The Europeans commenting here are demonstrating just how fucked up and inaccessible the US healthcare system is relative to other countries with their delightfully innocent questioning, “why don’t you just stroll down to your local doctor and get that taken care of?”
For starters, Google medical bankruptcies in the US. I just did this with the intent of providing one concise link, but the information is so widespread, I couldn’t do it.
I have health insurance. For me to even say hello to a doctor is going to cost me $5,000 out of pocket.
The last time I had actual experience with a doctor was about seven years ago when my daughter had a sudden allergic reaction to an unknown substance. She couldn’t breathe. My only option was to take her to one of the many private for profit emergency rooms where they gave her two Benadryl and an epi pen. That cost me $1,600 cash. My insurance company told me that I should have taken the time to find an appropriate in network doctor and made an appointment to see my daughter, who again, wasn’t breathing. (To clarify, she was breathing, but struggling mightily to do so, so the five minutes to throw her in the car and drive her to the ER was sufficient time)
I’m fortunate that I had the money. Many people don’t.
And that’s for a simple pill that you can get in the supermarket for a few cents. Imagine a real chronic condition. You’re done financially unless you’re independently wealthy.
The best argument for universal healthcare is having to deal with health insurance. What an absolute scam. I have never had a good experience going to the doctor because of health insurance, and mine isn’t even that bad.
I think every member of Congress and their families should be forced to use the same healthcare plan as one of their average constituents. No discounts, no outside help with payments, no extra coverage on top to fill gaps.
I’m typically against government-run healthcare, but yeah, the insurance companies ruin EVERYTHING. I experienced how worthless they are firsthand, too.
I had a torn ACL and needed knee surgery with my insurance, so I went to the same doctor and same surgeon my housemate had for his ACL repair without insurance. After all was said and done, we compared how much we’d paid out of pocket and I maaayyybe paid $1,000 less than he did, while my insurance claimed to have covered like $30,000. And this was decent, corporate insurance that I’d been paying $120-170/mo for over the course of 6 years at that point. What a waste of money…
I’m terrified of ever having to take an ambulance. How the fuck am I supposed to know which for profit company will send a van out for me?
And so little of that money ever makes it to most of the paramedic and hospital staff. It’s insane that someone performing life-saving work on call makes, on average, $45k.
Even 7 or 8y ago people were calling an Uber to take them to the hospital instead of an ambulance purely to avoid medical debt. Healthcare is fucked in the US.
I’m terrified of ever having to take an ambulance.
Jesus, imagine having kids in America. First you’re stressing that they may need the doctor one day, then you send them to school when they have active shooter drills. I’d nope the fuck out of there in no time.
The Europeans commenting here are demonstrating just how fucked up and inaccessible the US healthcare system is relative to other countries with their delightfully innocent questioning, “why don’t you just stroll down to your local doctor and get that taken care of?”
For starters, Google medical bankruptcies in the US. I just did this with the intent of providing one concise link, but the information is so widespread, I couldn’t do it.
I have health insurance. For me to even say hello to a doctor is going to cost me $5,000 out of pocket.
The last time I had actual experience with a doctor was about seven years ago when my daughter had a sudden allergic reaction to an unknown substance. She couldn’t breathe. My only option was to take her to one of the many private for profit emergency rooms where they gave her two Benadryl and an epi pen. That cost me $1,600 cash. My insurance company told me that I should have taken the time to find an appropriate in network doctor and made an appointment to see my daughter, who again, wasn’t breathing. (To clarify, she was breathing, but struggling mightily to do so, so the five minutes to throw her in the car and drive her to the ER was sufficient time)
I’m fortunate that I had the money. Many people don’t.
And that’s for a simple pill that you can get in the supermarket for a few cents. Imagine a real chronic condition. You’re done financially unless you’re independently wealthy.
The best argument for universal healthcare is having to deal with health insurance. What an absolute scam. I have never had a good experience going to the doctor because of health insurance, and mine isn’t even that bad.
I think every member of Congress and their families should be forced to use the same healthcare plan as one of their average constituents. No discounts, no outside help with payments, no extra coverage on top to fill gaps.
I’m typically against government-run healthcare, but yeah, the insurance companies ruin EVERYTHING. I experienced how worthless they are firsthand, too.
I had a torn ACL and needed knee surgery with my insurance, so I went to the same doctor and same surgeon my housemate had for his ACL repair without insurance. After all was said and done, we compared how much we’d paid out of pocket and I maaayyybe paid $1,000 less than he did, while my insurance claimed to have covered like $30,000. And this was decent, corporate insurance that I’d been paying $120-170/mo for over the course of 6 years at that point. What a waste of money…
I doubt it was intentional but that first paragraph comes off as: “I wouldn’t care but it happened to me”
I’m terrified of ever having to take an ambulance. How the fuck am I supposed to know which for profit company will send a van out for me?
And so little of that money ever makes it to most of the paramedic and hospital staff. It’s insane that someone performing life-saving work on call makes, on average, $45k.
Even 7 or 8y ago people were calling an Uber to take them to the hospital instead of an ambulance purely to avoid medical debt. Healthcare is fucked in the US.
Jesus, imagine having kids in America. First you’re stressing that they may need the doctor one day, then you send them to school when they have active shooter drills. I’d nope the fuck out of there in no time.