready Backpacks for Storing *All* the Books

                    Campus-Ready Backpacks for Storing *All* the Books

                    Trending Tags

                    • Food & Drink
                      Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara

                      Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara

                      Unusual Products That Come From Animals and Their Uses

                      Unusual Products That Come From Animals and Their Uses

                      Tips for Creating a Homemade Wine Cellar

                      Tips for Creating a Homemade Wine Cellar

                      How the wine you choose can help you have an eco-friendly home

                      How the Wine You Choose Can Help You have an Eco-Friendly Home

                      Rum and Cola Holiday Ham

                      Special Centerpieces for Holiday Celebrations

                      ChefsGiving 2020

                      This Holiday Season, How about Cooking for a Cause?

                      Iced Cold Moscow Mule cocktail with lime and pomegranate

                      Holiday Spirits: The Cranberry Smash Moscow Mule

                      The Most Beautiful Liquor Bottles in the World

                      The Most Beautiful Liquor Bottles in the World

                      Tao Group Virtual Chef Experience

                      Entertain Your Guests Virtually This Fall ?

                      Trending Tags

                      • Health
                        More States OK Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Beyond Two Months

                        More States OK Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Beyond Two Months

                        California Confronts the Threat of ‘Tranq’ as Overdose Crisis Rages

                        California Confronts the Threat of ‘Tranq’ as Overdose Crisis Rages

                        Our 300th Episode!

                        Our 300th Episode!

                        As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ of Americans Lose Coverage

                        As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ of Americans Lose Coverage

                        Health Care Coalition Jockeys Over Medi-Cal Spending, Eyes Ballot Initiative

                        Health Care Coalition Jockeys Over Medi-Cal Spending, Eyes Ballot Initiative

                        How a Medical Recoding May Limit Cancer Patients’ Options for Breast Reconstruction

                        How a Medical Recoding May Limit Cancer Patients’ Options for Breast Reconstruction

                        Cardiovascular Disease Is Primed to Kill More Older Adults, Especially Blacks and Hispanics

                        Cardiovascular Disease Is Primed to Kill More Older Adults, Especially Blacks and Hispanics

                        Newsom and Democratic Lawmakers at Odds Over Billions in Health Care Funds

                        Newsom and Democratic Lawmakers at Odds Over Billions in Health Care Funds

                        Many People Living in the ‘Diabetes Belt’ Are Plagued With Medical Debt

                        Many People Living in the ‘Diabetes Belt’ Are Plagued With Medical Debt

                        Trending Tags

                        • Lifestyle

                          The History and Meaning of Memorial Day

                          Ways To Make Your Partner Feel Loved and Appreciated

                          Ways To Make Your Partner Feel Loved and Appreciated

                          Values and principles, even when faced with temptations, challenges, or potential negative consequences.

                          Acknowledging Racism within Familial and Social Circles: An Examination of Cognitive Dissonance and Socio-Cultural Factors

                          Definition of ethics

                          The Interconnectedness of Racial Opinions and Ethics

                          Sacrifice States: the US Nuclear Sponge

                          woman with gun near thief at night in parking lot

                          Why it’s Important to know Your 2nd Amendment Rights

                          Tips for Growing a Fuller and Healthier Beard

                          Tips for Growing a Fuller and Healthier Beard

                          Fulfilling Side Hustles for Good Money in 2023

                          Fulfilling Side Hustles for Good Money in 2023

                          5 Tips on How To Run Your First Charity Event

                          5 Tips on How To Run Your First Charity Event

                          Trending Tags

                          • Politics
                            OpenSecrets releases report on out-of-state donations’ rising role

                            OpenSecrets releases report on out-of-state donations’ rising role

                            Independent Sen. Krysten Sinema continues using liberal platforms to fundraise for 2024 reelection campaign

                            Independent Sen. Krysten Sinema continues using liberal platforms to fundraise for 2024 reelection campaign

                            Watchdog bites Ron DeSantis for alleged “soft money” campaign finance violation

                            Watchdog bites Ron DeSantis for alleged “soft money” campaign finance violation

                            Press Release: Over 30,000 White House financial disclosures to be made public in first for transparency and accountability

                            Press Release: Over 30,000 White House financial disclosures to be made public in first for transparency and accountability

                            Pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC to inherit state-level PAC war chest to support presidential run

                            Pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC to inherit state-level PAC war chest to support presidential run

                            Definition of ethics

                            The Interconnectedness of Racial Opinions and Ethics

                            Spyware firm NSO Group continues lobbying efforts to resume business-as-usual in the U.S.

