#medical benefit for government employee

[arcadian-vampire]

Been lying facedown on the floor wailing abt being unable to work lately. I miss dusting and scrubbing and mOPPING!! I miss having money!!!! Not that I got paid very well-- I made $10/hour when I started at 16, and I did not once get a raise.

[photomatt]

My Beliefs and Principles

A number of people are trying to brand me as transphobic, so I thought I would list out a number of my personal beliefs so folks coming across this in the future can judge for themselves.

I believe love is love, and consenting adults should be able to have whatever form of relationship they want or don't want. I believe governments should recognize all these unions with the same rights.

I believe people should be able to change their name, gender identity, and preferred pronouns whenever they want and however many times they want. I personally endeavor to follow all these preferences that are known to me.

I support adults making any modifications to their body they like.

I support people choosing to share or keep private the above.

This is not meant to be comprehensive, and in researching this post to make sure I was using the right language to express my beliefs I read through the Yogyakarta Principles and agree with everything in that document, which is much more comprehensive.

A few other points I'll include for context and history:

Both Automattic and WordPress.org, founded or co-founded by me in 2005 and 2003 respectively, have consistently supported LGBT+ organizations, contributors, and employees.

Automattic's open time off benefit includes full pay for medical time off has supported a number of people transitioning. We've invested considerable development time in updating or working around legacy HR systems to recognize the principles above, and will continue to as best practices evolve or we find mistakes.

When we remodeled Automattic's NYC office before moving in we made the bathrooms gender neutral. Same for a commercial warehouse I've recently remodeled.

I've personally donated to LGBT+ organizations as far back as 2016, and more recently have donated mid five figures to Human Rights organizations.

I have dedicated my life since the age of 19 to open source software, which I believe to be radically inclusive, and democratizing publishing, commerce, and messaging. My hope is this work contributes, even if in a small domain-specific way, to a more fair and just society.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Year

1. Belgium approves four-day week and gives employees the right to ignore their bosses after work

Workers in Belgium will soon be able to choose a four-day week under a series of labour market reforms announced on Tuesday.

The reform package agreed by the country's multi-party coalition government will also give workers the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after hours without fear of reprisal.

"We have experienced two difficult years. With this agreement, we set a beacon for an economy that is more innovative, sustainable and digital. The aim is to be able to make people and businesses stronger," Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo told a press conference announcing the reform package.

2. Spain makes it a crime for pro-lifers to harass people outside abortion clinics

Spain has criminalized the harassment or intimidation of women going for an abortion under new legislation approved on Wednesday by the Senate. The move, which involved changes to the penal code, means anti-abortion activists who try to convince women not to terminate their pregnancies could face up to a year behind bars.

3. House passes bill to federally decriminalize marijuana

The House has voted with a slim bipartisan majority to federally decriminalize marijuana. The vote was 220 to 204.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, will prevent federal agencies from denying federal workers security clearances for cannabis use, and will allow the Veterans’ Administration to recommend medical marijuana to veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder.

The bill also expunges the record of people convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses, which House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, “can haunt people of color and impact the trajectory of their lives and career indefinitely.”

4. France makes birth control free for all women under 25

The scheme, which could benefit three million women, covers the pill, IUDs, contraceptive patches and other methods composed of steroid hormones.

Contraception for minors was already free in France. Several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, make contraception free for teens.

5. The 1st fully hydrogen-powered passenger train service is now running in Germany. The only emissions are steam & condensed water.

Five of the trains started running in August. Another nine will be added in the coming months to replace 15 diesel trains on the regional route. Alstom says the Coradia iLint has a range of 1,000 kilometers, meaning that it can run all day on the line using a single tank of hydrogen. A hydrogen filling station has been set up on the route between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude.

6. Princeton will cover all tuition costs for most families making under $100,000 a year, after getting rid of student loans

In September, the New Jersey Ivy League school announced it would be expanding its financial aid program to offer free tuition, including room and board, for most families whose annual income is under $100,000 a year. Previously, the same benefit was offered to families making under $65,000 a year. This new income limit will take effect for all undergraduates starting in the fall of 2023.

Princeton was also the first school in the US to eliminate student loans from its financial aid packages.

7. Humpback whales no longer listed as endangered after major recovery

Humpback whales will be removed from Australia's threatened-species list, after the government's independent scientific panel on threatened species deemed the mammals had made a major recovery. Humpback whales will no longer be considered an endangered or vulnerable species.

Climate change and fishing still pose threats to their long-term health.

Some other uplifting news from last year:

A Cancer Trial’s Unexpected Result: Remission in Every Patient

California 100 percent powered by renewables for first time

Israel formally bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

Tokyo Passes Law to Recognize Same-Sex Partnerships

First 100,000 KG Removed From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

As we ring in the New Year let’s remember to focus on the good news. May this be a year of even more kindness and generosity. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2023!

Thank you for following and supporting this g this newsletter

Buy me a coffee ❤️

[psychoticallytrans]

In case you don't know, the US may be about to breach the debt ceiling. What this means is that we're hitting the limit of the amount of money that our country is able to borrow. If the debt ceiling isn't raised before June 5th, then the Treasury is going to start running out of money.

The problem with this is that if the Treasury runs out of money, our country is going to begin having serious issues. In the very best case, they are likely going to start diverting money from Social Security payments, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and the paychecks of government employees- pretty much any government payments that are to people who can't raise enough of a fuss to cause an issue for the government.

This would be catastrophic for many people on an individual level, and lead to a rise in people unable to pay rent. It also may cause some medical providers to perceive government insurance as unreliable and stop taking it, shrinking the already small pool of providers that take it.

