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  • Health Care
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Will You Be My Individual Man-Date? And Other Health Policy Valentines

  •  Sammy Caiola 
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 | Sacramento, CA

“Roses are red, candy is sweet, health policy discussions don’t fit on a Tweet.”

That’s the challenge for health policy nerds everywhere this week - get all of your feelings about rising premium costs, dwindling research funds and other complex health developments onto the Internet in 280 characters or less.

The Twitter call-out comes from The Health Society, a D.C.-based networking group for young policy professionals. They’re offering a Starbucks gift card to whoever produces the “nerdiest” Tweets with the hashtag #healthpolicyvalentines.

The thread has been hopping since Monday, with dozens of lawmakers, top health care officials, scholars and patients posting haikus and limericks each hour.

Most of them are silly:

Valentine, I don't need an EKG to prove my heart goes pitter-patter for you!

(But if I did, I know my Obamacare plan would cover it as medically necessary.)#healthpolicyvalentines

— Cathy Senderling (@csend) February 13, 2018

Want more than a friend with essential benefits? I’ll never go out of network. Personal ad/ #healthpolicyvalentine

— Harold Pollack (@haroldpollack) February 13, 2018

Hey baby, can I stabilize your individual market? #healthpolicyvalentines

— julie rovner (@jrovner) February 13, 2018

Many touch on current events. Like this one about changes to the 340B drug pricing program that could block hospitals from drug discounts for Medi-Cal patients.

Roses are red
Hospitals are blue
Ever since they changed our 340b payment
I’ve missed taking care of you.

ASP plus 6 percent
Becomes ASP minus two two
I’m having trouble getting over this,
I’m not seeing the same revenue.#healthpolicyvalentines

— Walid Gellad (@walidgellad) February 13, 2018

Or this one about the Children’s Health Insurance Program that almost disappeared last year:

Republicans are red
Democrats are blue
It took 114 days to pass CHIP
But it won’t take me as long to say “I love you”
#healthpolicyvalentines

— Rebecca Cooper (@rebscooper) February 12, 2018

And don’t forget the commentary on California’s push for an alternative health care system:

Unlike a state-based #SinglePayer system, our love requires no federal approvals. #healthpolicyvalentines

— Scott Graves (@SHGraves29) February 13, 2018

Some come with pictures:

hey bene. do you have Medicaid? 'Cause I'll never cap my love for you. #healthpolicyvalentines @dchealthpolicy pic.twitter.com/rgCRAvjjYw

— Ms. Ess (@ms_ess) February 13, 2018

I’ll always have heart eyes for #Obamacare. 😍#healthpolicyvalentines pic.twitter.com/oXILywD4P3

— Tam Ma 👩🏻‍💼 (@tam4consumers) February 12, 2018

Others come with warnings:

Roses are red, violets are blue
Flu season...YIKES
Get vaccinated, it's still coming for you#healthpolicyvalentines

— Lindsey Leininger (@lindsleininger) February 12, 2018

So if you want to get up to speed about goings-on in health care, take a scroll through the thread. You might even get inspired to pen your own passion poem.

Here’s ours:

My turn to try a #healthpolicyvalentines :

The health care system
Has its haters and lovers
For up-to-date, factual news@CapRadio’s got you covered

— CapRadioHealth (@CapRadioHealth) February 13, 2018

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 acaobamacaresocial mediaTwitterpremiumschipsingle payerhashtagHealthCarePolicyValentinesACA repealCoveredCa

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Sammy Caiola

Former Healthcare Reporter

Sammy Caiola has been covering medical breakthroughs, fitness fads and health policy in California since 2014. Before joining CapRadio, Sammy was a health reporter at The Sacramento Bee.  Read Full Bio 

 @sammycaiola Email Sammy Caiola

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