Help Leah Ann, COVID-19 Survivor, Pay A Giant Bill

Dearest community,

We're relaunching this fundraiser cause while Leah Ann has survived COVID-19, despite having insurance, she's been left with a giant medical bill from Stanford Hospital.

Through a mix of medical incompetence and our ridiculous private healthcare system, Leah Ann owes 3000 to the Stanford Radiology dept, and 650 for each ER visit. Her primary doctor, whom she trusted at the time, sent her to Stanford, neglecting to tell her it was out-of-network for her insurance plan. This doctor, who Leah Ann had several conversations with about her fears of mistreatment as a Black trans woman at a hospital, somehow failed to consider a black trans woman might also be affected terrible by a large out-of-network hospital bill. And Stanford apparently said nothing either till the bill came due.

(editorial note from the fundraiser: that a doctor could be so wildly careless seemed ridiculous to me till I checked it out, and discovered that indeed Stanford does not accept Leah Ann's EPO plan, and while it has decent out-of-network coverage for ER visits, the rest of the hospital is totally out-of-pocket with no maximum. And I am reminded that every day our healthcare system screws over black people and working class people in absurd and incomprehensible ways)

While Leah Ann is going to try to fight it, she is afraid to let the bills go unpaid too long cause of how they may affect her credit, which she has worked for years to restore. Plus she's currently still recovering from being sick and a long insurance fight feels pretty overwhelming. The obstacles Leah Ann faces, despite her talent and intelligence, often seem insurmountable, not only to her but to her friends and loved ones. That's why we're asking the community to come together to invest in Leah Ann, who's given so much to so many of us despite seemingly always getting a raw deal.

Original text follows:

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Lean Ann Mitchell a.k.a. #LaFemmeBear has touched so many of our lives. Many of us know what she has been through as a black trans neurodivergent woman and independent artist. We know that intense struggles she's faced, and many of us know the amazing music she makes. I personally feel so privileged to call Leah Ann my close friend and I feel wildly lucky to know someone who is so talented as a musician.

Somehow, in the middle of all of this, on top of everything else, Lean Ann got COVID-19. Yes, she has the coronavirus. As a musician, Leah Ann has already lost thousands of dollars of income due cancelled gigs. Now, she's literally fighting for her life (fortunately she has insurance, but it has been touch and go as days go by and her illness gets worse).

Leah Ann has tons of amazing, unreleased material. If you've ever been touched by a #LaFemmeBear song, whether it's ShutUp!, If, Powr, or Win... or any other of her ground breaking songs, please take a moment to show Lean Ann some love. Our financial support for Leah Ann will help her get through this ridiculously difficult time, and give her the resources to promote her new material so when this is all over she can relaunch her career.

Lean Ann Mitchell has touched so so many of our lives. I am both flabbergasted at the way so many difficult things seem to keep happening to her, and in so so much awe of what she continues to accomplish despite all that. She didn't ask me to make this -- I just think she deserves it. If you feel like I do, please help me in letting Leah Ann know she is worthy of our love and worthy of being here!

PSA: you can also just send money directly to @lafemmebear and cut out some processing fees.