Healthcare vol. WTF

[danikerhino]

it's not even capitalism here man, it's just a government run by corporations. if it was capitalism none of those companies and banks would have got bailed out. they'd just die and go poor like we do.

I'm not ruling out moving to Europe in the future, I have zero faith in this place ever getting better.

True, and banks are on top of the food chain.

 

[kdawg]

Canada and UK have a free Healthcare system or no? It takes months to get appointments they say.

That’s generally propaganda by those you would expect.

Sure, if you need a hip replacement the wait will be a few months - because that doesn’t really make any difference to the outcome. But, eg if you need cancer treatment that starts promptly - and that’s basically how all of medicine works, you prioritise the important ones and see the others in turn. Anything else is just inefficient.

 

[boxer15]

That ED visit was warranted. Cost is tough, but it was the right decision..

For my wife’s peace of mind, I cannot disagree.

 

[cragmatic]

We had our baby back in September and had to stay in the hospital for 6 days, bill was almost 50K…. Luckily insurance covered a majority but INSANITY.

 

[703 hwy]

My son got sick (common cold) and since we live in Covid times he need to have a negative test in order to go back to school. We were at the doctors for like 15-20 min, weighed, blood pressure check and then tested negative. Got a bill for like $2k. It was covered but still ridiculous.

 

[05fordgt]

Man, a thread about healthcare?!! I could REALLY blow this up with all of my health issues and crap I have gone through for 2/3rds of my life. Like mind boggling stuff. Have to decide what to list up. Let me think for a bit.

 

[lncognegro]

Canada and UK have a free Healthcare system or no? It takes months to get appointments they say.

I can't speak for the rest of Canada but we see a doc same day here. X-rays, blood tests emergency surgeries ,etc. All completely free. For example I had a freak accident in training (kickboxing) and had several surgeries for retinal detachment in the past 3 years. The first one I went in on a Wednesday, they diagnosed it, and I was getting operated on 3 days later. If I was in the US I shutter at the thought of what that would have cost me

 

[Based Jesus]

Congratulations on the baby Hunnynutcheerios ! Condolences on the bill to have said baby.

When governments wonder why birth rates are down the answer is often simple, it cost too much to have a child. Universal healthcare, daycare and pre-K would be just a start to making the lives of parents easier. Hopefully one day americans pull their heads out of their asses and start asking why they vote for their government to spend as little money on them as possible in favor of giving it all to the military and corporations.

 

[getback]

I had PT last year. Insurance covered most, but I still looked at the itemization when the paperwork came in just out of curiosity.

The PT clinic was charging like $100 for 3 minutes of stupid little resistance band warmup exercises. $200 for about 4 minutes of light massage. $200 for 5 mins of electric stim.

Insane. Makes sense why insurance companies are thieves. Some of these doctors are wildin too.

 

[onewearz]

I recently had brain surgery and received a statement from my insurance saying " we covered $430,000 u owe $29,000 "

I love the " u owe " ... don't think I'll ever get that paid off ...

 

[WASHED KING]

I can't speak for the rest of Canada but we see a doc same day here. X-rays, blood tests emergency surgeries ,etc. All completely free. For example I had a freak accident in training (kickboxing) and had several surgeries for retinal detachment in the past 3 years. The first one I went in on a Wednesday, they diagnosed it, and I was getting operated on 3 days later. If I was in the US I shutter at the thought of what that would have cost me

250k or your eye.

 

[blastercombo]

I’d move to Vietnam if I ever owed that much or was going to jail.

 

[jrp44]

I remember asking for an itemized bill 2 years ago when my wife had our 2nd son....**** is all a joke..$6 for 1 Advil etc etc

 

[jape]

Belgium cat
what's it like over there?
don't mean to offend but you've told us about your health issues before

 

[05fordgt]

Ok, so this will be interesting. Been sick since I was 16. Obviously was on my parents policy until I graduated from HS, got a job and got my own policy. Early stuff nothing I remember to much, but once I sold cars and got good insurance (when there was such a thing) is where things got interesting.

Had Personal Choice for my J-Pouch surgery (it's when they remove my entire large intestine and replaced my colon with a man-made internal pouch. That was basically taken care of with nothing. This was back in 2001 (removal and temp ostomy) with pt 2 of it in may 2002. I think my insurance wasn't cheap back then either. Like $50-75 every week. Honestly can't remember but it wasn't cheap. I didn't care as I lived at home still.

My actual liver transplant was also under Personal Choice. I don't remember paying anything other than maybe a small copay (not sure I even did this). All I know is I got the itemized bill from Penn with the total of the surgery being over $250k (this was in late 2003) but the hospital settled for $75K!! So my insurance paid $75K but for anyone without insurance, your SOL and paying the 1/4 Mill. Not right!!! Not right at all!

By 2011, Personal Choice was phased out for Aetna (I think that's who the company was, or maybe BCBS). Anyhow, my now wife and I went to Toronto for the 4th weekend that year. I had bought Phillies tix to see them play the Jays in SkyDome. Dumb luck that the rotation worked out that Roy Halliday (RIP) was gonna pitch that game! His return to SkyDome and I had tickets.

Was a fun few days. Square One is a great mall (tourist attraction) but it was also Boxing day so some stuff was closed (not the mall). But wound up having to go to the ER of a Canadian hospital after the game as I was in severe pain. Turned out I had a bowel obstruction (scar tissue was formed around my internal organs).

