I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter • Hacker News Board

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#31

Post by dogma1138 » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 12:01 PM UTC

justboxing wrote: post #16

quantummkv wrote: post #14

Am i missing something in here or are the costs in that bill really this high? $22,526 for room boarding for 2 weeks? Over here in India my grandma's bypass surgery costed somewhat about $10,000. That included everything including the stent, medicines and boarding, that too at a renowned, premiere private hospital. Is this a special case or are healthcare costs generally this high in America?

> are healthcare costs generally this high in America Yes they are ridiculously high, even after factoring in cost of living / currency rates or as a %age of monthly salary, if you are comparing it to costs in a different country. 1 month after coming here (to America) from India (1999) I had to get wax from my left ear cleaned as it was blocking my hearing. They squirted some liquid in my ear and got the wax out. 2…

That's what you get when most bills are either unpaid or paid at cents on the dollar by insurance companies.

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#32

Post by bryanlarsen » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 1:36 PM UTC

wyager wrote: post #22

lstamour wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who sets the numbers and why, though? How much is profit, how much should be profit, when it comes to human health and rehabilitation whether mental or physical assistance is required? Or, ignoring profit, why take away public funding to programs for poor people just to provide tax breaks to rich folks? How much is a dollar worth to each individual, relatively-speaking? There are few easy answers, except (almost) eve…

Profit doesn't need to have anything to do with it. It doesn't make economic sense to spend, as an extreme example, $500M of public money to save one life. If we did whatever medical treatments we could, at whatever cost, we'd go broke as a society very quickly. Utilitarian optimization places some upper bound on the amount of money we should be willing to spend to save a life. Making people pay for their own care ap…

It'd be nice if that upper limit was somewhat consistent.

We spend billions per American life saved on terrorism.

We regularly spend $50M / life on infrastructure; hundreds of millions on an overpass over a dangerous intersection to save a handful of lives.

We regularly force companies to spend well over $10M / life on health & safety regs.

Medicaid costs about $800K / life saved.

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#33

Post by koonsolo » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 1:44 PM UTC

quantummkv wrote: post #14

Am i missing something in here or are the costs in that bill really this high? $22,526 for room boarding for 2 weeks? Over here in India my grandma's bypass surgery costed somewhat about $10,000. That included everything including the stent, medicines and boarding, that too at a renowned, premiere private hospital. Is this a special case or are healthcare costs generally this high in America?

Because it's so easy to sue in US, doctors and hospitals need to pay a lot to insurances.

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#34

Post by tnzn » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 5:11 PM UTC

siidooloo wrote: post #27

wyager wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what way does wanting to keep what I earn mean I "hate others"? I feel sad when I walk by homeless people, but I don't stop and give them everything I can afford until I'm impoverished. Do you? If not, why do you hate others so much that you want to "keep them from getting housing"? Hopefully you see why your argument is disingenuous. If you're really so hard on hypocrisy, you should go out right now and give ever…

Maybe you didn't read the story but people were sending her death threats.

who cares about reading the whole story w hen you're a libertarian (not you) who thinks every penny he makes is due to his own merit and he is entitled to this no matter the life of others though :/

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#35

Post by HillRat » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 5:40 PM UTC

everdayimhustln wrote: post #25

quantummkv wrote: post #14

Am i missing something in here or are the costs in that bill really this high? $22,526 for room boarding for 2 weeks? Over here in India my grandma's bypass surgery costed somewhat about $10,000. That included everything including the stent, medicines and boarding, that too at a renowned, premiere private hospital. Is this a special case or are healthcare costs generally this high in America?

In America, hospitals mostly charge whatever they want.

Specifically, the chargemaster rates for uncovered "off the street" procedures are essentially unmoored from the negotiated and mandated prices for the same procedures from payers. Quite a few "doc in the box" urgent care clinics will be happy to bill you $1,200 for your out-of-network hangnail procedure.

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#36

Post by callalex » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 6:17 PM UTC

holydude wrote: post #18

In my country somewhere in europe you pay ridiculous taxes and you cannot opt out. The healthcare is shit, corrupt and if you want good care when they do not treat you like shit you need to go private and pay extra. Beware americans with your mentality you end up paying more ans getting less with programs like obamacare.

[citation needed]

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#37

Post by throwaway2016a » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 6:46 PM UTC

tehlike wrote: post #26

justboxing wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> are healthcare costs generally this high in America Yes they are ridiculously high, even after factoring in cost of living / currency rates or as a %age of monthly salary, if you are comparing it to costs in a different country. 1 month after coming here (to America) from India (1999) I had to get wax from my left ear cleaned as it was blocking my hearing. They squirted some liquid in my ear and got the wax out. 2…

If you or on high deductible plan, consider hsa :)

Depending on his tax rate with HSA a $1000 bill would still be $750 after the tex savings. Hardly an improvement.

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#38

Post by nicky0 » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 7:55 PM UTC

hkmurakami wrote: post #5

> It was eye-opening to see just how low our discourse has sunk, to be forced to acknowledge that what passes for debate in the age of the internet is often nothing more than spewing venom at the other side. How are we ever supposed to find a solution that’s better than either Trumpcare or Obamacare if we can’t even shut up long enough to recognize the humanity in the people on the other side of the debate? So people…

Where do you think the money goes? You write as if money is wasted or destroyed when it is spent on treatment.

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#39

Post by nicky0 » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 7:58 PM UTC

wyager wrote: post #23

mnm1 wrote: post #2

It's depressing to me to think that people hate others so much that they would go to such great lengths to keep others from getting healthcare and ensure their demise. These same people would have no problem accepting healthcare from others if it was their lives that were in danger. I truly cannot fathom the hypocrisy, hate, and cruelty that must exist in these people's hearts towards their fellow citizens.

In what way does wanting to keep what I earn mean I "hate others"? I feel sad when I walk by homeless people, but I don't stop and give them everything I can afford until I'm impoverished. Do you? If not, why do you hate others so much that you want to "keep them from getting housing"? Hopefully you see why your argument is disingenuous. If you're really so hard on hypocrisy, you should go out right now and give ever…

No one is suggesting anyone should give every last cent to others.

The idea is that if everyone gives a small amount, then a large amount becomes available those unfortunate few that need it.

Re: I shared my toddler's hospital bill on Twitter

#40

Post by pravda » Sat, Jul 08, 2017, 8:35 PM UTC

justboxing wrote: post #16

quantummkv wrote: post #14

Am i missing something in here or are the costs in that bill really this high? $22,526 for room boarding for 2 weeks? Over here in India my grandma's bypass surgery costed somewhat about $10,000. That included everything including the stent, medicines and boarding, that too at a renowned, premiere private hospital. Is this a special case or are healthcare costs generally this high in America?

> are healthcare costs generally this high in America Yes they are ridiculously high, even after factoring in cost of living / currency rates or as a %age of monthly salary, if you are comparing it to costs in a different country. 1 month after coming here (to America) from India (1999) I had to get wax from my left ear cleaned as it was blocking my hearing. They squirted some liquid in my ear and got the wax out. 2…

>$ 576 for 1 single chest x-ray

Well, that's just a rip-off price.

>Health Insurance coverage is too closely tied to employment. In order to get continued coverage, you are more or less working "for the man" till you die.

At age 65, you can enter the single-payer system!