If this is the best case, you may wonder what the worst case is. The worst case is that the Treasury opts to divert money from our principal and interest payments on our debt. The problem with that is that a cornerstone of our economy relies on our government's ability to pay its debts, and to borrow against its good credit. Not paying our debts would, in the best case, create economic shockwaves, and in the worst case, collapse our economy.

If the government can come to an agreement to raise the ceiling in a few days, say, by June 8th, then things should be alright overall, with some late checks and paychecks and a slight lowering of our national credit score. However, if it takes weeks or longer, the consequences are going to get progressively more severe, with the consequences of a protracted default estimated at the loss of 8 million jobs, and a second Great Recession.

If you receive money or benefits from the government in any way, buckle up and hunker down. You are going to be the first and the worst hit by any breach of the debt ceiling. If you don't, get ready to support those around you who do.

[autumnmobile12]

My Hero Academia: Healthcare?

I don't know if any fanfic writers will find this useful or not, but I think the information is interesting and worth speculation in the My Hero setting. This also applies to any fanfic writers in the anime fandoms who want to have more immersive and in-depth writing. Obviously, writing fics that are 'accurate' is not a requirement since the point is to have fun, but here's some knowledge to use (or not use) if anyone is interested.

Obviously, Deku's been in the hospital a lot. A lot of the characters are injured and in the hospital a lot. But for all the hospital visits, nobody in the series is going to be bankrupted by astronomical healthcare costs. (Yes, that's a jab at America's system.) And it's not because the Pros, especially the popular ones, have money.

Here's why:

Quick rundown of how healthcare in Japan works: Everybody receives healthcare, everybody has health insurance. In Japan, your employer is legally required to provide you with health insurance. If you are unemployed, you will be on a community healthcare plan. There is also a plan for citizens over the age of 75. This also applies to foreigners who have established permanent residence of three months or longer.

Article 25 of Japan's Constitution is paraphrased as follows:

���all people shall have the right to maintain a certain standard of healthy and cultured life” and that “the state shall try to promote and improve the conditions of social welfare, social security, and public health” for this purpose.

I'm not going to reiterate the system in its entirety, but if you would like to learn more, this site here (the Article 25 quote I used is also found on that page) has a brief and comprehensive explanation of how healthcare is handled. However, one thing I am going to mention that is relevant for Deku and other Pros is the threshold out-of-pocket expense.

In Japan, citizens enrolled in healthcare do not spend more than ¥90,000 per month out of pocket, protecting them from financial disaster.

(To Americans, this may sound like a sweet deal, but hold your horses because Japan also funds this system through heavy taxation. Medical procedures are expensive and people will be paying for them one way or another.)

The question that needs asking now is how does this system apply to the hero society? Well, first off, since My Hero does take place in a slightly futuristic setting, we could take into consideration the system has been revised.

Assuming not much as changed, are heroes that operate their own agency technically considered business owners and are required to insure their employees and sidekicks?

Or...

Because they are all government employees, is the Safety Commission responsible for insuring all heroes and sidekicks no matter what they rank in their popularity?

Personally, I think it would be the latter since, in the coldest sense of the word, the heroes are essential to the Commission in upholding their system. So that makes them an asset. The Commission would want to protect its assets because as shady as they are, their own system could work against them. They certainly don't want heroes going on strike for lack of benefits or complaining the government doesn't take care of their people. So I assume it's the Commission who is covering insane healthcare costs on behalf of heroes.

(And since the system is probably funded by taxpayers' money, that also feeds into the prevalent societal discontent that's ongoing throughout the series.)

Now what about Deku and his classmates since they have not graduated and are not officially licensed yet? Honestly, I think it's probably UA itself that insures the students. That probably has to do with accreditation and so on, which is another matter entirely, but again, the backing is likely coming out of the Commission (and taxpayers') pockets.

And there you have it. Happy writing, happy research.

[ripplestitchskein]

I think it’s important to note in discussions that a power imbalance on its face is not an issue. I would argue MOST people have relationships with people who hold some level of power over them or an imbalance in some capacity. Stay at home parents or single income households, households with large income disparities all are financially beholden to the money holding partner. I am in such a relationship and have been for 18 years, my partner has been a stay at home parent for 9 of those but I’ve always been the primary income because my skill set leads to better opportunities and increased income potential. People enter into relationships with coworkers, either explicitly boss/employee or supervisor/employee or where they are not direct reports but still hold a higher position in the hierarchy. Since we spend a majority of our time at our workplaces that is a really common way to meet people, especially for those of us who don’t date traditionally. People with medical complexities or mental illness and neurodivergence may be partially or whole reliant on others to give care and may be vulnerable in ways that inherently give the other party more power. People are in relationships with those who possess greater social capital, like media influencers or politicians. People are in relationships with people who have greater physical prowess or jobs that could be potentially problematic from a legal standpoint such as cops, judges, military or government agents. Even non romantic relationships feature power imbalances, letting someone crash on your couch, providing housing or necessities, or providing palliative care etc.

Where it becomes a problem is when it is coercive in nature, when that power is leveraged to harm the other, or threatened, and when consent cannot be given such as in the case of minors or mental/physical incapacity.

Stolas being an employee of IMP at some point in the future is not on its face an issue unless there is coercion, an issue of consent or if power is leveraged by the narrative in a way that would make him feel that he has no choice in entering a relationship with Blitz or will have his position threatened. The implicit threat itself, that of someone working and gaining financial benefit from someone they are in a relationship with is a standard part of society and something we interact with in our own relationships as a matter of course and especially in cases of mental or physical health issues or neurodivergence sometimes unavoidable.

