Thứ Bảy, 29 tháng 2, 2020

[News] Study shows Medicare & Medicaid spent $17.9 billion between 2012-2017 for extended-release drugs that save only 1 daily dose. Switching to equivalent immediate-release forms could have saved $13.7 billion.

https://ift.tt/394JreF

https://ift.tt/32CGBep Submitted February 29, 2020 at 04:09PM by HelenEk7 https://ift.tt/3acDRaf

[Discussion] People from countries with universal healthcare, what are your arguments for or against it in regards to healthcare? Particularly for people with serious health issues. I’m from the US and it’s a hot topic with the presidential election coming up in November

No text found

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 29, 2020 at 02:34PM by morecatsplease1993 https://ift.tt/3abSef1

[Discussion] People from countries with socialism, what are your arguments against it in regards to healthcare? Particularly for people with serious health issues who need to see specialists, have surgery, etc. I’m from the US and it’s a hot topic with the presidential election coming up in November

No text found

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 29, 2020 at 01:23PM by morecatsplease1993 https://ift.tt/39aROWa

[Question - Insurance] Medicaid Cancelled?

Hey I hope this sub is the right place to ask for help. I’m really angry right now and confused. My elderly mother is 67 and disabled. She is on Medicaid and Medicare both. Well today she got a letter from the government saying the following:

Your enrollment in the plan below is being cancelled because: IR - Enrolleee Ineligible for Plan Enrollment. Then it says two programs. Program: MMA - Current Plan: United Healthcare and Dental: DentaQuest.

It says after 1/31/2020 she will be cancelled from the plans. So I’m extremely confused. Why would she no longer be eligible? She’s had it for years and for money all she gets is her SSI check. So nothing has changed on this front. This has to be a mistake right? I mean I can’t understand what else would cause it. I don’t even know what that reason they gave her means.

She lives in Bradenton Florida in the US too I should have said.

Edit: Yes it does say 1/31/2020 which is weird since the letter was dated and sent out February 24th 2020



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 29, 2020 at 07:10AM by Drainmav https://ift.tt/32A1V4l

[Other] American healthcare is less effective than eating dog food

“I put people on cholesterol-lowering meds and they don’t have as good as results as Mitch had on dog food,” said Amy Dangelmayr, Mitch’s family nurse practitioner.

https://www.wfaa.com/article/features/mitch-felderhoff-wanted-to-prove-his-companys-dog-food-is-the-best/287-d20b78d6-695f-45d9-ab9c-ee6072997f3e



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 29, 2020 at 06:15AM by krepkiyoreshek https://ift.tt/2T8yzqF

Natural shampoo question

Recently I gave up body lotion and store-bought shampoo to make my own. It’s made with Alevera Castel soap and hair oil. But for some reason the ends of my hair feel like straw where it’s been colored but my natural roots are taking to it really well. Anybody have any ideas? What should I do to get my colored hair to not be so straw-like?



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 29, 2020 at 04:00AM by jess5433 https://ift.tt/399zH2R

Shea butters and other butters

Since my skin seems to be dissatisfied with store bought moisturizers, I’ve decided that I will make my own. I’ve been looking into trying out Shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter, and avocado butter. Problem is, there isn’t much information online regarding the other butters except for Shea butter. Just wondering if anyone has any firsthand experience with these butters and can share?



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 29, 2020 at 12:47AM by sonpokew https://ift.tt/3cbBJ4t

Thứ Sáu, 28 tháng 2, 2020

[Question - Other] Hospitals and Open Vacancies, info. on if facility is under or adequately staffed?

Hi,

I am trying to find any organized information on the level of staff in different units, and whether that unit has sufficient personnel or not, what sort of positions experience the most shortages, etc.

Are there laws that make hospitals report this level of info. and/or organizations that maintain this data?

Any leads would be greatly appreciated! :)



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 28, 2020 at 10:16AM by earlgrey70 https://ift.tt/2PvSLQO

Everything new in Healthcare this week - nonprofit charity care study raises questions, election 2020 updates, UnitedHealth cancels contracts with Mednax, and everything in between. [Discussion]

Hey everyone! Here's this week's post. I found it quite ironic that United and Mednax decided to end their contracts in 4 states - this is only going to lead to more surprise bills for patients, which is one of the hottest healthcare issues in the nation right now.

