PartySick 172,395 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 2 minutes ago, franminervini said: Wow that is so bad. Hopefully you get a better health system because it is ridiculous. I think it's still "free" in certain regards, I'm finding a lot of conflicting and potentially outdated data (in the beginning of the pandemic, insurance companies were covering 100% of covid costs but they've changed that since then). But yeah, healthcare costs and medical debt will bury you fast in the US. You're better off staying sick or dying Whimsical bitch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
franminervini 17,057 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 minute ago, PartySick said: But yeah, healthcare costs and medical debt will bury you fast in the US. You're better off staying sick or dying I am so sorry to hear that. It must be horrible to feel sick, and not go to the hospital just because of future costs. It's shocking Have you checked the Charts Thread today?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicks 381 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 In India we have government hospitals which provide treatment at free of cost. For most of the basic treatment or illness people prefer to go there instead of fancy private hospitals. What stops US from doing things like this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morphine Prince 109,645 Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 9 minutes ago, Vicks said: In India we have government hospitals which provide treatment at free of cost. For most of the basic treatment or illness people prefer to go there instead of fancy private hospitals. What stops US from doing things like this? There are non-profit hospitals in the United States that are subsidised by state governments and bill Medicaid and offer medical services at low or no cost to the end user. That's probably as close to a “public” hospital as you'll find in the United States. All hospitals are required to treat anyone in an emergency medical situation under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986. If someone with absolutely no money came in they would be treated, the hospital would bill what they could to Medicaid, the rest of the debts would be written off and/or sold to collections. So, kind of “free.” Still inadequate and not comparable to other countries. Getting sick in the US is a luxury. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PartySick 172,395 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 5 minutes ago, Morphine Prince said: sold to collections. Imagine being poor, getting sick, requiring care, going into debt, then fonding out a bunch of predators own your debt now There are some horror stories out there about that too. Threatening phone calls, total privacy invasion (contacting your employer or even family), potential possession of your assets, etc. I'm not sure all of it is even legal and it depends on which state you're in but good god. 22 minutes ago, franminervini said: I am so sorry to hear that. It must be horrible to feel sick, and not go to the hospital just because of future costs. It's shocking It is shocking tbh. One of richest countries in the world is filled with millions of people who'll just sit there and be sick rather than seek treatment 'cause it's too expensive. I had a pretty nasty flu about three weeks ago that still has me feeling a bit icky but because I'm uninsured, when it was at its worst and I was in pain and unable to breathe normally, I just popped Mucinex and Tylenol like candy and rode it out. There are clinics you can go to but why pay upwards of $100 to see a doctor that's just going to sign a piece of paper excusing you from work for a few days My job offers insurance but it takes so much out of your paycheck and I've heard from coworkers how they were hit with bills out of nowhere for stuff that wasn't covered that it's like...what's the point? you pay an insurance company so you can go pay a doctor? Whimsical bitch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronk 14,930 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 hour ago, bionic said: The article describes it as "a bill from a doctor they did not choose and who did not accept their insurance." So yeah, you may use an ER doctor who isn't part of your insurance network and so you are expected to pay more for it even though in the moment you weren't really concerned with the ins and outs of insurance (and neither was the medical practitioner); or you go to a hospital you usually wouldn't and their lab work isn't covered by your insurance- hardly your fault. The article is really informative for both planned and emergency medical costs and what this bill means for them Another common situation is that while the hospital and the surgeon are in your insurance network, the anesthesiologist is not. Even if you had no idea about that situation, you are still on the hook to pay the huge anesthesiologist bill. Hopefully this new legislation covers that case. I live outside the space time continuum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronk 14,930 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 hour ago, PartySick said: My grandpa owed nearly $10,000 for a 10 minute ambulance ride once. It was one of the rescue ones where they have more complicated equipment in it but still The US healthcare system is freaking abysmally bad. I wonder if an attorney could have gotten that bill drastically reduced. Just seems so unfair. I live outside the space time continuum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJRocketMan 2,684 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 3 hours ago, PartySick said: Same. Especially since forgiving current student loans does nothing to prevent other students from burying themselves in debt in the future. Free college needs to happen first, then loan forgiveness. But I'd also love to be able to go to the doctor regularly I literally haven't been in years 'cause the cost accumulates so damn fast and insurance covers nothing. Have you used healthcare.gov? That’s how can you can get affordable health insurance Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PartySick 172,395 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 5 minutes ago, AJRocketMan said: Have you used healthcare.gov? That’s how can you can get affordable health insurance I've looked into the plans there but apparently because I have insurance available through my job there's some screwy rules on the application. I got confused trying to fill it out Whimsical bitch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipper 13,114 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 3 hours ago, PartySick said: Same. Especially since forgiving current student loans does nothing to prevent other students from burying themselves in debt in the future. Free college needs to happen first, then loan forgiveness. But I'd also love to be able to go to the doctor regularly I literally haven't been in years 'cause the cost accumulates so damn fast and insurance covers nothing. I didn't have health insurance for half of my twenties until i quit work and went to grad school full time where it was required for us to have health insurance. I got the free government issued one and it is hella better than the paid corporate ones. Not only I dont have to pay, but they offer more services than what the $400/month work health insurance for a single, twenty something person. 🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJRocketMan 2,684 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 1 minute ago, PartySick said: I've looked into the plans there but apparently because I have insurance available through my job there's some screwy rules on the application. I got confused trying to fill it out The deadline is January 29th to enroll. Just take it one step at a time. It’s better to lie on the application that you don’t get health insurance via your job, especially if you know it isn’t any good. You use ALL of your monthly tax credit to reduce your health insurance premium (and always go for the Silver plans), pay the first month, and then it’ll start on the first. Different states have different rules and I don’t know where you live. I’m in Illinois. Some states have their own health insurance marketplace. If you need help, you can either call them, or watch how-to videos on YouTube Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gothicdream 39,655 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Good! It's absurd that when you're in enough distress to go to the ER, you have to remember to ask if every provider is in network or risk huge bills. Still doesn't do anything to ease ER costs though. I am fortunate to have good insurance, went to the ER last year for abdominal pain, doctor claimed nothing was wrong and it was just muscle pain, and I had to pay $2000 out of pocket because they billed it as the highest level of emergency. It later turned out I had a kidney stone that the doctor missed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEARTSTOP 3,154 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 3 hours ago, Pennywise said: ...do people really have to pay for ER THAT much over there? nvm why am I being surprised about the US medical system Yeah the US Healthcare and Education systems are rotten by capitalism. Everything is for-profit, nothing is for-people. You can add the Law/Prison system to that. IDGAF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DontDoubtDavid 1,196 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 There’s a really good Adam ruins everything episode about how messed up our healthcare system is, it’s atrocious how corrupt it pharmaceutical companies are and how much hospitals get away with. This seems like a good step in the right direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KORG 4,756 Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 Wow. Soon America will advance so much that citizens will feel like its the early 20th century in the rest of the world... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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