[phoenixyfriend]

Suggested topics to call your reps about today, 1/30/24!

I’ve been doing two subjects per call recently; one is almost always about the events in the middle east, and then one is domestic policy. I’m including a bit of verbiage you can use as basis for what you say (if you agree with me), for a few of these.

BOTH SENATE AND HOUSE:

Foreign Policy: Reinstate funding for UNRWA. While the claims made by Israel that employees of the relief agency were involved in Oct. 7th are troubling, this arm of the UN is currently providing food, water, shelter, and medical care to the 2.3 million displaced peoples of Gaza. It is especially disturbing and concerning that the many children of Gaza, who are already suffering due to this conflict, are now having this support revoked.

Warn Congress to reaaaaally think about whether a strong response to the incident in Jordan, currently attributed to an Iraqi group backed by Iran, if we're truly looking to avoid a wider regional war as claimed. There is already growing unrest in Yemen and the threat of another civil war, fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and now the situation with the Islamic Resistance. Caution them against an overreaction of the kind that the US has a tendency towards.

FOR THE SENATE: Urge your senator to put their support behind Bernie Sanders and his motion to restrict funding to Israel until a humanitarian review of the IDF’s actions in Gaza has been completed.

FOR THE HOUSE: Urge your representative to put their support behind Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s petition for the US government to recognize the IDF’s actions in Gaza as ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, and put a stop to it.

Domestic Policy

House of Representatives:

Expansion of the child tax credit. The House of Representatives is currently voting on whether or not to expand the child tax credit that was instated during COVID-19. This credit offers a return on taxes for individuals with children, but currently does not apply to families that are too poor to qualify. During COVID, this tax credit was expanded to include those families, and child poverty fell to record lows, but as it was a temporary measure, those children are getting left behind again. Given the effectiveness the expansion of this tax regulation showed in the past, it would be a net positive for the country as a whole to codify it more permanently.

Other things coming up in the next week if you think your rep might be receptive:

H.R. 6976: Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act: Vote no. This act is discriminatory and enforces harsher penalties on immigrants than in legal citizens. While DUIs are a significant issue, enacting stronger guidelines on a small portion of the population that is already at risk from discriminatory police action is not a solution.

H.R. 6679: No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act - Vote no or dismiss if possible. Terrorism is already considered a reason to reject immigrants. This bill is pointless peacocking. You have better things to do with your time.

H.R. 6678: Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act - Vote no. This proposed act is discriminatory and enacts unduly harsh sentences against minorities. The system already has punishments for fraud; this specific act is unnecessary.

H.R. 5585: Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act - Are you sensing a pattern? It's discriminatory! Evading law enforcement on a motor vehicle is already illegal, you do not need to ADD IMMIGRATION PENALTIES.

Senate:

Abortion rights. Domestically, for the senate, push for abortion rights.

Specific things coming up in the next week if you think your Senator might be receptive:

H.R. 6914: Pregnant Students’ Rights Act - Call to ask that the resolution EXPLICITLY include abortion access, or otherwise vote against. This passed the house on strict party lines; other than a handful of abstentions, the vote was all republican for and all dems against. The text of the proposal is explicitly anti-abortion.

H.R. 6918: Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act - same as above, it was very partisan in the house vote, though less explicitly anti-abortion in the text. Nonetheless, it focuses explicitly on protecting funding to "pregnancy centers," which are often anti-choice and dedicated to pushing patients towards keeping a baby they don't want.

DOMESTIC POLICY, BOTH BRANCHES OF CONGRESS: Border policy is currently being hotly debated and negotiated. A very strong policy in favor of the Republican party is the status at the moment. Even some democrats are in favor of it due to small border communities being ill-equipped to handle large numbers of migrants, and states usually removed from the situation getting migrants bussed in from Texas despite telling Texas to knock it off. Despite some Republicans saying that they have gotten everything they could want out of the current deal, the party at large is refusing to pass it as the politics of the debate are more useful to the coming election than actually passing policy. This is also causing delays in passing the federal budget.

I... don't actually want to tell anyone WHAT to think of the border policy since I do not have any real knowledge on the budget impacts and resources dictating the actual problems (nor the racism or xenophobia, that part is obviously bullshit). I can recognize that too some degree, there is a genuine issue of manpower and budget restriction impacting the ability to house and process immigrants.

However, DREAMers are not being considered in the current deal, the delays in the deal are impacting the federal government and threatening a partial shutdown, and people are STILL getting hurt and even dying at the border.

I would focus on protection for DREAMers, chastising the Republicans for deliberately delaying the budget in order to use the border as a reelection premise instead of actually working on the policy they claim to want (emphasize that they are going to lose votes for focusing on reelection at the expense of their people), and protection for children, parents with those children, and nonviolent migrants in general.

[liberalsarecool]

Billionaires reimagined by AI in an alternative universe if they were born without rich parents, didn't receive billions in government handouts, and didn't have thousands of employees creating value they siphon away and rebrand as their 'personal net wealth'.

1. Donny Chumpf: Evaded taxes but didn't get away with it because he's working class, resulting in a criminal record which prevented him from obtaining another job. Chumpf spent more than half his life in prison.

2. Schemelong Musk: Musk's father was a miner but he didn't mine emeralds in Africa, but rather coal in West Virginia. After losing his mother at an early age to prescription opioids, Musk never regained focus or was able to obtain legitimate work. He spends his days roaming the streets loudly ranting to himself about space travel, underground tunnels, and magical coins with dogs imprinted on them that will replace the US dollar and global currencies.

