When I was 19 I had thought I had appendicitis. I went to the emergency room. Once there I waited 3 hours to see a doctor while in pain. They see me, do a MRI scan, find nothing but want me to stay overnight to ensure nothing happens. The pain subsided and I left the following day.
It turned out I wasn’t on my Dad’s insurance anymore and I was billed. At 19, 1.5 years out of the house. I had 15k in debt.
Welcome to America.
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Privatized healthcare is immoral.
I’d be dead in America.
Affording the treatment wouldn’t have been an issue, because I wouldn’t have been able to afford the diagnosis.
I had a medical emergency yesterday that may me realize how lucky I am to live in Canada.
I’m getting weekly immunotherapy allergy shots (which are also covered by the free healthcare here) and I had a bad reaction to a shot. They needed to give me 2 epipens and some ventilator drug and stretchered me in an ambulance to the hospital where I waited about 5-10 min (I was stable at this point) for a private room. They kept me there for like 4 hours with IV drip and prescribed me another EpiPen.
Total cost was 0 with no questions asked. I know for non life threatening injuries like broken bones you might be waiting a few hours to get in, but I’d rather it be like that then have the possibility of going in massive debt.
I know for non life threatening injuries like broken bones you might be waiting a few hours to get in, but I’d rather it be like that then have the possibility of going in massive debt.
It’s not as if waiting times here in the US are any better. (In fact, they can be worse, since the profit motive has e.g. been causing rural ERs to close entirely.)
Make no mistake: us here in the States aren’t choosing to pay more to get better healthcare; we’re being forced to pay more to get absolutely fuck-all in return except for the unjust enrichment of insurance industry middlemen.
Interesting, I never realized it was also that slow to get in for the States. To be fair it’s not perfect here, surgery wait times can be really bad. I’m on a year long waitlist for deviated septum surgery and my dad waited quite a long time for a hip replacement and he was in a ton of pain everyday. But the thing is we also have the option to pay to get it done privately.
As an American I never understood the “you have to wait longer in Canada” argument. My sibling almost cut off a few of their fingers and was bleeding profusely and had to wait with a rag around their fingers for almost 4 hours in the ER before they got seen. This is in the US. I’ve had past partners waiting in large amounts of pain for upwards of 10 hours in the ER too (thankfully I brought some bugles to snack on). It’s a problem in general, I’d rather it at least be free
For sure, it’s definitely not perfect here, for example I’m on a year long waitlist for surgery for a deviated septum. But from what I’ve heard they get you in fast if it’s life threatening. We also have the option of paying to do it privately anyway.
Is this a joke I am too not-American to understand?
Yeah. The bill is real but st judes is a charity hospital. Joking the only way to pay his debt is rob a charity
I still don’t get it. Is 100k the bill or his account balance after the bill was payed? And if it is the bill why is it listed under “other adjustments”?
I think 100k is the amount he still owes. Looks like he had a follow up or something that added $250 and insurance covered $175. Context is he had a seizure in the shower and was in the hospital for a month. A lot of plans you have co insurance after hitting your deductible where you split any further costs with the insurance company say 80/20. So it’s possible he only ends up paying $20k of that, or his bill was much higher and $100k is what he owes after co insurance
Usually there’s still an out of pocket max, like $5000.
But I guess that could depend on your insurance
It’s such a scam and the people voting against universal care are the same ones who complain they don’t go to the doctor because it’s too expensive
Most of the people voting against universal healthcare are comfortably middle class and want to protect their ~premium coverage~ or they’re on Medicare. Few people struggling to afford healthcare even vote lol
And tons and tons are poor in red srates
No, most of the poor in red states don’t vote. That’s universally true across the country - there’s a small minority that do, but they’re not the ones stopping universal healthcare. It’s business owners, landlords, wealthy blue collar workers, farmers, and retirees.
This myth that the poor vote for their own oppression is something made up to make you hate poor people.
It is when I see this that I am grateful for having been born in a country with 100% public and universal health
Here’s my American Healthcare story:
- snap finger bone, go to urgent care to get splint
- pay 50ish dollars that day
- 2 months later, get bill for 200 dollars
- ahah! everyone says to ask for an itemized bill! do that
- get itemized bill back that claims the 200 charge is for ‘visiting with a doctor with knowledge of medical history’ (paraphrasing)
- contest charge because I did not see a doctor, and splinting a snapped finger does not require any fucking context at all
- get runaround for 2 months, while being threatened with late fees
- finally they say they will adjust the bill
- get new bill for $201, ‘for a visit that did not include a doctor’ (no fucking joke)
welcome the USA, where healthcare operations are scams
(these are just 2 of the scams in my state, thanks to shell companies when one is shut, another opens)
edit: and in case anyone thinks I paid that shit, I didn’t. I sent them a polite version of a ‘fuck you’ reply. Then covid hit and I never heard from them again.
Mine was when I cut the tip of my finger off… Bottle broke and sliced my middle finger from the middle of the nail down to the corner. Only thing holding it on was the nail itself. I go to urgent care because it’s closer than the hospital. The doc soaks it in iodine and alcohol, checks for glass, then says he can stitch or glue it. He opts for glue. I get a wrap and splint to protect it, “keep it dry and unwrap it in a few weeks to make sure it took.” Couple weeks go by and I get a bill. $8,000 for superglue and a bandage! A little less than 1/4 of what I made in a year at the time. Best part? “Payment in full is expected one month from receipt.”
Fucking greedy bastards…
Heres mine:
Emergency root canal.
How much does this cost?
Idk.
What will my insurance cover?
Idk.
I need1500 now 1500 after.
Ok please make it stop.
3 months later get a bill already in collections for 3000.
Credit score goes up 30 points
Thats my favorite when the due date is always a few days before the letter arrived and its in collections the first time Ive seen it
Meanwhile, I was hospitalized due to covid and bronchitis combo, paid less than 20 dollars because Government covered all my ass.
And I am in a third world country.
Meanwhile in austria even the dentist is covered
The UK used to have that. This year, 98-99% of NHS dentists shut down or became private. Conservatives, eh?
He should ask for an itemized bill. Then he might only owe 50 grand…
Somebody should make a law to make itemized bills obligatory for hospitals, but I guess that counts as communism as well 🤷
And? That is still 50 grand too much.
1000% agree.
Just defeatist humor.
St Jude’s is a charity hospital that does not charge patients or their families. They accept insurance payments only and the rest is covered as charity.
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Thank you for this message. I agree, and this is what my family has had for about 16 years. $250/month for a family of 3 with 2 adults well over 50. Everything about it is great, and they deliver my prescription to my home.
American healthcare is a fucking joke.
I’m so lucky that I live in a country where it’s covered and I don’t have to worry if i get sick.
No big deal. You have until August. Just skip the avocado toast until then and you’ll be fine.
Do they accept Zimbabwe dollars?
what the hell is “other adjustments”???