Wound up admitted but they did not really want to work on me. Had an NG tube in my nose down my throat, and was hooked to a morphine tower. My wife (we were just dating at the time) was calling my insurance company for me. And trying to get home as I needed surgery. I got into the hospital with them "accepting" my American insurance but a few days later (I was there for 4 days) some lady from billing came to my room, and demanded payment for my stay, as I was accrewing a bill at $2,500 a day.

Now granted, I was doped up on morphine, hadn't slept in days, and was generally in horrible shape. My wife had stepped out to go to the cafeteria. Needless to say, I told the lady, I had no cards on me, other than Discover (which isn't accepted in Canada at the time), and I wasn't giving them my debit card. So she said she'd come back. When my wife got back from the cafeteria, she saw I had tears on my face. She was PISSED! having signed a form saying they could bill my insurance and I wouldn't look for reimbursement and then trying to scam me into instant payment pissed her off. She wound up gointo to "discuss" this before we got a medical ambulance flight out and the lady (once she saw my wife, who's like 6'2 with heels and slender) said they would bill me. No apologies though.

Once I got to Philly for surgery, and got home 13 days later, most was payed for but a slight snag as Canada does calenders day-month-year and this stopped payment for several weeks. Kept getting calls why things weren't progressing and they kept saying I was not in the hospital July 2, but Feb 7. Dopes! Got it fixed but had to fight for my emergency room reimbursement as again they didn't agree I was admitted in July but Feb. Took an employee from my insurance who was from ENGLAND to explain to his superiors.

Insurance now isn't the greatest as I pay for some weird stuff. But I can tell you that now I've learned that even WITH insurance, you can still negotiate the bill of what you owe to the hospital. Got a bill for high 3 figures for something silly and I asked (after being told I could) and rep came back and offered 20% off if I paid then and now. Sure.

But I also fought the hospital on a 4-figure bill for a liver biopsy. They did the procedure through the artery in my neck and after a day, was told they didn't get a viable specimen & had to do it again. Was PISSED and said I won't pay for that as I didn't want to do it that way but the old way (from the side of my abdomen). I filed a complaint with the billing department and after the bill was "locked" for further review, to stop payment, it "disappeared months later). They messed up and expect me to pay anyway? Wasn't born last night.

I'm all for universal healthcare. No way should someone's health coverage be solely tied to their work/job. Thankfully I'm on my wife's policy but if I was single I'd have no coverage being on LT disability which isn't right. Won't make this a political piece. Let someone else do that.

 

[Belgium]

Belgium cat
what's it like over there?
don't mean to offend but you've told us about your health issues before

Do you or others have any specific questions? Everyone is free to ask me anything.
And don't worry, there's nothing to offend.

Belgium has a multipayer healthcare system, part public and part privatized.
Everyone has to be registered to what we call a "health union", that's the government healthcare. They cover just about everything but generally not at 100% rates. However our medical costs across the board are much lower even without taking insurance into account.
Going to your general practitioner (GP) or whatever you call your regular doctor costs €24 but the health union covers GP costs and reduces a checkup to €1. There's a provision in the law catering to poor people that allows you to just pay the doctor €1 and then the doctor has to do the paperwork instead of the patient.
You can supplement that with private insurance to get up to 100% coverage for just about anything.

Examples of some of my health-related costs:
Ambulance ride (10km): €60
4 hour partial lung removal surgery with an emergency team on standby for a whole day while the hospital recalled their best surgeon from an international conference (total hospital stay in single room was 4 days): €4400
Xray: €12
MRI: €15

 

[brendasdeadbaby]

My job has the worst healthcare and we are in the healthcare business (pharmacy). no dental, no vision, $25 co pay. But we’re essential tho. And these companies wonder why they have so much turnover and why nobody wants to work

 

[tay1]

There needs to be a disrupter, a la Elon Musk, in the medical world because it is ridiculous.

 

[Junok]

I have Kaiser and damn near pay $300/month for myself. I hate it.

 

[shogun]

This country sucks. They really don't give a damn if hospital or medical bills put people in massive debt. Then you got moron republicans crying about socialism and trying to get rid of the affordable care act.

 

[wballz]

As an outsider, it always boggles my mind when you see townhall debates for the presidential election and you got people in the crowd stating that Universal Healthcare is more expensive than the current private health system in the US.

Makes me wonder if some of the attendants are paid actors by insurance companies.

 

[kicks2024]

That’s actually cheap. Imagine having to spend a month or two in the Pediatric hospital.You talking close to $100,000 just to have a baby. Thanks America and your freedom.

I spoke with OP on this. Just had a baby as well and my little spent just under 2 days in the nicu so it will be interesting to see what they run us for

 

[Mark Antony]

As an outsider, it always boggles my mind when you see townhall debates for the presidential election and you got people in the crowd stating that Universal Healthcare is more expensive than the current private health system in the US.

Makes me wonder if some of the attendants are paid actors by insurance companies.

They absolutely are. Like the plants showing up to pta meetings and riling up white parents about crt.

 

[finessence]

America.... where tax payer dollars are used to build 6 billion dollar football stadiums.... but God forbid taxpayers pay for surgeons, and doctors salaries and healthcare. But hey, that would be making to much sense

 

[$tatus $ymbol]

Anybody have any experience with Aetna vs. Anthem blue cross blue shield? Switched jobs recently and have to pick between the two. Really wish I could’ve stayed with United, my last employees plan was good to me.