3. Shill Tate: Had a good longterm job at a factory that makes chips for personal computers, but executives made the decision to relocate the plant to China so they could boost their bonuses. He and most of his community were never able to recover despite great efforts.

4. Jep Bozo: An enterprising and hardworking boy, Bozo got his first formal job at 15-years-old at the local warehouse for a global corporation. Despite working 60 hours a week for 20 years in backbreaking labor, Bozo never escaped poverty. He was injured on the job and without adequate medical or leave benefits, was told not to return.

5. Mac Chucklef*ck: Since youth, Mac had a lot of promise and was even accepted into Stanford University. Then Mac got in trouble for using the school's resources to bootstrap a private tech company which kept a database of images of female students without their consent. He was booted from the school, and without a college degree couldn't find good work and turned to a series of unsuccessful side hustles to make a living.

#InheritedWealth #TaxTheRich

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Alberta health union warns of job action after bargaining breakdown with Dynalife.

As long wait times for medical lab services make headlines, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta says negotiations have broken down between workers and medical lab company Dynalife.

The union representing health-care workers employed by Dynalife said Thursday they want to get back to the bargaining table after informal mediation was unsuccessful, but the impasse could lead to job action.

The UCP government handed over much of the province’s community laboratory services to Dynalife late last year as part of a deal that included transitioning workers from Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) to Dynalife with a previously negotiated contract.

The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) said its members are looking for wage parity that will see all of Dynalife’s employees get the same compensation and benefits as those workers who transitioned from APL. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada, @abpoli

[transmutationisms]

do you think vaccines should be mandatory? my view has always been that public health would outweigh personal choice in this instance but i also see the bodily autonomy argument, though ultimately i think it’s flawed and weird to compare, say, abortions with vaccines. i was wondering if you had an opinion or any resources on this topic?

this is one of those questions where i think the framing conceals a lot of unspoken premises and social/political assumptions. what do we even mean by a vaccine mandate in the first place? the truth is that in many contexts, vaccines are already mandatory—the trick is that these mandates are generally designed and first enforced by employers, schools, and private business establishments, rather than coming through direct state intervention. incidentally, most censorship works similarly, despite it also being positioned discursively as a matter of direct state intervention. the truth is that you are far more likely to run into problems if you, say, have an employer who requires vaccination—which makes your paycheck (that is, your ability to continue living) dependent on a medical intervention—than you are to face some kind of right-winger fear fantasy of a shadowy government agent showing up to your doorstep with a syringe. these things happen by economic coercion far more than through direct state command.

with that in mind, to me the issue that 'vaccine mandates' point to isn't so much an idealist conflict between 'safety' and 'liberty' or however nyt is framing it these days—rather, it's the fact that employers have the structural position to impose their will on employees, who often must comply or face, literally, starvation. i am willing to say this is a bad social structure despite the fact that in the case of vaccines i obviously agree that the particular intervention in question is a good thing, and is something that anyone who is medically eligible should be getting. in order to make vaccines mandatory, you need an enforcement mechanism—the one we currently primarily rely on is economic coercion in the form of threatening loss of livelihood (again, this also applies to most censorship cases). while i, again, strenuously think that people who can get vaccinated should do so, in order to make such a thing compulsory you have to confront the issue of what power structures make the compulsion possible and actionable. prisons? relying on the political whims and economic threats of employers? too often, a 'mandatory vaccine' is presented as though it could be ethically debated in the abstract, without reference to these conditions!

anyway, i'm not going to pretend that i can solve vaccine hesitancy in the next 90 seconds in a tumblr post, but off the top of my head here are some factors i think are major contributors to this issue:

ableism (eg, andrew wakefield preying on the fact that many parents would rather risk their children catching preventable dangerous diseases than let them be supposedly exposed to a greater chance of becoming autistic)

public distrust of physicians and public health infrastructure, for reasons ranging from medical racism and eugenics to discomfiting and traumatic experiences with the inherently (in this system) power-imbalanced relationship between medical professionals and patients

the massive gap between expert and lay knowledge on medical topics, enforced by mechanisms like paywalls and benefitting the prestige and pecuniary enrichment of physicians and public health experts (this provides fertile ground for grifters and liars to prey on people's confusion and difficulty verifying information)

possibilities for lies about vaccines to lead to financial enrichment, as in the case of social media grifts, heterodox and alternative medical practitioners, or eg andrew wakefield trying to sell his own vaccine after publishing his now-retracted paper on the supposed link between autism and the mmr vaccine

these are all bad things; they are also all actionable things. i do not think that it's some kind of transhistorical condition of humanity that we must choose between either passing each other dangerous diseases or designing coercive or punitive measures to force compliance with public health recommendations. i think all of these things are in fact very directly resultant of capitalism, the way it values bodies and health (biopolitics), and its politics of knowledge and expertise.

[darkmaga-retard]

Monday August 5, 2024 Truth Bomb

There have been depopulation efforts/plans/agendas put in place for many decades. One of these plans was from Henry Kissinger and his Kissinger Report (NSSM-200) Depopulation is a number one priority of the globalists. Not because they care about people or the earth but because it is literally impossible for them to gain total control of 8 billion+ people. 1-2 billion is there limit and possibly even less but make no mistake it is ALL ABOUT CONTROL. I am not saying I believe 100% (of course I also believe it could be 100% true) of what is in the articles below but if just 50% is true we should be very concerned.

Secret POPULATION CONTROL Operations: Drug the Water Supply, Destroy the Family, Reduce Fertility (1969) - ARTICLE/VIDEO (2 min.)

