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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Depression, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, mental health, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Reproductive rights, Women’s rights
Women Say California Insurer Makes It Too Hard to Get Drug for Postpartum Depression
Read More: Women Say California Insurer Makes It Too Hard to Get Drug for Postpartum DepressionBy April Dembosky, KQED, Kaiser Health News When Miriam McDonald decided she wanted to have another baby at age 44, her doctor told her she had a better chance of winning the lottery. So when she got pregnant right away, she and her husband were thrilled. But within three days of giving birth to their…
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Access, Access to health care, Adolescent, Affordability, Affordable care act, Anxiety, Depression, Health care, mental health, Parenting, Parenting teens, Self-Care, sleep, Stress
No Vacancy: How a Shortage of Mental Health Beds Keeps Kids Trapped Inside ERs
Read More: No Vacancy: How a Shortage of Mental Health Beds Keeps Kids Trapped Inside ERsMartha Bebinger, WBUR, Kaiser Health News One evening in late March, a mom called 911. Her daughter, she said, was threatening to kill herself. EMTs arrived at the home north of Boston, helped calm the 13-year-old, and took her to an emergency room. Melinda, like a growing number of children during the covid-19 pandemic, had…
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Hospital Prices Must Now Be Transparent. For Many Consumers, Theyโre Still Anyoneโs Guess.
Read More: Hospital Prices Must Now Be Transparent. For Many Consumers, Theyโre Still Anyoneโs Guess.Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News A colonoscopy might cost you or your insurer a few hundred dollars โ or several thousand, depending on which hospital or insurer you use. Long hidden, such price variations are supposed to be available in stark black and white under a Trump administration price transparency rule that took effect at…
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Access, Access to health care, Adolescent, Affordability, Anxiety, Depression, Health care, Health insurance, Hormone health, Keep the care, Lgbtq, mental health, Parenting, Parenting teens, Research, Stress, Transgender
Transgender Medicine โ What Care Looks Like, Who Seeks It out and Whatโs Still Unknown: 3 Essential Reads
Read More: Transgender Medicine โ What Care Looks Like, Who Seeks It out and Whatโs Still Unknown: 3 Essential ReadsBy Daniel Merino, The Conversation Transgender people continue to be the focus of political culture wars in the U.S. In the spring of 2021, lawmakers in many states sought to limit or ban transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming care. The laws proposed โ and in some cases passed โ were written to have a direct…
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Access, Affordability, caregiving, Chronic conditions, Clinical trials, Health care, Health policy, Medical research and clinical trials, Medication safety, Parenting, Real women real stories, Research, Science, Skin, Skin health
What Itโs Like to Care for a Child With Severe Eczema
Read More: What Itโs Like to Care for a Child With Severe EczemaWhen our daughter Tilly was 5 months old, my husband and I noticed a rash on her face and neck. She was obviously itchy and pretty cranky about it, so we took her to her pediatrician. After a long process that involved changing everything from detergents to my diet (because I was breastfeeding), as well…
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Access, Access to health care, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Keep the care, Policy, Prevention, Preventive health, Research
Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWII
Read More: Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWIILiz Szabo, Kaiser Health News Although James Toussaint has never had covid, the pandemic is taking a profound toll on his health. First, the 57-year-old lost his job delivering parts for a New Orleans auto dealership in spring 2020, when the local economy shut down. Then, he fell behind on his rent. Last month, Toussaint…
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Too Few Women Get to Invent โ Thatโs a Problem for Womenโs Health
Read More: Too Few Women Get to Invent โ Thatโs a Problem for Womenโs HealthBy Rem Koning, Harvard Business School MacArthur Genius and MIT professor Linda Griffith has built an epic career as a scientist and inventor, including growing a human ear on a mouse. She now spends her days unpacking the biological mechanisms underlying endometriosis, a condition in which uterus-like tissue grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis can…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Keep the care, Medicare, Policy, Research
Some Hospitals Kept Suing Patients Over Medical Debt Through the Pandemic
Read More: Some Hospitals Kept Suing Patients Over Medical Debt Through the Pandemicby Jenny Deam, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Last year as COVID-19 laid siege to the nation, many U.S. hospitals dramatically reduced their aggressive tactics to collect medical debt.…
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15 minutes with, Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Medicare, Medication safety, Opioid use disorder, Opioids, Otc medication safety, Preventive health, Reproductive rights, Women’s rights
15 Minutes With Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
Read More: 15 Minutes With Congresswoman Debbie DingellCongresswoman Debbie Dingell has long been an advocate for women and children. She is a founder and past chair of the National Women’s Health Resource Center and the Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); successfully fought to have women included in federally funded health research; and advocated for greater awareness of issues…
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Access, Access to health care, Anxiety, Chronic conditions, Health care, Health care professionals, Health disparities, mental health, Nutrition, Obesity, Preventive health, Real women real stories
I Thought Weight-Loss Surgery Would End My Struggle With Obesity. Then I Found Out Maintaining a Healthy Body and Mind Is a Lifelong Commitment.
