This joke is so American

Man do I feel bad for you Americans when I see this shit.

So many Americans justify it as well... I can mention it on reddit and I'll get viciously attacked defending that shit healthcare system.

It's hands down, the worst in western civilization.

Had a relative in a car accident. They climbed out the vehicle, walked to the ambulance, and took their suggestion to get looked over at the ED.

Nothing needed but an X-ray then a CT to make sure the spine was fine. Doc saw them for all of 10min. Most of the time was spent doing nothing, alone, waiting for a ride in a mostly empty rural ED.

Bill comes. $15k.

I did charges in the 2000s as part of my ED tech duties. Back then the stroke/heart attack go to ICU or get prepped for life flight charge, the most acute of 5 tiers of service was ~$2.5k. The lowest, say getting a ring cut off, was less than $200.

I know costs have risen in the last 20 yrs but how the fuck do you go from what is at a very generous at most a tier 3 for ~$1k to $15k. AND that CT scan, 90% of what happened there, was billed separate.

AFTER Medicare, the ED bill is $1.8k. Imaging is $800, and the ambulance ride, that didn’t even put in an IV, is $1.9k.

So an elderly person on a fixed social security income is getting billed almost $5k for a ride, a glorified wait for my ride room, and a CT.

One non displaced broken rib btw, that’s it.

$15k. Is ring removal in ED now $15k a pop? I just don’t know. Or is a remote, empty ED soaking anyone who goes because they don’t have lines out the door and around the block like city EDs do?

Either way, that’s several months of social security to pay for it while not buying groceries or driving.

I have cancer and diabetes, and aside from the premiums insurance costs me a minimum of $4,250 every fucking year, plus stuff they refuse to cover.

And I found out the hard way that you're better off dead than getting air medivacced, a delightful experience I've had twice.

The first time I told the ER head to just let me die. The cost of a hundred mile flight was over $80,000.

The second time, this February was over $143,000, but by then I had gotten air transport insurance. Which of course initially denied the claim.

In the U.S. you are just meat that is harvested for money.

Good insurance won't, but the problem is, most companies don't provide "good" insurance. In most cases you are better off without it.

One company I worked for had the worst insurance I've ever seen.

I paid like $180 per paycheck JUST FOR ME! and I had no co-pay woooooHhhOoooo! Well anytime I'd go to the doctor i'd be fucked, with one visit really sticking out in particular: I went in knowing I had strep throat and just needed a doctors note. Doc took one look (didn't do any tests or anything because it was really obvious) said "yep, you've got strep. " gave me my note, and I was oit of there in like 5 minutes... A week later? A $200 bill…. What…. The…. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!? Yeah bad insurance will ruin you.

I'll never be able to finance a car over $15k and I'll never be able to afford a home.

What difference does it make? Might as well be free.

Have medical bills? Why not make and sell meth? The fact that breaking bad wasn't satirical was a crime.

Obviously it’s a joke, but get insurance. Thanks to the affordable care act they have a maximum out of pocket cost (for what is covered) and will save you from ruin.

No wonder the Brazilian universal healthcare system (SUS) is constantly bombarded and attacked from all sides, just think of all the profit$ being "lost". It's far from ideal and full of horror stories, but when you do manage to get medical attention, chances are good you'll be well treated and cared for.

The NHS has its problems but I'm so fucking grateful we don't have to put up with this bullshit.

Insurance means they get paid next month, not years after a legal battle.

I live in Germany and I just had hernia surgery. The entire procedure including appointments leading up to surgery a couple weeks ahead of time and post-op appointments over a couple weeks after came up to 905€, TOTAL... my copay was 45€. And I have the expensive private insurance that gives me access to single person hospital rooms and my procedure is done by the hospital chief surgeon

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Me, with Spain's default free insurance wondering where do I pay.

If I bought insurance I'd be paying way more than I pay out of pocket for my routine healthcare because I'd never meet the deductable, and being insured , the visit would be priced higher. I pay a cash price that is lower . If some catastrophic injury occurred, I couldn't afford it insured or not so fuck it. I also live accordingly , I think we all do consciously or unconsciously, live with a certain amount of fear of financial ruin due to sickness or injury. Instead if eating the rich, they are apparently eating us.

I've thought about it.

One of my kids spent 10 months in New Zealand working with a Maori tribe to mediate with the government over fishery issues.

If Trump wins this election, I'm done.