                            Spyware firm NSO Group continues lobbying efforts to resume business-as-usual in the U.S.

                            Joe Manchin vows to block “radical climate agenda,” rakes in oil and gas industry contributions

                            Joe Manchin vows to block “radical climate agenda,” rakes in oil and gas industry contributions

                            Adam Schiff heads into California’s 2024 U.S. Senate race with a sizable cash advantage

                            Adam Schiff heads into California’s 2024 U.S. Senate race with a sizable cash advantage

                            Trending Tags

                            • Real Estate
                              Ways To Invest in Real Estate With No Experience

                              Ways To Invest in Real Estate With No Experience

                              How To Make Your Rental Property More Eco-Friendly

                              How To Make Your Rental Property More Eco-Friendly

                              Things To Consider Before Investing in Real Estate Overseas

                              Things To Consider Before Investing in Real Estate Overseas

                              Incredible Areas in Florida To Buy a Vacation Home

                              Incredible Areas in Florida To Buy a Vacation Home

                              Helpful Home Staging Tips for Virtual Tours

                              Helpful Home Staging Tips for Virtual Tours

                              Ways To Decorate and Design a Lake House

                              Ways To Decorate and Design a Lake House

                              Challenges To Managing a Rental Property

                              Challenges To Managing a Rental Property

                              The Best Landlord: How To Show Tenants You Care

                              The Best Landlord: How To Show Tenants You Care

                              The Best Locations To Invest in a Second Home

                              The Best Locations To Invest in a Second Home

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                              The Disability Tax: Medical Bills Remain Inaccessible for Many Blind Americans

                              by Staff Writer
                              December 6, 2022
                              in Health
                              The Disability Tax: Medical Bills Remain Inaccessible for Many Blind Americans
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                              By Lauren Weber and Hannah Recht

                              Listen to this story:

                              (Click here to listen on SoundCloud.)

                              [UPDATED at 4:45 p.m. PT]

                              A Missouri man who is deaf and blind said a medical bill he didn’t know existed was sent to debt collections, triggering an 11% rise in his home insurance premiums.

                              An insurer has suspended a blind woman’s coverage every year since 2010 after mailing printed “verification of benefits” forms to her California home that she cannot read, she said. The issues continued even after she got a lawyer involved.

                              And another insurer kept sending a visually impaired Indiana woman bills she said she could not read, even after her complaint to the Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights led to corrective actions.

                              Health insurers and health care systems across the U.S. are breaking disability rights laws by sending inaccessible medical bills and notices, a KHN investigation found. The practice hinders the ability of blind Americans to know what they owe, effectively creating a disability tax on their time and finances.

                              More than 7 million Americans 16 and older have a visual disability, according to the National Federation of the Blind. Medical information and bills delivered in an accessible manner is a right protected under various statutes, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Affordable Care Act, and the Rehabilitation Act, disability rights legal experts said.

                              But blind patients told KHN that the letters they receive can be impossible to read if they are not in large print, depending on their level of vision impairment. Some websites have coding incompatible with screen reader technology, which reads text aloud. Some health care systems and insurers fail to mail documents in Braille, which some blind people read by touch.

                              “I tell them sending me small-print mail is like hiring a mime to communicate to me from outside my window,” Stuart Salvador said over Skype instant messaging. The 37-year-old lives in Greene County, Missouri, and has only residual sight and hearing after a case of shingles when he was 28. “I can tell something is there, but I have no idea what I’m supposed to be getting from that.”

                              Salvador said it can take up to six hours for him to effectively convert a printed medical bill into Braille. He said he has been sent to collections multiple times by CoxHealth and Mercy hospital systems through their automatic medical debt referral systems after they sent him bills he could not read. As a result, he said, his home insurance carrier raised his annual premium by 11%, costing him an additional $133.51 and hassle.

                              Nancy Dixon, a spokesperson for Mercy, said that the health system could not find a bill for Salvador that was sent to collections in its records within the past 10 years, and that its policy is to make reasonable accommodations for any patient who requests them. CoxHealth did not respond to requests for comment.

                              Salvador noted that it’s challenging for him and other visually impaired patients to fight for access to their billing information. If they realize a problem exists, he and other patients told KHN, communicating with the medical systems and insurers can be difficult. But often they may not be aware of the problem until it’s too late. Like Salvador in this instance, some blind patients don’t keep track of written documentation they cannot see, which otherwise might help with a possible legal challenge when overdue billing issues escalate.