Killing the Useless Eaters: Crazy History of Food Stamps & Population Control - The ABCs of EBTs (Part 1) - ARTICLE

WALMART KILLING FIELDS: Getting RICH OFF DEATH (Part 2) They Literally Got Paid Each Time Someone DIED -UNTOLD HISTORY - not sure if all of this is true but I also am not naive enough to think it is not very possible. Our government is corrupt why would it not be possible for corporate America to be every bit as corrupt - how many employees read the small print. I have a life insurance benefit from Verizon as a retiree of $10K (I pay no premium). I now wonder if they took out a $100K policy on my life with a payout to my family of $10K after I die and they collect $90K. In this 2 part article I truly believe they have poisoned our food (on purpose) supply with all of these fast food restaurants and packaged food/meals. I personally NEVER eat at a fast food restaurant and I do not eat boxed/process food and have not for years and at 75 years old I have no health issues and take no medication and I am not over weight. In this era of corruption all around us the best thing people could do is eat as healthy as possible. ARTICLE

Information on Dead Peasants Insurance

ICAN's No Placebo Chart - the chart in this article is very telling - ARTICLE

The Blow That Ended America 100 Years Ago - For those that might not be aware of the most devastating year in US history. Thanks to Steve S. for sending this to me. I am sure most people are aware of the events that took place in 1913 but it is an interesting read and reminder. ARTICLE

Kamala Word Salad or Marxist Code - 1 min. 28 secs. VIDEO

[coochiequeens]

No one is entitled to biological offspring and how can they include surrogacy in the Act without implying that couples are entitled to women to be surrogates?

A trio of Democratic senators are introducing a "Right to IVF Act" that would, among other things, force private health insurance plans to cover assisted reproduction treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg freezing, and gestational surrogacy.

The measure provides no exception or accommodations for religious objections, all but ensuring massive legal battles over the mandate should it pass.

The "sweeping legislative package" (as the senators describe it) combines several existing pieces of legislation, including the Access to Family Building Act and the Family Building Federal Employees Health Benefit Fairness Act sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D–Ill.), the Veteran Families Health Services Act from Sen. Patty Murray (D–Wash.), and the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act from Sen. Cory Booker (D–N.J.).

Booker's contribution here is probably the most controversial. It requires coverage for assisted reproduction from any health care plan that covers obstetric services.

A Reverse Contraception Mandate

Remember the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate, which required private health insurance plans to cover birth control (allegedly) at no cost to plan participants? It spawned some big legal battles over the rights of religious employers and institutions not to offer staff health plans that included birth control coverage.

Booker's Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act is a lot like the Obamacare contraception mandate, except instead of requiring health care plans to cover the costs of avoiding pregnancy it would require them to cover treatments to help people become pregnant.

The bill states that all group health plans or health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance must cover assisted reproduction and fertility preservation treatments if they cover any obstetric services. It defines assisted reproductive technology as "treatments or procedures that involve the handling of human egg, sperm, and embryo outside of the body with the intent of facilitating a pregnancy, including in vitro fertilization, egg, embryo, or sperm cryopreservation, egg or embryo donation, and gestational surrogacy."

Health insurance plans could only require participant cost-sharing (in the form of co-pays, deductibles, etc.) for such services to the same extent that they require cost-sharing for similar services.

What Could Go Wrong?

It seems like it should go without saying by now but there is no such thing as government-mandated healthcare savings. Authorities can order health care plans to cover IVF (or contraception or whatever) and cap point-of-service costs for plan participants, but health insurers will inevitably pass these costs on to consumers in other ways—leading to higher insurance premiums overall or other health care cost increases.

Yes, IVF and other fertility procedures are expensive. But a mandate like this could actually risk raising IVF costs.

When a lot of people are paying out of pocket for fertility treatments, medical professionals have an incentive to keep costs affordable in order to attract patients. If everyone's insurance covers IVF and patients needn't bother with comparing costs or weighing costs versus benefits, there's nothing to stop medical providers from raising prices greatly. We'll see the same cost inflation we've seen in other sectors of the U.S. healthcare marketplace—a situation that not only balloons health care spending generally (and gets passed on to consumers one way or another) but makes fertility treatments out of reach for people who don't have insurance that covers such treatments.

Raising costs isn't the only issue here, of course. There's the matter of more government intervention in private markets (something some of us are still wild-eyed enough to oppose!).

Offering employee health care plans that cover IVF could be a good selling point for recruiting potential employees or keeping existing employees happy. But there's no reason that every employer should have to do so, just because lawmakers want IVF to be more accessible.

It's unfair to employers—big or small, religious or non-religious—to say they all must take on the costs of offering health care plans that cover pricey fertility treatments. And Booker's bill contains no exceptions for small businesses or for entities with religious or ethical objections.

A lot of religious people are morally opposed to things like IVF and surrogacy. This measure would force religious employers to subsidize and tacitly condone these things if they wanted to offer employees health care plans with any obstetrics coverage at all.

As with any government intervention in free markets, there's the possibility that this fertility treatment mandate would distort incentives. IVF can certainly be an invaluable tool for folks experiencing infertility. But it's also very expensive and very taxing—emotionally and physically—for the women undergoing it, with far from universal success rates. The new mandate could encourage people who may not be good candidates for IVF to keep trying it, perhaps nudging them away from other options (like adoption) that might be better suited to their circumstances.

'Access' Vs. Whatever This Is

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, many Americans have worried that the legal regime change would pave the way for outlawing things like contraception or IVF, too. Encoding into law (or legal precedent) the idea that fertilized eggs are people could have negative implications for these things, even if many conservative politicians pledge (and demonstrate) that IVF and birth control are safe. In response, some progressive politicians—perhaps genuinely concerned, perhaps sensing political opportunity (or why not both?)—have started talking a lot about the need to protect access to IVF across the country.