  • Let me know if you guys caught anything big that I missed! I should note: I write these on Monday for the newsletter, so some information (like caucus results, etc). gets slightly outdated.
  • (If you want to read past editions or learn more about the newsletter, you can find that here.)
  • Also, please let me know if I mis-represent anything below. The whole point of these write-ups is to get more people talking about our healthcare system. The last think I want to do is introduce bias to these issues. Thanks!

Healthcare Stuff to Know:

Community Health's Resurgent Comeback.

Community Health Systems (CYH +40%) stock saw huge gains after it released its fourth quarter and full-year earnings report. Investors were pleased with the strong cash flow from operations and the successful divestiture plan for its small pack of struggling hospitals.

  • Notable: Community Health Systems' stock is up over 115% year-to-date, and it's only February. Could this be the comeback story of the year in healthcare?
  • Shrewd business maneuvering. In the past 2 years, 80% of hospitals that Community sold are either losing money, bankrupt, or closed.

UnitedHealth's plans to end contracts with Mednax in 4 states.

On February 20, UnitedHealthcare announced its plans to end in-network contracts with Mednax in 4 states.

What does that mean? Physicians employed by Mednax (anesthesiologists (pain medicine), neonatologists (NICU), and obstetricians) in Georgia, Arkansas, and North and South Carolina will no longer be covered by UnitedHealthcare's health insurance plans in those states.

Since a lot of Mednax physicians work in and contract with hospitals, that likely means MORE surprise medical bills for patients.

  • The impact to Mednax: Its stock dropped 25% over the two days following the announcement. Mednax said that the contracts represented about 2% of its revenues - which equates to about $70 - 80 million.
  • Read more from Beckers here.

Nonprofit charity care study raises some eyebrows.

Expect increased scrutiny on hospital nonprofit status this year. A study released by the JAMA indicated that "for both insured and uninsured patients, nonprofit hospitals with superior financial performance provided disproportionately low levels of charity care."

  • A few caveats: Note that the study used Medicare cost report data, which is self-reported and unaudited. There can also be other factors that play into lower levels of charity care. If most of your hospitals are located in more affluent areas with more people on better insurance (not Medicare or Medicaid), you're naturally going to make more money and have less charity care.

Health insurers begin competing with hospitals, physician practices on care.

  • A very noteworthy trend: Insurers like UnitedHealthcare and Aetna (owned by CVS) are competing with traditional hospitals and physician practices by steering patients toward THEIR owned clinics. (WSJ) This has been going on for a while with UnitedHealth's Optum, but the trend is gaining steam.

Coronavirus update.

  • Here are the latest stories & numbers from Axios' live coverage tracker. Infections were confirmed in Italy and South Korea, leading to a large decline in the S&P 500 Monday. Biotech stocks surged on promising vaccine developments. Let's hope it doesn't get worse.

Other things to know.

  • Private equity medical practice takeovers more than doubled from 2013 to 2016 - in 2019, PE firms raised more money than ever before.
  • Some employers are leaving insurers for riskier, less costly arrangements.
  • Health systems are seeking out partners more than outright mergers as M&A regulatory scrutiny ramps up.
  • Amazon Care, the company’s virtual medical clinic, is now live for Seattle employees

Election 2020 - week of 2/24/2020: Bloomberg gets Bodied, Dems attack Trump on drug pricing, and highlights from the latest debate.

  • Plenty of action in this week's election update. First off, Bloomberg apparently got destroyed in his debate debut (at least, according to Twitter). Apart from broad healthcare clashes on Medicare for All, the debate didn't really focus on the topic much. Elizabeth Warren came in hot, claiming that Klobuchar's healthcare plan was written on a post-it note, while Buttigieg's was a PowerPoint.

Other debate highlights.