Read More: I Thought Weight-Loss Surgery Would End My Struggle With Obesity. Then I Found Out Maintaining a Healthy Body and Mind Is a Lifelong Commitment.As told to Jackie Froeber In 2001, I was in the checkout aisle at the grocery store when I saw a magazine cover touting Carnie Wilson’s gastric bypass surgery. By the time I was through with the article, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time: hope that I could lose weight. I’ve…
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Access, Access to health care, Chronic conditions, Health care, Health care professionals, Health disparities, Obesity, Preventive health, Racial disparities, Real women real stories
Losing Weight Helped Heal Not Just My Body, But My Mind and Spirit, Too
Read More: Losing Weight Helped Heal Not Just My Body, But My Mind and Spirit, TooAs told to Kimberly Rex Before December 2017, I was anxious every time I had to ride on an airplane. But it’s not because I was afraid to fly. I was angry and embarrassed because I hated asking the flight attendant for a seat belt extender. I was 5 feet 1 inch tall and 323…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Financial health, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Prevention, Preventive health, Telehealth
Health Is Infrastructure, Too
Read More: Health Is Infrastructure, TooDuring opening remarks at HealthyWomen’s recent webinar, “Health is Infrastructure, Too: The Impact on Women’s Health Care,” HealthyWomen’s CEO Beth Battaglino said, “As we slowly emerge from the grips of a very long and difficult pandemic, we are at a pivotal moment for women’s health in this country.” Women, she said, continue to face mental…
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Access, Access to health care, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Preventive health, Telehealth
Covid Was a Tipping Point for Telehealth. If Some Have Their Way, Virtual Visits Are Here to Stay.
Read More: Covid Was a Tipping Point for Telehealth. If Some Have Their Way, Virtual Visits Are Here to Stay.By Noam N. Levey, Kaiser Health News As the covid crisis wanes and life approaches normal across the U.S., health industry leaders and many patient advocates are pushing Congress and the Biden administration to preserve the pandemic-fueled expansion of telehealth that has transformed how millions of Americans see the doctor. This story also ran on…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Financial health, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Preventive health
Roads and Bridges and Tunnels โฆ and Health?
Read More: Roads and Bridges and Tunnels โฆ and Health?Join us on June 10 for our webinar, “Health Is Infrastructure, Too: The Impact on Women’s Health Care,” where we discuss how the Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan affect women’s health care, including what was addressed by the legislation โ and what isn’t included in the plans. When politicians talk about…
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Access, Access to health care, Chronic conditions, Depression, exercise, Health care, Health care professionals, Health disparities, Healthy Eating, mental health, Nutrition, Obesity, Policy, Preventive health, Weight Loss, Weight management
Weight Stigma Is a Burden Around the World โ and Has Negative Consequences Everywhere
Read More: Weight Stigma Is a Burden Around the World โ and Has Negative Consequences EverywhereBy Rebecca Puhl, University of Connecticut Lazy. Unmotivated. No self-discipline. No willpower. These are just a few of the widespread stereotypes ingrained in American society about people who have a higher body weight or larger body size. Known as weight stigma, these attitudes result in many Americans being blamed, teased, bullied, mistreated and discriminated against.…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Health care, Health insurance, Preventive health, sleep
Enough to Wreck Their Rest: $10,322 for a Sleep Study
Read More: Enough to Wreck Their Rest: $10,322 for a Sleep StudyBy Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News Josรฉ Mendoza’s snoring was bad โ but the silence when he stopped breathing was even worse for his wife, Nancy. The sudden quiet would wake her and she waited anxiously for him to take another breath. If too many seconds ticked by, she pushed him hard so that he…
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No-Cancel Culture: How Telehealth Is Making It Easier to Keep That Therapy Session
Read More: No-Cancel Culture: How Telehealth Is Making It Easier to Keep That Therapy SessionBy Eric Berger, Kaiser Health News When the covid-19 pandemic forced behavioral health providers to stop seeing patients in person and instead hold therapy sessions remotely, the switch produced an unintended, positive consequence: Fewer patients skipped appointments. This story also ran on NBC News. It can be republished for free. That had long been a…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, cancer, Clinical trials, Health care, Health policy, Research
โKicking You When Youโre Downโ: Many Cancer Patients Pay Dearly for Parking
Read More: โKicking You When Youโre Downโ: Many Cancer Patients Pay Dearly for ParkingBy Rebecca J. Ritzel, Kaiser Health News For cancer patients, the road from diagnosis to survivorship feels like a never-ending parade of medical appointments: surgeries, bloodwork, chemotherapy, radiation treatments, scans. The routine is time-consuming and costly. So, when hospitals charge patients double-digit parking fees, patients often leave the garage demoralized. This story also ran on…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Policy, Preventive health
Time to Say Goodbye to Some Insurersโ Waivers for Covid Treatment Fees
