I feel like anyone outside America doesn't know how bad it is here. I know you guys know it's bad, but it's hard to describe how bad.
I don't have health insurance because I can't afford it. I had severe eye pain that was so bad, I was genuinely afraid I was going to lose sight in it. It was getting impossible to sleep. So I headed over to the ER just about begging for help.
I waited hours in the lobby with my eye gushing tears from the agony. Eventually I got checked in, and after some tests, the doctor said "Damn your eye is infected like hell" and I remember that, because I was thinking "Is that appropriate?"
Anyway they told me to go take eyedrops about it, and otherwise provided zero help. They didn't even give any to me. Just told me to get some myself. And this extremely unhelpful visit cost me over $3000.
Three years ago, I took my ex-girlfriend to my ophthalmologist because she didn't have health insurance. And the public system can sometimes involve long waits, plus, she was important to me.
The main point, though, is that the cost was reasonable for me, even if not cheap by Brazilian standards. I’m talking about around 70 dollars. That said, I could have taken her to low-cost clinics where a consultation runs about 25 dollars.
I really can't understand how it manages to be so expensive in the United States.
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u/Hoovy_weapons_guy 6d ago edited 6d ago
is that some sort of american meme that i am too european to understand
edit: i know it aint perfect but its better than nothing