  • Bernie and Bloomberg - both 78 years old - claim to be heart healthy. But really none of the candidates want to share their health records with you in the first place. Should voters be concerned about the health of an elected official, especially ones that will enter their 80s during their first term? Share your thoughts with me.

Bernie takes Nevada.

Ahead of South Carolina's primary on 2/29 and Super Tuesday on 3/3, Bernie earned another hard-fought victory in Nevada. Remember last week we saw many healthcare stocks - especially insurers - pop on that news? This Monday, all healthcare stocks dropped hard. (But then again, so did the whole market)

  • Apart from the extreme market selloff, many believe that sentiment around healthcare companies are shifting as Bernie gains steam.
  • That's quite the contrast from a week ago - but generally, healthcare stocks underperform in an election year anyway.

Dem candidates attack Trump on Drug Pricing.

Several candidates pointed out Trump's drug pricing policy roadblocks this week. Bloomberg, Bernie, and Klobuchar all have recently taken shots on failed policies, including the TV ad list pricing policy that was blocked in court.

  • While the candidates claim that nothing concrete has passed regarding drug pricing, he actually shares some similar ideas to many of them - namely, cheaper drug importation from places like Canada, and tying drug costs in the U.S. to a basket of developed countries that pay much lower prices.

Other Trump drug accomplishments: The administration implemented a faster FDA process to get generic drugs to market quicker. Trump also signed a bill that removed pharmacist gag clauses - pharmacists can now tell patients at the counter whether an alternative drug would be cheaper to pay out-of-pocket.

The main conflict between Republicans and Democrats on drug pricing: Democrats are fine with the government directly negotiating with drug companies on prices for both public and private markets. Republicans oppose this expansion of government authority.

Read more on direct negotiation:

The big picture: The main issues in healthcare right now - and, by extension, the 2020 election - really boil down to three key points: costs (Medicare for All/Public Option/Medicaid reform), drug pricing, and surprise billing.

Policy stuff to know this week:

  • How the drug lobby lost its mojo in Washington. (WSJ)
  • The FDA is changing its classification of insulin to get more production of the critical diabetic drug.
  • CMS is considering extending its hip and knee replacement model for another 3 years.

Quick Hits

Biz Hits

  • Amedisys' CEO thinks that we're already seeing signs of disruption in the home health industry, led by recent changes in its reimbursement model.
  • Atrium Health becomes the second health system in a month to switch from Cerner to Epic's electronic health records platform.
  • CommonSpirit Health, the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S., posted its first operating profit since the merger between Dignity and CHI.

State Hits

  • Unable to find a buyer, West Virginia's hospital plans to close.
  • As Colorado is finding out, there are loopholes in the insulin price cap the state imposed in 2019.

Other Hits

  • Read Warren Buffet's annual letter if you haven't already. One of the few yearly must-reads.
  • A record 19 rural hospitals closed in 2019.

Thought-Provoking Editorials

  • Guys, this is long. But it completely contradicts traditional thinking on healthcare costs: Why conventional wisdom on healthcare is wrong. I definitely think it's worth a read and would love to hear this community's thoughts. If the original post is too long for you, there's a summary of it on Healthcare Economist.
  • Could direct-to-consumer primary care create a 'caste system' in healthcare? (Jezebel)
  • Why are nonprofit hospitals so highly profitable? (NY Times)
  • The House Democrats' capitulation on surprise billing proves they'll never pass Medicare for All. (The Apothecary)

That's it for this week - thanks for reading! I send these out every Monday night and post them here later in the week. Again, if you want to read past editions or learn more about the newsletter, you can find that here.



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 28, 2020 at 06:47AM by Passit2Madden https://ift.tt/2VrUOt1

7 natural beauty treatments - Women's Day 2020 | Naturally Beauty Care

International Women’s Day is near, so leading up to March 8th, we should pamper ourselves with DIY and 100% natural beauty treatments. Naturallybeautycare [2020]

https://naturallybeautycare.com/7-natural-beauty-treatments-womens-day-2020



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 28, 2020 at 02:56AM by Naturallybeautycare https://ift.tt/2PvK7SJ

Thứ Năm, 27 tháng 2, 2020

How to take care of my skin when practising martial arts?