As much as I agree with this goal, I think IVF's legality is better off as a state-by-state matter. That said, the "protect IVF nationwide" impulse wouldn't be so bad if "protecting access" simply meant making sure that the procedure was legal.

But as we've seen again and again over the past couple decades, Democrats tend to define health care and medicine "access" differently.

The new Right to IVF Act would establish a national right to provide or receive assisted reproduction services. In their press release, the senators say this last bit would "pre-empt any state effort to limit such access and ensur[e] no hopeful parent—or their doctors—are punished for trying to start or grow a family." OK.

But that's not all it would do. The bill's text states that "an individual has a statutory right under this Act, including without prohibition or unreasonable limitation or interference (such as due to financial cost or detriment to the individual's health, including mental health), to—(A) access assisted reproductive technology; (B) continue or complete an ongoing assisted reproductive technology treatment or procedure pursuant to a written plan or agreement with a health care provider; and (C) retain all rights regarding the use or disposition of reproductive genetic materials, including gametes."

Note that bit about financial cost. It's kind of confusingly worded and it's unclear exactly what that would mean in practice. But it could give the government leeway to directly intervene if they think IVF is broadly unaffordable or to place more demands on individual health care facilities, providers, insurance plans, etc., to help cover the costs of IVF for people whom it would otherwise be financially out of reach.

This is the distilled essence of how Democrats go too far on issues like this. They're not content to say "People shouldn't be punished for utilizing/offering IVF" or that the practice shouldn't be illegal. They look at authoritarian or overreaching possibilities from the other side (like banning or criminalizing IVF) and respond with overreaching proposals of their own.

The proble with increasing access to IVF is what happens when the couple needs a surrogate to have biological offspring? Will they beg and pester the women in their lives? Will the affordable IVF compensate surrogates fairly?

[sankhlaco]

Best for industrial law and labour law for HR

HR labor law is the area where employment-related legal requirements and HR management practices converge. This area is crucial for making sure businesses manage their workforces efficiently and adhere to all relevant rules and regulations. The following are some salient features of HR labor law.

Hiring and Recruitment: HR practitioners must be aware of the laws pertaining to hiring and recruitment procedures, such as those pertaining to equal employment opportunity (EEO) and anti-discrimination, as well as those regulating the hiring of foreign nationals and minors.

Employment Agreements and Contracts: HR specialists are frequently in charge of creating and managing employment agreements, which may contain provisions pertaining to pay, benefits, working hours, and layoff policies. They are responsible for making sure that these contracts abide by all applicable labor laws and rules.

Wages and Hours: HR departments are in charge of making sure that rules pertaining to minimum wage, overtime compensation, and other requirements pertaining to remuneration are followed. This entails abiding with rules like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the US or comparable laws in other nations.

Workplace Safety and Health: By putting policies and processes in place that go by occupational safety and health standards, HR professionals help to promote workplace safety and health. They might also assist in organizing safety procedure training and managing workers' compensation claims.

HR departments are frequently tasked with handling matters related to employee relations, including as grievances, disciplinary actions, and conflicts. They have to make sure that employee rights are upheld and that disciplinary actions adhere to labor regulations.

Employee Benefits and Leave: Human resources specialists oversee benefit schemes like health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans. Laws pertaining to the administration of benefits, such as those governing leave entitlements like the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), must be understood by them.

Termination and Layoffs: HR specialists are in charge of managing employee terminations, including any necessary layoffs or downsizing projects. They have to make sure that all termination procedures adhere to labor rules, including giving notice and paying severance when necessary.

Employee Privacy and Data Protection: When handling sensitive employee data, HR departments are in charge of protecting employee privacy and making sure that data protection rules are followed.

Union Relations: HR specialists may be involved in collective bargaining discussions, contract administration, and handling in companies where workers are members of a union.

To know "How many labour laws are there ?" click here

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

Things Hriob is No Longer Allowed to Do, Revised Edition - Part Quarte

#121 I am a Master of Conceptual and Elemental Magics, especially the Natural elements such as Wind, Lightning, Earth, Wood, and Water. However, no matter how ‘natural’ their existence may be, I cannot cast ‘Bear’ and it is not an element, and no amount of arguing, evidence, or demonstrations will change this.

#122 When courting certain individuals I will remember the following; “Using Protection” means the proper use of contraceptives or barriers during coitus, NOT using wards or other magical means of surviving close proximity to individuals whose mere existence provides a serious hazard to my health.

#123 Just because it is one of the few things that CAN still affect me given my supernatural constitution, and just because she is my friend, does not mean I am allowed to occasionally use Shylow-Venom as anti-anxiety medication a recreational drug for ANY reason on my own person or anyone else’s.

#124 When engaging in Small Talk with Lord Alexander, I am to respect the presence and personal safety of his Steward, Sir Cromwell, by politely avoiding use of the following terms and turns-of-phrase: ‘Splitting Hares’, ‘Hot Crossed Buns’, ‘Hare-Rasing’, ‘Hare Removal’, ‘Careful Hop-Timism’, ‘Bad Hare Day’, ‘Hoppily Ever After’, ‘I’m all Ears’, ‘Hare Conditioning’, and any other hilarious bad puns revolving around Lagomorphs in general. Upon further review, Bonnie Kalsang is to be given the extended benefits of this ruling.

#125 I shall remember that ‘Tuning’ is for Musical Instruments, ‘Attenuation’ is for Spiritual and Mystical aspects and machinations, and ‘Vibe Checks’ are for violently percussive maintenance on other people. Just because they SOUND like they’re the same thing doesn’t mean they ARE the same thing.

