State Representative Betsy Coffia

3 days ago

“I tell my students, 'When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game.” - Toni Morrison ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Betsy Coffia

1 week ago

The personal is political. I sent this message to my House Democratic colleagues earlier tonight. I know it’s not a typical thing for a legislator to post but we are not in typical or normal times. This moment requires much of us.

Message:

More reality about the reform that’s desperately needed to healthcare and the insurance industry specifically.
Without going into too much detail, my surgery has included removal of portions of skull., tissue and teeth in the past week. The pain is excruciating and as I mentioned the discharge nurse said that how much pain medication I would receive would be up to the health insurance company Blue Cross how much they wanted to cover.

I have now run into my first experience post surgery With an insurance company, which has no medical degree deciding medical issues for a patient following serious inpatient surgery

My medication ran out. I am now off the critically important cadence of when to receive the medicine to keep the pain at a manageable level. My friend drove me to a pharmacy to pick up that medication, a new prescription and a refill only to find as the pharmacist was packing it up to give it to me that the code was such that the insurance company would not approve the prescription from the particular attending doc who prescribed it to me this weekend when my pain particularly spiked to unbearable levels .

I sat in the pharmacy, trying my very hardest not to sob because I have been in excruciating pain and just across that glass was the medicine that I needed and yet, Blue Cross was in the way for no good reason preventing this particular U of M doc who works weekends and takes calls from patients in distress From actually being able to successfully re-up my prescription. It took several hours. Now I am home, trying to start over with the cadence destroyed for receiving pain medication - still in enormous pain waiting for each of the medications to kick in. I have not slept for the last few days because of pain.

I got into politics because I I’m no stranger to the human body breaking and needing healing, and because I want us to do the work and use the power and responsibility that we have as public servants to remove barriers for people who are suffering to receive the care they need without a profit hungry middleman, causing this kind of nonsensical and cruel suffering.
The personal is political.
I pray that I can reengage a workable cadence to get on top of this pain, which is now been allowed to run rampant needlessly.

It doesn’t have to be like this for me or for any of you who also suffer in this failed healthcare system or for the 10 million Michiganders we swore to serve. It doesn’t have to be this way and we have the power to make it better.
I always ask “what is a majority for?” The answer is to use our power to stand with the people Of Michigan Against any corporate entity, who would exploit their vulnerability, their disease, their pain, for profit.

I proactively consent to screen shot of my message to be shared to Blue Cross lobbyists etc … Because fuck this. Our system is broken and cruel and millions without my access and privilege are silently being crushed by it. And we need leaders who will take their side. ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Betsy Coffia

2 weeks ago

Friends,

I’ve worked hard to campaign and serve as a lawmaker in a way that is transparent with the people of the 103rd House District, because that is what we all deserve from elected leaders.

I’m writing today to share an update on my health. This spring, I was diagnosed with a recurrence of the benign brain tumor I had removed in 2020. While it is thankfully not back to the level of 2020, it still required medical intervention. More recently, unrelated to the tumor, I received a diagnosis of a very rare form of cancer which we are fortunately catching at stage one. This cancer also requires medical intervention. Both diagnoses come with positive prognosis, and I’m hoping to make a full recovery with the support of a great medical team from University of Michigan hospitals.

On August 12, I underwent inpatient surgery at U of M hospital to remove both the cancer and the brain tumor. I'm incredibly thankful that advances in medical science since my craniotomy in 2020 have meant a more targeted and localized surgery was possible. I am also so thankful to share that everything went smoothly, and my doctors tell me I am on a good path to heal.

Per doctor's orders, I’ll be taking some time to rest and heal after my stay at the hospital. While I may not be as visible in the state house, and in the community here in northern Michigan, my dedicated legislative team is keeping things moving to serve constituents in my absence. I’ll continue to contribute where I can and remain fully committed to the work you elected me to do. I look forward to returning in full capacity as soon as I’m able.

Thank you to my medical team for handling this with the greatest care, and to all my loved ones who are providing support during this uncertain time.

I love Northern Michigan and its residents and I’ll never stop fighting for you. You’d better believe I will work even harder to support scientific research that allowed surgeries like mine, and fight like hell for access to quality healthcare for ALL, because that is what we deserve.

— Betsy ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Betsy Coffia

3 weeks ago

Father Jim Perra shared this blessing from Sister Ruth Marlene Fox, at Friday’s vigil for the survivors of the knife attack. I was struck by it in the moment, and want to share here:
May God bless us with a restless discomfort
A discomfort with easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that we may seek truth boldly and love deeply, knowing that we are meant to be our neighbors keepers.

May God bless us with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless us with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, illness, abuse, or the loss of all that they cherish,

So that our response to the brokenness and violence of this world may be reach out together, to bring care and healing, to build a responsible and beloved community capable of transforming pain and suffering into hope and renewal.

May God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we really CAN make a difference in this world, so that we are able,
with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

And may the blessing of our loving creator, the blessing of the God who cares for every human child who stands with us within and against the darkness, who lifts us up when we fall, may the blessing of the one whose goodness and fire has inspired prophets and poets be with us and remain with us, leaving us restless and discomforted this day and everyday until a time beyond our knowing when we are all one.

AMEN.

a four-fold benedictine blessing - sr. ruth marlene fox, osb - 1985 ... See MoreSee Less