Read More: Time to Say Goodbye to Some Insurersโ Waivers for Covid Treatment FeesBy Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News Just as other industries are rolling back some consumer-friendly changes made early in the pandemic โ think empty middle seats on airplanes โ so, too, are health insurers. This story also ran on NBC News. It can be republished for free. Many voluntarily waived all deductibles, copayments and other…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Keep the care, Policy, Preventive health, Racial disparities
Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis Brings More Attention to Solving Long-Ignored Racial Gaps in Health
Read More: Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis Brings More Attention to Solving Long-Ignored Racial Gaps in HealthBy Paul K. Halverson, IUPUI The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has joined hundreds of cities and counties across the country in declaring racism a public health threat. On April 8, 2021, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky called racism an epidemic that affects โthe entire health of our nation.” Declaring racism a public…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Birth control, Contraception, COVID-19, Family planning, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Pandemic, Preventive health
Biden Moves to Overturn Trump Birth Control Rules
Read More: Biden Moves to Overturn Trump Birth Control RulesJulie Rovner, Kaiser Health News The Biden administration Wednesday formally proposed the repeal of Trump-era regulations barring abortion referrals and making other changes intended to evict Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from the federal family planning program, Title X. The 2019 rules dramatically limited access to these family planning services for many low-income people.…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Endometriosis, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Medicare, Multiple sclerosis, Opioid use disorder, Policy, Preventive health
Prior Authorization Doesnโt Have to Be a Barrier to Care
Read More: Prior Authorization Doesnโt Have to Be a Barrier to CareEven after menopause, Gail Weiss had severe endometriosis that caused her excruciating pain. Weiss researched her options and found a surgeon out of state who performed specialized excision surgery. Her insurance company would only pay for a more standard surgery performed by an in-network doctor. The company claimed her local doctor could perform a comparable…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Medication safety, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Preventive health
Learn More About Chronic Pain
Read More: Learn More About Chronic PainReference: Chronic Pain Graphic
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Budget, Financial health, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Policy, Preventive health
What the American Rescue Plan Says About President Bidenโs Health Care Priorities โ and What They Mean for You
Read More: What the American Rescue Plan Says About President Bidenโs Health Care Priorities โ and What They Mean for YouBy Zack Buck, University of Tennessee As millions of Americans receive COVID-19 vaccines, the Affordable Care Act just got a booster shot of its own. After 11 years of existential threat and months after an argument before the Supreme Court, the ACA has been strengthened under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the US$1.9 trillion…
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Staying Active Throughout Adulthood Is Linked to Lower Healthcare Costs in Later Life โ New Research
Read More: Staying Active Throughout Adulthood Is Linked to Lower Healthcare Costs in Later Life โ New ResearchBy Diarmuid Coughlan, Newcastle University Exercise is good for your health at every age โ and you can reap the benefits no matter how late in life you start. But our latest research has shown another benefit of being physically active throughout life. We found that in the US, people who were more physically active…
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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Prevention, Preventive health, Real women real stories, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Covid-19 Made Me a Widow at 38
Read More: Covid-19 Made Me a Widow at 38As told to Shannon Shelton Miller My husband, Ricardo Ramos, was 45 when he passed away from Covid-19. We would have celebrated our 15th anniversary in November 2020. Ricardo was the definition of a family man. He took care of both his parents before they died of cancer and helped me take care of my…
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Access, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health insurance, Health policy, mental health, Parenting, Parenting teens
Kids Already Coping With Mental Disorders Spiral as Pandemic Topples Vital Support Systems
Read More: Kids Already Coping With Mental Disorders Spiral as Pandemic Topples Vital Support SystemsChristine Herman, Side Effects Public Media and Cory Turner, NPR and Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes NPR, Illinois Public Media and KHN. It can be republished for free. A bag of Doritos, that’s all Princess wanted. Her mom calls her Princess, but her real name is Lindsey.…
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Access, Affordability, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Health care, Health insurance, Health policy, mental health, Policy
4 Vital Health Issues โ Not Tied to Covid โ That Congress Addressed in Massive Spending Bill
Read More: 4 Vital Health Issues โ Not Tied to Covid โ That Congress Addressed in Massive Spending BillBy Emmarie Huetteman, Kaiser Health News This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free. Late last month, before President Joe Biden took office and proposed his pandemic relief plan, Congress passed a nearly 5,600-page legislative package that provided some pandemic relief along with its more general allocations to fund the government…
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Watch Your Mouth: Donโt Forget Your Dental Health During the Pandemic