#126 If I am ever to host a ‘Movie Night’ with my friends/associates/subordinates/rivals/sworn enemies, I will avoid playing the following films for various reasons: Kill Bill, Repo: The Genetic Opera, Shrek 3, Saving Private Ryan, and any historical fiction "i may have been present for when it happened".

#127 I am forever forbidden from doing anything if I am preceding the action(s) in question with any variation of the phrase ‘Hey ___, Watch This!’

#128 I am forever forbidden from officiating Weddings Funerals Birthday Celebrations Coming-Of-Age-Ceremonies Duels Archery Contests Eating Contests Battle Royales Anything.

#129 I am a self-reincarnating Avatar of Life. I, at best, have an understanding with, and at worst, trying relationships with Entities that deeply connect to or convey Death as a Concept. This means that I need to maintain my moral superiority as best I can, which in turn means I should avoid conflict with them… and therefore not try to prank or annoy them.

#130 I am not the Patron Saint of Oktoberfest, no matter how much I wish to be.

#131 I am not allowed to visit Australia, nor am I to confuse it for Austria, be it to mess with other people or try and get around this ruling.

#132 I am forever barred from entering an IKEA store, and am forbidden from chanting backwards in Swedish in any language to assemble disassemble reconfigure rearrange manipulate IKEA-brand any furniture in any way.

#133 I am forever barred from teaching any variety of ‘Shop Class’.

#134 I am forever barred from leading field trips guided tours any sort of group of people for any reason through the following locations: Zoos, Museums, Government Buildings, Anarchist Buildings, Aquariums, Shopping Malls, Alternate Timelines, Alien Planets, Pocket Dimensions, Dimensional Nexus Points, Nuclear Reactors, Industrial Plants, and anything owned by a ‘rival’, ‘nemesis’, ‘adversary’, or any other hostile group or individual.

#135 I am not allowed to appropriate terminology research papers documents artifacts entities employees architecture ANYTHING from the SCP Foundation without due credit at all.

#136 Just because I am now able to transform into certain animals at will, does not mean I get to abuse the ability. This extends to bans against the following: eating my own paperwork and blaming ‘the dog’ on it, attempting to use ‘puppy-dog-eyes’ as a form of negotiation, massively decreasing the local wildlife population single-handedly, and leaving dog hair/fur in unpleasant locations as a petty form of revenge.

#137 I am forevermore banned from playing around with wax, especially heated. This is for my own safety and well-being more than any other reason.

#138 I am not allowed to start my own cult, religion, club, non-profit-organization, or any other form of organized group for any reason, least of all because I need an excuse to change any sort of government-issued id photo.

#139 I am an accomplished Arbormancer, capable of taking living trees of all kinds and fashioning them harmlessly into furnishings or tools, especially magical staves. I am Not, however, allowed to threaten sentient tree-based creatures such as demons, ents, and the like with transformation into such items, nor demonstrate my ability to do so.

#140 Just because some previously-incorporeal people enjoyed my gift of customized living human bodies for them to possess and inhabit, does not mean that Everyone will appreciate such a gift to the same degree. I am not to begin creating such vessels for those I know unless they specifically ask me to, no matter how convenient or helpful I think I am being.

#141 I am forevermore barred from following the ‘advice’ of the maxim ‘Tis better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission’, given that I have by now empirically proven it wrong.

#142 Just because I am a powerful and talented Oathkeeper for pacts and magical deals of all kinds, does not mean I can try and negotiate with children, especially those I am supposed to be babysitting.

#143 No matter how powerful and talented I am with Wood-based, Wind-based, and Ink-based magic, I am not allowed to make magically empowered paper planes and throw them into windstorms of any kind or origin. Not even if the kids ask nicely.

#144 I understand that, given my pact with the Worldspirit Gaia, I am often pulled to act as an emergency agent of their will to stop catastrophic incidents. I understand that, more often than not, those times when a single person is behind the danger, it is someone of necromantic alignment, skills, powers, or so on. Despite this, I am not to complain to them as I try to stop and/or slay them that they remind me of my ex-fiance, no matter how close, depressing, or infuriating the resemblance may be.

#145 I am forever banned from turning any portion of the Halls of the Mountain King into a Ball Pit of any size or depth.

#146 In regards to entry #53, given that I now do offer deals and pacts fairly regularly all things considered, I will remember to try and at least fall mostly in line with the Better Business Bureau’s ethical standards with said dealings.

#147 Given that prior rulings (#42 in particular) have failed, and I am happily sadly considered, among other things, The Wonderful Wizard of Gauze, I shall instead remind myself that flinging bandage wraps at people is not an effective attack. And that, strong as they may be, they cannot support my weight even in bulk - therefore I am forbidden from trying to swing off or around tall buildings with them as my ‘webs’. I am not ‘Spider-man’, and never will be - no matter what I attempt in order to change that.

#148 As an addition to the above ruling, I am to remember that, even if being able to wrap-and-pull items in the heat of battle is a neat and useful utility to have over my adversaries, using the same skill with my ‘bandage shooting’ to grab things around the Halls in a casual setting is frowned upon, even especially if people offer to be ‘test subjects’, ‘training dummies’, or any other kind of volunteer to be ‘shot’ thusly.

#149 Given item #72, I am to extend the same ‘general line of thought’ towards attempting to ‘forcibly evolve things with magic’, or any other medium to attempt the same end result. Spoiler alert: they always turn into crabs. Every. Single. Time. No more crabs.

