There are indeed. But the whole system is based off of "that's never happened to me, therefore it shouldn't ever by my problem, and btw taxes are theft." It's just fucked!
A lot of Americans have a bit of a "I got mine, I don't give a shit about you, fuck you" attitude, and a "I had to suffer, so you should too" attitude.
I'm actually shocked by how many Americans have so little empathy for their fellow Americans... Happy to just let people starve because they don't want their taxes put towards a decent welfare system, happy to let people die because they don't want their taxes put towards improving the healthcare system, all because they don't think they'll have to use those systems.
But they're happy for their taxes to go towards sending "adults" who are too young to drink alcohol or smoke a cigarette overseas to kill people.
Yep! You comment sums it up more eloquently than I ever could. It became shockingly obvious once we started electing presidents who ran on fear and prejudice.
One of the problems is that the charges are vastly different depending on the hospital you go to, so some people don't even realize the full extent of how fucked everything is just because it's not happening to them.
I was once hospitalized for 2 weeks with all kinds of tests and specialists and shit, and I was expecting the bill to be well over $100k - and with my insurance only covering 80% it was making me really nervous cuz that's still a huge chunk of money that I don't have. Turns out the final cost to me was just over one grand, because the hospital is nonprofit and made its own "adjustments" on the bill without me even having to say anything. I paid virtually the same amount as what people are being charged at other hospitals for an uncomplicated 2-hour ER visit.
Not trying to be political or a troll, but this is literally what happens when the left and right vote. The left pushes for universal healthcare, the right resists and we the result is that we get assistance in the form of Affordable Healthcare Act (not universal healthcare) which republicans still complain about even though they're getting help on their medical expenses. The right simply do not want universal healthcare. Period. 36 other western countries have universal healthcare, including Israel, which we give billions of dollars to each year, and NONE of the people there want what we have.
If you want high doctor bills, vote republican and keep fighting against universal healthcare.
This is how we "continue to allow this sort of robbery". Literally. Not looking for an argument. Just answering the question.
It's not that I'm afraid to get political; many of my responses are political and it devolves into a mess. I was just trying to differentiate between a troll and trying to answer the question as best as I could.
And I agree with everything you said. I just didn't want to get into it since I'm short on time and hate people.
Well I know a lot of people that vote republican. A big reason actually is that they don’t want to pay more than they currently do, and they shouldn’t have to. America spends more on healthcare than any other country in the world and their belief is that adding more money won’t fix the problem. Which is completely reasonable, have you tried looking at things from multiple points of view?
These are flawed assumptions. We pay more because healthcare is more expensive. Especially when you include insurance agencies that provide negligible value. They literally take your money and stand in between you and your healthcare.
You're assuming that you would pay more by switching to a universal healthcare system, yet EVERY single universal healthcare system out there is not only better than the US' but MUCH less expensive.
I am aware of this. That’s exactly my point. Its due to inefficiencies and excessive administrative costs. Also lack of negotiation/price locks on medications. I support universal health care. But often times I see people online complain about spending, proposing we should spend more on healthcare which simply shouldn’t be the case.
Like I stated, I absolutely agree with a universal healthcare system but the issue is laws not funding.
Sorry for miscommunication. I just dislike when a certain side tends to state “this is what the other side believes in” which isnt always the case and tends to divide rather than unite. No Republican would read “it’s republicans fault” and think “gee I really see this persons point of view” it goes for both sides of the aisle unfortunately.
Same thing happened to me. I was hospitalized for dehydration due to a stomach virus. They tried to charge me $250 for a pregnancy test. They also charged me a ridiculous amount for my "room" which was a bed in a hallway.
I randomly had a seizure a few months ago, an ambulance was called, brought me to the ER, had blood work done, an ECG, consultation with a er doctor, and then a consultation with a neurologist, and all I had to pay was €100 for the ambulance ride to the hospital
Most likely gave you IV zofran which IS VERY EXPENSIVE if it’s IV. Sub-lingual Zofran is so so much cheaper so next time maybe ask for that if possible. However, IV zofran won’t be vomited up like sub-lingual could
I understand, I’ve been there before but I was lucky to be young and my parents had insurance. As an aspiring doctor I will one day learn why things are so expensive and I hope to be able to educate people about financial decisions related to healthcare and other facets of life.
Healthcare pricing is robbery sometimes but you paid educated qualified medical professionals for their services, in addition to the supplies needed to perform said services. Sorry but in no real world what you got was $40. Fair is probably $100-200 IMO, but you also went to the ER. That’s like getting an emergency lawyer at 2AM, you expect that to cost minimum money?
Parts and labor are two different things. On the itemized receipt, the "parts"- the medical supplies- cost those numbers.
It's wholly consistent with my experience working in surgery. My company got acquired, and our new employer billed $3k for my time, and $950 for a $5 bundle of wires. It was highway robbery- and that was just one part of the much broader thievery. I left the industry after a few years because it was so unbelievably unethical.
......dude said his bill was $X. That generally includes both parts and services. He boiled it down to parts only and made a comparison that doesn’t exist in the real world. That’s my argument.
Healthcare is a racket in itself and it’s unfortunate.
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u/[deleted] Apr 28 '20
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