Read More: Watch Your Mouth: Donโt Forget Your Dental Health During the PandemicAs we navigate a web of ever-changing information about COVID-19, it’s essential to keep up with your health management. This includes preventive and ongoing care for previously diagnosed conditions. Yet, one area that some people are steering clear of throughout the pandemic is their dental health, and that needs to change. The American Dental Association…
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Advocates View Health Care as Key to Driving LGBTQ Rights Conversation
Read More: Advocates View Health Care as Key to Driving LGBTQ Rights ConversationBy Aneri Pattani, Kaiser Health News When Allison Scott came out as a trans woman in 2013, she told not only family and friends, but also her primary care physician. She didn’t need his help with hormone therapy. She had another doctor for that. But she wanted to share the information with her doctor of…
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Retiree Living the RV Dream Fights $12,387 Nightmare Lab Fee
Read More: Retiree Living the RV Dream Fights $12,387 Nightmare Lab FeeBy Victoria Knight, Kaiser Health News Lorraine Rogge and her husband, Michael Rogge, travel the country in a recreational vehicle, a well-earned adventure in retirement. This spring found them parked in Artesia, New Mexico, for several months. This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free. In May, Rogge, 60, began to…
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Surprise! Congress Takes Steps to Curb Unexpected Medical Bills
Read More: Surprise! Congress Takes Steps to Curb Unexpected Medical BillsBy Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free. Most Americans tell pollsters they’re worried about being able to afford an unexpected medical bill. Late Monday, Congress passed a bill to allay some of those fears. The measure is included in a nearly 5,600-page package providing…
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Access, Affordability, Health care, Health disparities, Health insurance, Health policy, Keep the care, Policy, Research
Why Womenโs Health Should Be a Priority for the New Congress
Read More: Why Womenโs Health Should Be a Priority for the New CongressSoon after the new year, a new presidential administration will take office. We’ll also have a new Congress, the 117th, with a Senate currently composed of 50 Republicans and 48 Democrats — with two Georgia Senate seats to be determined in runoffs in early January — and the House of Representatives composed of 222 Democrats…
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Experts Discuss the Future of Womenโs Health After a Historic Election
Read More: Experts Discuss the Future of Womenโs Health After a Historic Election“Today’s conversation is more relevant than ever, and it is critical to understand how women’s health may be affected,” said Beth Battaglino, CEO of HealthyWomen, as she introduced Tuesday’s webinar, “Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court: 2020 Election & Women’s Health.” The webinar was moderated by Arika Pierce, founder of The Millennial Boardroom, with panelists…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Preventive health
7 things President-Elect Biden Can Achieve on Health Care
Read More: 7 things President-Elect Biden Can Achieve on Health CareBy Simon F. Haeder, Penn State President-elect Joe Biden has plenty of work ahead of him; reining in the out-of-control pandemic tops the list, and beyond that, there are significant challenges on health care in general. Unquestionably, the incoming administration also faces limitations. Twelve years ago, Barack Obama had a filibuster-proof majority in the U.S.…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Health care, Keep the care, Policy, Telehealth
Managing Chronic Pain in Rural America
Read More: Managing Chronic Pain in Rural AmericaGinger Nord likes to look people in the eye when she walks down the street in her rural Indiana town; it makes her feel in control. But with two diseases that affect her nerves, muscles and joints, she has to keep her eyes on the ground to avoid tripping on even small sidewalk cracks. Nord…
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โAll You Want Is to Be Believedโ: The Impacts of Unconscious Bias in Health Care
Read More: โAll You Want Is to Be Believedโ: The Impacts of Unconscious Bias in Health CareIn mid-March, Karla Monterroso flew home to Alameda, California, after a hiking trip in Utah’s Zion National Park. Four days later, she began to develop a bad, dry cough. Her lungs felt sticky. The fevers that persisted for the next nine weeks grew so high — 100.4, 101.2, 101.7, 102.3 — that, on the worst…
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Why the COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process Should Be Driven by Science, Not Politics
Read More: Why the COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process Should Be Driven by Science, Not PoliticsBefore a vaccine for measles was developed, I nearly died as a youngster from the disease. That personal experience, along with over 30 years working in women’s health, leads me to believe that vaccines are generally overwhelmingly safe and effective, saving millions of lives around the world every year. Yet, according to a recent survey…
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Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Headache & migraine, Health care, Health disparities, Migraine, Pain, Pain management, Policy
Suffering From Chronic Pain as a Black Woman
Read More: Suffering From Chronic Pain as a Black WomanEvery time Jaime Sanders visits an urgent care clinic, she makes sure she brings the three-ring binder that details her comprehensive medical care plan, including lists of medications, allergies and records of past doctors’ visits. Sanders knows she’s never guaranteed to find doctors who will take her migraine pain seriously and carries the binder as…