#150 Just in case, I am forever banned from setting foot within 5 miles of Las Vegas, Nevada. No, not even if the magical forces behind it try to invite me.

[buttacake80]

Hey girlies. This is a TALL ask so I won't be offended if you keep scrolling.

I am raising funds to help cover expenses after losing my job due to disability.

I was put on medical leave in April. Exhausted both my FMLA and short term disability in July. Was medically separated on 7/20.

Had surgery to remove 5 uterine tumors on August 2nd.

Was cleared to return to work on 8/19, so I logged into my state's unemployment security benefits account, only to learn my identity had been stolen.

My application was denied 8/31.

Between now and then, I have been fighting to reclaim my identity. I spoke with the Special Investigations team who is doing the Investigation. They have my passport and social security card, but it is still delaying my ability to file for unemployment.

Most of my basic needs are addressed, but I am not pulling in income until this issue is resolved. And, unfortunately, due to my being separated for my disability (twice), I can't return to the traditional job market.

Hence why my story has caught the eye of this newspaper. Former government employee falls through cracks after being assaulted and reporting a racially hostile environment.

Anyway, I am blasting far & wide.

Venmo: YouGotJokes

CashApp: $ByeSiobhan

My thanks.

[blessed1neha]

10th House of Astrology

The 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses are the pillars upon which the strength of the horoscope depends. These are the four pillars of your horoscope, lying on the horizon and meridian plane. These are called Angular or Kendra houses.

Amongst the 12 houses in Astrology, the role and purpose of the 10th house need not be overemphasized. The 10th house is called the Karma Bhava in Vedic Astrology. It deals with the kind of work that you do. Your area of occupation is determined by the planetary placements in this house as per 10th house astrology.

In the worldly or mundane astrology, 10th house refers to the main or the chief leader whether it is the Prime Minister (PM) or a royal figure. Besides, the ruling political party in the country or the state is also represented by the 10th house. In fact, the cream of the society (that is the most influential people) also fall under the domain of the 10th house. The factors determined by the 10th house are values, integrity, status and pride of a nation. Besides, the house also relates to the areas like the commercial, political and employment industries, according to 10th house Vedic astrology.

The importance of the 10th house is immense as this house is about what we earn and how we earn it. As the occupation and profession is the bread butter for most people, so the planetary position in this house can determine and influence a very significant factor in our life. The 10th house in Kundli is the region in Astrology diagram that is the highest at the time and place of your birth. And that is exactly what the 10th house represents – your highest achievements and your desire to rise high. Well, the 10th house is also about power, prestige, social status, financial success, achievement, accomplishment, respect and position.

Well, the 10th house in horoscope points to a lot many things surrounding your profession. It is indeed the house of career. An exhaustive study of the 10th house in Astrology provides the answers to some key questions like what kind of work will you do, whether you will be successful in your work, what are the big mistakes that you are likely to make in your career, whether you will be an employee or an entrepreneur who will appoint employees. Your connections with the high and mighty are also determined by the tenth house astrology

The 10th house in Kundli determines your materialistic success in life, be it your profession or the financial status. And your worldly success is bound to influence the other areas of life as well like your relationship with others, your love life and so on. Certainly, the planetary placement in the 10th house strongly influences the quality of your life.

1. If sun is in tenth house then the native may work for government or take up fathers business or he will have some benefits from government or he will working in an administrative role in a firm, medicine, etc.

2. If moon is in tenth house then the native may work related to Water related dairy, agriculture, boarding and lodging, writers, poets, lyricists, hotel business, agriculture, medical sciences, grocery business, oil business, wine store etc.

3. If mars is in tenth house then the native may work related to police, armed forces, electrical engineering, mechanical/ automobile/aerospace/civil engineering, fire service, medical, surgery, historical objects, weapons manufacturing, machinery and tools, marbles and tiles business, construction items

4. If mercury is in tenth house then the native may work related to Teaching job, educational institutions, financial institutions, accountancy, astrology, law, lyricist, singers, media, journalism, telecommunication related, networking, postal office, printing press, publishing house, book business, spy, orator, translator, working in embassy, banking etc.

5. If Jupiter is in tenth house then the native may work related to respected jobs, law, ministers, teaching, religious preachers, guide, spiritual teachers, accountancy, professors, training and development, yoga and astrology etc.

6. If Venus is in tenth house then the native may work related to software (developer), footwear, literature, cinema related, music, dance, financial services, banking, selling of artistic crafts, cosmetic, perfumes, sweet shop, cloth business , textile , wines, drawing, painting, vehicles, art and architecture, selling of musical instruments, beauty parlor, judge, lawyer etc.

7. If Saturn is in tenth house then the native may work related to Iron and steel related, oil business, charcoal, archaeology, quarry, hard laborious job, selling of products related to sanitation and toilets, people cleaning garbage, toilets, leather business, sheep , goat business, selling of old objects, second hand articles, barber, furniture, working in graveyard, working in construction business.

8. If rahu is in tenth house then the native may work related to chemicals, computers, spy/ intelligence agency, detectives, foreign affairs ( embassy, NRI) , drugs, smuggling, customs, snake hunters, selling of poisons, pesticides, working in prison, tantric, magician, black magic, manufacturing of bombs, photography, shade related, cinema industry, driving vehicles, selling of old and broken articles, illegal items.

9. If ketu is in tenth house, then the native may work related to Medicine, astrology ,theology, philosophy, spiritual, meditation, healers, wireless and wire communication job, information technology, thread related job , law related, pharmaceuticals, siddha , Ayurveda, medicinal herbs, occult, chemistry, temple priest etc.