Hey all! I practice Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (a martial art) and my skin is mistreated every day. I take a few showers a day on top of that and I just want to take care of my skin properly. I use coconut oil as a moisturiser but I was recently introduced to Antipodes's face and eye creams and my skin was amazing. I also use baking soda & apple cider vinegar to wash my hair, but I'm wondering if there's anything else or different I should be using to take care of my hair.

Would anyone have anything they could recommend? Natural & organic brands or homemade remedies?

Thanks so much!



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 27, 2020 at 06:13PM by apnnpa https://ift.tt/3cclK5X

[News] WHO’s plan unveiled

HEALTH NEWS JUNE 28, 2017 / 11:17 AM / 3 YEARS AGO World Bank launches 'pandemic bond' to tackle major outbreaks LONDON (Reuters) - The World Bank has launched a “pandemic bond” to support an emergency financing facility intended to release money quickly to fight a major health crisis like the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim delivers his speech during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, China May 14, 2017. REUTERS/Lintao Zhang/Pool The catastrophe bond, which will pay out depending on the size of the outbreak, its growth rate and the number of countries affected, is the first of its kind for epidemics. It should mean money is disbursed much faster than during West Africa’s Ebola crisis.

Ebola spread across the region in the early months of 2014. Michael Bennett, head of derivatives and structured finance at the World Bank’s capital markets department, said that if the pandemic emergency financing facility (PEF) had existed in 2014, some $100 million could have been mobilised as early as July.

In reality, money did not begin to flow on this scale until three months later, by which time the number of deaths from Ebola had increased tenfold.

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“In the end about 11,000 people died in that pandemic and it’s estimated that the cost to the countries most affected – Guinea, Liberia and Sierre Leone - was about $2.8 billion,” Bennett said.

The PEF will offer coverage to all countries eligible for financing from the International Development Agency (IDA), the arm of the World Bank dedicated to the world’s poorest countries.

It covers outbreaks of infectious diseases most likely to cause major epidemics, including pandemic influenza strains; coronaviruses, including SARS; filoviruses, which include Ebola and Marburg; plus others such as Crimean Congo fever, Rift Valley fever and Lassa fever.

Bennett said the PEF as a whole would provide more than $500 million of coverage against pandemics over the next five years. This includes today’s $425 million transaction, comprising $320 million raised through the bond market and $105 million through swaps transactions.

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The transaction was oversubscribed by 200 percent, attracting interest from dedicated cat bond investors, asset managers, pension funds and endowments, the World Bank said.

For the pandemic bond, the World Bank will pay bondholders a coupon that replicates an insurance premium plus a funding spread, in return for a payout if the bond is triggered.

“If a trigger event occurs, instead of repaying the bond in full, some or all of the principal is transferred to the PEF trust fund,” Bennett said. “So essentially the investors are acting like insurance companies.”

Under the swaps transactions, the swaps counterparty pays out if a trigger event occurs.

“The objective of offering the risk in both forms is that the bonds and swaps appeal to different types of investors, and therefore … we are creating the broadest possible investor pool for this risk,” said Bennett. That helped drive down prices.

A replenishable cash window available from 2018 will provide funding for diseases that may not meet the activation criteria for the bond, whilst future donor commitments may be used to purchase additional coverage from the market.

Munich Re, which helped develop the insurance component of the PEF in conjunction with Swiss Re and catastrophe risk modeller AIR Worldwide, said pandemics were among the most likely uninsured risks to occur.

The annual global cost of moderately severe to severe pandemics is estimated at roughly $570 billion, or 0.7 percent of global income, the World Bank said.

Reporting by Claire Milhench; editing by Andrew Roche Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. REUTERS NEWS NOW

Subscribe to our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox.