                              Disability rights attorney Albert Elia, who is blind, said blind people stuck with inaccessible bills often are left with two options: to hope for government action or pursue long, costly lawsuits. The National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind have sued and won public settlements regarding inaccessible medical information.

                              Meredith Weaver, a senior staff attorney for Disability Rights Advocates, who helped monitor the implementation of a blind accessibility settlement agreement with health care giant Kaiser Permanente, said her clients often ask for documents to be sent in Braille or be readable by online screen readers. They then typically receive one document that works for them before the cycle begins anew.

                              “It felt like whack-a-mole to continually make those requests,” she said.

                              After the terms of the settlement agreement with Kaiser Permanente expired in 2018, Weaver said, she began to hear from clients who faced the same barriers yet again.

                              Kaiser Permanente spokesperson Marc Brown said that the health system conducted an accessibility review after KHN informed it of Weaver’s comments, and he said the company found “no significant defects in the platform, nor do we know of any inaccessibility issues” that would limit someone from paying their bill or using its website. (KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.)

                              KHN found multiple accessibility issues on the public-facing webpages of Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, and UnitedHealthcare, major insurers that visually impaired and blind customers flagged as having accessibility problems. The errors, which KHN identified with the help of a tool created by WebAIM, a nonprofit web-accessibility organization, include webpage coding that would make it difficult for a blind customer using screen reader technology to shop for a health plan or find an in-network doctor.

                              After he learned of KHN’s findings, Andrés J. Gallegos, chairman of the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency that advises the White House and Congress, said the council should look more deeply into the issue.

                              “It’s shocking to the conscience,” he said, noting the law clearly provides for such accessibility protections.

                              All three insurance companies said they work hard to make their services accessible and strive to fix member issues.

                              “It’s the year 2022. Everything is being done electronically; everything is being done online,” said Patrick Molloy, a blind 29-year-old in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. “It shouldn’t in theory be terribly difficult to make websites and billing platforms accessible to customers with visual impairments. But it’s the world we live in.”

                              Getting a lawyer involved doesn’t always solve the problem, said Lucy Greco, a web-accessibility specialist at the University of California-Berkeley. The blind 54-year-old sought legal help in early 2020 to stop Anthem Blue Cross from mailing her printed notices she cannot read — which sometimes resulted in lapsed benefits because she could not read the request to sign and return them. She now receives some but not all communication through email, which she had requested, and the company’s online portal.

                              Greco employs an aide to read her mail to help fill in the gaps every other month, but she has still missed insurance notices and bills. She recently raised the aide’s wages to $30 an hour, as Greco wants to ensure she can retain a trustworthy person with all her personal information. But not everyone can afford to hire an aide.

                              “It makes you feel helpless and it makes you feel dependent on people you might not want to feel dependent on,” she said.

                              And even when federal entities step in to fix such issues, they persist. Kate Kelly, a 61-year-old in Greenwood, Indiana, who is visually impaired and has hearing loss stemming from multiple sclerosis, was so fed up with receiving multiple bills in standard-sized text from her insurer, Aetna, that she filed a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights in early 2020.

                              But after the office came to an agreement with Aetna to stop sending her bills in standard-sized text that fall, she said, Aetna soon resumed sending some documents in text too small for her to read. Kelly pushed HHS to reopen her case. This July, records show, the office closed it due to what it said was a lack of jurisdiction, despite its involvement in obtaining the previous resolution.

                              She said her large-print bills still get delayed — one from March just came in August — and she is now required to sign for them when they’re delivered. When she tried to use the online portal, she said, her screen reader could not read certain numbers and other information.

                              “It’s hard to fight back; it’s hard to participate in the system,” she said. “You see why insurance companies get away with it, as it’s not easy to enforce these laws.”

                              Alex Kepnes, an Aetna spokesperson, said company staffers had reached out to Kelly after KHN’s questions and they “regret the inconvenience that this has caused her.” Kelly said she missed Aetna’s call, and although she called the next day and tried once more, she had yet to hear back as of Nov. 28. She did receive a complaint form from the company — in small print she cannot read.

                              Meanwhile, Kelly said, her utility company manages to get her a bill in large type every month. And she promptly pays it.

                              This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

                              KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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                              This story can be republished for free (details).

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