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US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
21–30 of 349 posts
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#22This is a prime example of a feel good story that is papering over systemic problems. We're meant to read this and think this doctor is a good person (and they are, at least for this act) rather than, "how is it possible there was this much medical debt for cancer treatment to forgive?" Yes, debt forgiveness is great and something we can all do as mutual aid, but we also need to acknowledge that the deeply flawed ide…
It was for 200 people. Works out to about $3k per person on average.
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
And even if you can contest the denial, it can take days to months to get it back, meanwhile you’re shouldered with the burden of paying full price for your treatment with the _hope_ that they’ll reimburse you later. My fiancée has cancer, and we regularly joke that dealing with insurance companies is worse than the actual stage 3 cancer she has. They constantly deny her coverage for medications she’s been on for yea…
It's inevitable that medical care in some way is tied to personal wealth. Some treatments are so expensive and/or niche that public programs likely wouldn't cover them. Such treatments will probably always exist. (And if they didn't, then that could he a problem by itself.) But at least basic modern healthcare (things that existed ~20 years ago) should be provided as (mostly) free to the patient. We need people to no…
> It's inevitable that medical care in some way is tied to personal wealth. Some treatments are so expensive and/or niche that public programs likely wouldn't cover them. Such treatments will probably always exist. (And if they didn't, then that could he a problem by itself.)
Not in a single-payer state, no.
It's also not really a problem in and of itself. You'll find that if cancer treatments are actually cheaper and more effective than the status quo as demonstrated by a study that a single payer state will quickly take them up.
[edit] Frequently you'll find these eccentric or fringe treatments that are incredibly expensive aren't actually better per se. There is a point of diminishing returns in everything. If you paid $200K for cancer treatment, would you get a better outcome? $1M? $10M? $1B? No. We know what we know, and we have the tools we have. Healthcare isn't a pay-to-win game. Generally if you find a way to pay more to get better care you're just bumping someone else down the priority list. That may be acceptable in America but it's not in much of the rest of the world.
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#24Why is this an article?
People and organizations (even banks) and governments erase debt all the time. Sometimes it's from kindness, sometimes for PR, usually because they're unable to collect it. You can't really tell the difference among the cases.
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#25One of the most unfair characteristics of US healthcare is that if the health insurance company does not cover a claim, then the patient is responsible for the payment. It is unrealistic in practice for a patient to know or understand the process by which claims are made (since they are made by an error prone and disinterested provider administrator, and are made in a non-transparent and highly complex way), and also…
I just changed my insurance to LA Care. The doctor they gave me was with UCLA medical. I called and they said they did not and never have accepted LA Care. I called LA Care. The lady said, "I really wish their clinics stopped doing that." She called the UCLA clinic with me on the line and sorted it out. I was then left to give them the rest of my info... At the last step when they asked for my ID, they insisted it was too short and that they couldn't run my insurance. I called LA Care. They said that's the only number and it's not too short. My appointment is tomorrow.
The common voice of a receptionist that's been denying patients all day. They're trained to not help you. To think this is the system that's responsible for keeping us all alive.
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#26One of the most unfair characteristics of US healthcare is that if the health insurance company does not cover a claim, then the patient is responsible for the payment. It is unrealistic in practice for a patient to know or understand the process by which claims are made (since they are made by an error prone and disinterested provider administrator, and are made in a non-transparent and highly complex way), and also…
> One of the most unfair characteristics of US healthcare is that if the health insurance company does not cover a claim, then the patient is responsible for the payment. As a general rule this is not an unusual characteristic. Get a procedure done in another country that turns out not not be covered and they presumably will bill you for it. The mess comes about because of attempting to control prices with networks a…
In many places there aren't non-covered services on offer. And where there are, a fee schedule is published, publicly, in advance.
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#27This is a prime example of a feel good story that is papering over systemic problems. We're meant to read this and think this doctor is a good person (and they are, at least for this act) rather than, "how is it possible there was this much medical debt for cancer treatment to forgive?" Yes, debt forgiveness is great and something we can all do as mutual aid, but we also need to acknowledge that the deeply flawed ide…
It's amazing that their kindness has touched so many lives but yes, the need for it could have been avoided in the first place.
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#28One of the most unfair characteristics of US healthcare is that if the health insurance company does not cover a claim, then the patient is responsible for the payment. It is unrealistic in practice for a patient to know or understand the process by which claims are made (since they are made by an error prone and disinterested provider administrator, and are made in a non-transparent and highly complex way), and also…
And even if you can contest the denial, it can take days to months to get it back, meanwhile you’re shouldered with the burden of paying full price for your treatment with the _hope_ that they’ll reimburse you later. My fiancée has cancer, and we regularly joke that dealing with insurance companies is worse than the actual stage 3 cancer she has. They constantly deny her coverage for medications she’s been on for yea…
It’s intentional. They save billions using this practice because some people don’t have the time, knowledge or resources to dispute.
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#29Why is this an article? People and organizations (even banks) and governments erase debt all the time. Sometimes it's from kindness, sometimes for PR, usually because they're unable to collect it. You can't really tell the difference among the cases.
I'm a long time HN reader interested mostly in tech content, but I was happy to hear this story. Yes, it speaks to a systemic issue. Yes, there are many others doing this. This is one person basically giving up half-a-million dollars. I worry about a world where a story about that needs justification.
Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients
#30This is a prime example of a feel good story that is papering over systemic problems. We're meant to read this and think this doctor is a good person (and they are, at least for this act) rather than, "how is it possible there was this much medical debt for cancer treatment to forgive?" Yes, debt forgiveness is great and something we can all do as mutual aid, but we also need to acknowledge that the deeply flawed ide…
Frankly it seems like the doctor got screwed out of his pay by the system too. He should be as mad at US healthcare as his now bankrupt patients.
Nothing about this feels good.