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 27, 2020 at 03:53PM by NoWarNoWarStopWar https://ift.tt/2Tq72Qy

[News] Another person in the U.S. is infected — someone in California who doesn’t appear to have traveled abroad or been exposed to another patient. If the CDC confirms that, it would be a first in this country and a sign that efforts to contain the virus’ spread haven’t been enough.

https://ift.tt/2Pp40La

https://ift.tt/2PsxK9Q Submitted February 27, 2020 at 09:18AM by BlueCoastalElite https://ift.tt/3ca2xlv

[Question - other] How much do insurance companies take off the top on the total healthcare costs?

In a discussion with a friend, we were trying to find an estimated figure that’s reliable on how much of total healthcare costs go just insurance companies. So if we say $100 represents total healthcare costs we pay as a nation in America, what % goes to the insurance companies pockets?



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 27, 2020 at 07:57AM by Prismane_62 https://ift.tt/32v7sZJ

NPR News: As U.S. Preps For Coronavirus, Health Workers Question Safety Measures

As U.S. Preps For Coronavirus, Health Workers Question Safety Measures
The plight of Chinese health care workers contracting the coronavirus has prompted frontline medical staff in the U.S. to wonder if they're protected. Hospitals say they're taking steps to prepare.

Read more on NPR

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and healthy skin?

Hey all! I practice Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (a martial art) and my skin is mistreated every day. I take a few showers a day on top of that and I just want to take care of my skin properly. I use coconut oil as a moisturiser but I was recently introduced to Antipodes's face and eye creams and my skin was amazing. I also use baking soda & &apple cider vinegar to wash my hair, but I'm wondering if there's anything else or different I should be using to take care of my hair.

Would anyone have anything they could recommend? Natural & organic brands or homemade remedies?

Thanks so much!



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 27, 2020 at 03:41AM by apnnpa https://ift.tt/2T1n4kx

[Discussion] Device suggestions for telehealth

Starting a telehealth program for my company and am interested in finding devices that to use as a diagnostic tool so my clinicians can evaluate their patients remotely. Ideally patients should be able to use these devices with minimal supervision in their homes while clinician provides instructions on video as needed.

- Camera (to check lesions, tonsils, inflammation etc)

- Otoscope

- Stethoscope

Any recommendations on devices that work well with iOS systems? Even though data is king, not being able to interface or integrate with EMR is not a limiting factor.

Appreciate your support!



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 27, 2020 at 02:39AM by idkdc1031 https://ift.tt/2HUHYvA

NPR News: Philadelphia Nonprofit Opening Nation's First Supervised Injection Site Next Week

Philadelphia Nonprofit Opening Nation's First Supervised Injection Site Next Week
After a two-year legal saga, Safehouse says it will open next week, allowing users to administer illegal drugs under supervision. Federal officials say they will try to stop the site from opening.

Read more on NPR

[Discussion] Feedback requested - I'm in the process of creating a free 2020 election resource that covers major healthcare policy proposals by candidate and catches voters up to speed on need-to-know healthcare lingo. Would appreciate this sub's thoughts & criticisms.

Hey all,

Not sure if this will get lost in Reddit's depths, but as the title mentions, I'm in the process of fleshing out an election 2020 resource devoted solely to healthcare - what each candidate is thinking about the major issues, links to relevant sites/articles, and policy lingo to know.

I'm intending for this to be a free, unbiased voter resource, and I'd love it if some of you could poke through it and see if there's any issues - bias, misinterpretation of a policy, or anything else I could add.

The link is here: 2020 U.S. presidential election healthcare HUB

Thanks for the time!



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 26, 2020 at 11:56PM by Passit2Madden https://ift.tt/3a8Dyxi

Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 2, 2020

Crystal Deodorant....

So I’ve been using the solid rock crystal deodorant (the Crystal brand one) for about 9 mo. And out of the blue it’s not only stopped working BUT my pits reek! Like pit detox reek. I’ve been doing natural deodorant/antiperspirant free for over 2 years. I haven’t stunk this bad since I was 9 mo pregnant in the summer! Lol! Any one else have this experience or any advice? I’m doing a week long “re detox” with no products or shaving so my pits can maybe reset?



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 26, 2020 at 11:12PM by katie_burd https://ift.tt/2ThfVeZ

NPR News: Insurers Sank Connecticut's 'Public Option.' Would A National Version Survive?

Insurers Sank Connecticut's 'Public Option.' Would A National Version Survive?
Even in a solidly blue state where voters were demanding relief from the high cost of health care, the idea of a government-run public option for health insurance faced a "steam train of opposition."

Read more on NPR

Best Natural Deodorant?

I made the switch to natural deodorant a year ago. It took a while to find one that is “okay”. I’ve tried Tom’s, Native (this was years ago so idk if they’ve switched formulas), and I’ve even tried Dove’s 0% Aluminum deodorant (I believe it still has parabens tho)

I currently use Schmidt’s (the green tea one, the Lime one gave me a rash after a few days)

Although it’s been the best natural deodorant I’ve tried so far I still don’t LOVE it. I’m so tired of being stressed out, wondering if I smell or if people can smell me....

Can someone please recommend a good brand / scent??? I’m so tired of spending money on this because they are pretty pricey.



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 26, 2020 at 10:32PM by sangria223 https://ift.tt/3aaA1yv

[News] As CDC warns of US COVID-19 spread, labs frustrated over lack of tests. Currently, only 12 labs outside of the CDC—located in California, Illinois, Nebraska, Nevada, and Tennessee—have the capability to test for the virus.

https://ift.tt/2VyblvR

https://ift.tt/32unraM Submitted February 26, 2020 at 02:04PM by BlueCoastalElite https://ift.tt/2T1ABbO

[Other] I need some help

Hey everyone,

So I am a senior and in AP Government where we have a project in which we chose a topic area and find a way to get our ideas out to inspire change. The topic area I chose was Healthcare (controversial, I know) and I am for Universal Health care meaning everyone has the right to healthcare regardless of their age (medicare) or economic status (medicaid) .

For the community outreach part I chose to create a twitter account where I could spread these ideas and part of the project is you have to reach a certain number of people and I really could use yalls help in this project. I posted the twitter profile's link below, so if you guys could by chance help me out and go follow that account, it would be very helpful.

the twitter account

https://twitter.com/healthcare4A



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 26, 2020 at 09:22AM by Super_Bison_007 https://ift.tt/37YgNL0

[Question - Insurance] Why are in-network hospitals using out-of-network physicians? (Leading to surprise hospital bills.)

I went to the ER in network and got additional exuberant charges since the physician who treated me was out of network (even though the hospital was in network). I have other friends who have experienced this as well and have read a few articles, however none of the articles state WHY this is more common now.

Is it because hospitals are understaffed and have to contract out? Does it have to do with physician reimbursement from insurance companies decreasing, so additional bills are sent to patients?

I am a healthcare provider but still can’t seem to wrap my head around it.

Thanks!



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 26, 2020 at 06:04AM by hazeleyes2727 https://ift.tt/2w29AMy

NPR News: 'Mini' MRI Outperforms 3-D Mammograms In Detecting Cancer In Women With Dense Breasts

'Mini' MRI Outperforms 3-D Mammograms In Detecting Cancer In Women With Dense Breasts
A new study published in JAMA compares the effectiveness of abbreviated MRI and 3-D mammography to detect breast cancer in women with dense breasts. It finds the mini MRI is more effective.

Read more on NPR

[News] CDC Hopes to Buy Time Before Likely Coronavirus Spread in U.S.

CDC said it is impossible to catch all COVID-19 carriers entering the U.S., so here are a few points of interest to clinicians on the front lines — https://www.dicardiology.com/article/cdc-hopes-buy-time-likely-coronavirus-spread-us



https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 26, 2020 at 01:05AM by DAICeditor4 https://ift.tt/2Vn6WM8

Thứ Ba, 25 tháng 2, 2020

[Question - Other] should I still be worried if I just had some kind of heart attack/panic attack? The symptoms are dying down now. Should I go to the doctor? I’ve had a panic attack before and went to the ER because of it. I’m starting to feel better now, should I still go to the doctor?

No text found

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J Submitted February 25, 2020 at 10:00PM by yhhshshshsms https://ift.tt/3a1qgCw