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Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

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Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#621

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

tptacek wrote: post #457
egorfine wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> about how bad the American system is, you're really talking about a minority of its users It sure seems that way if a wealth family with top level insurance can still get bankrupt by medical bills. Examples of that are right here in comments.

Are you referring to the comment that roots this thread?

No need. It's a known phenomenon.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/06/16/1104969...

https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/medical-debt/

https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/03/27/health-and-weal...

As for income distribution

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gini-coef...

State GDP figures are skewed by high earners. The US is massively and systemically unequal, with far less economic mobility than the EU.

Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#623

Post by qgin »

egorfine wrote: post #253
chrisgeleven wrote: post #245

I fought insurance over this past summer after they declined covering a life saving surgery for my 6-year-old child at the last minute. We were in despair that my child's life was at risk each day we waited because of insurance incompetence. ChatGPT literally guided me through the whole external appeal process, who to contact outside of normal channels to ask for help / apply pressure, researched questions I had, hel…

[flagged]

We have a lot of people being constantly brainwashed that we have the most amazing system in the world and that any attempt to change it is communism.

Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#624

Post by tptacek »

sumeno wrote: post #618
tptacek wrote: post #610

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You just cited the out-of-state cost of the flagship state university in Illinois as if it were the in-state cost of a Directional State University in Illinois. Again: you have an argument here that depends on people not Googling list prices (the prices that nobody actually pays) and seeing what they actually are.

No I didn't, that is in state, it's right there on the page. Directly from the page: > Illinois Resident > Tuition & Fees: $18,046-$23,426 > Food & Housing: $15,184 > Books & Supplies: $1,200 > Other Expenses: $2,500 > Total: $36,930-$42,310 I literally looked at the exact school you used in your example and you are just wrong

Couldn't have been clearer that I was referring to tuition, including the fact that I said that specifically upthread.

Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#625

Post by zulban »

egorfine wrote: post #253
chrisgeleven wrote: post #245

I fought insurance over this past summer after they declined covering a life saving surgery for my 6-year-old child at the last minute. We were in despair that my child's life was at risk each day we waited because of insurance incompetence. ChatGPT literally guided me through the whole external appeal process, who to contact outside of normal channels to ask for help / apply pressure, researched questions I had, hel…

[flagged]

You've implied the answer to your own question. The USA is not a democracy. The opinions of almost all Americans have no impact on policy. It's a well researched fact.

Having an election day where people vote doesn't mean you live in a democracy.

Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#626

Post by tptacek »

TheOtherHobbes wrote: post #621
tptacek wrote: post #457

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you referring to the comment that roots this thread?

No need. It's a known phenomenon. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/06/16/1104969... https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/medical-debt/ https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/03/27/health-and-weal... As for income distribution https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gini-coef... State GDP figures are skewed by high earners. The US is massively and systemically unequal, with far less eco…

I asked a question about the comments on this thread. This isn't responsive to that question.

Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#627

Post by sumeno »

tptacek wrote: post #624
sumeno wrote: post #618

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No I didn't, that is in state, it's right there on the page. Directly from the page: > Illinois Resident > Tuition & Fees: $18,046-$23,426 > Food & Housing: $15,184 > Books & Supplies: $1,200 > Other Expenses: $2,500 > Total: $36,930-$42,310 I literally looked at the exact school you used in your example and you are just wrong

Couldn't have been clearer that I was referring to tuition, including the fact that I said that specifically upthread.

Well then as long as the kids don't need housing or books or food or to pay the other fees they'll be set. Luckily those are all optional

Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#628

Post by georgeecollins »

tverbeure wrote: post #615
georgeecollins wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the reason is that people know it is a problem but ideologically they really disagree about what to do about it. The impasse creates an opportunity for profit driven actors to fight reforms. Also, democracies do dumb things sometimes. See Brexit. But also, sometimes people from other countries-- I am thinking parts of Europe-- underestimate how well paid people in the US often are. They compare the averages,…

I think you are underestimating the number of Americans who make less than what Europeans make. In both systems, the upper X% can afford it. But it makes no sense to focus on that. What matters is how many don’t have access. That number is much larger percentage-wise here than in Europe. And it will only increase the way things are going.

Probably true. But if you think about who votes, professionals and home owners have much higher participation rates. I am not saying this is good.

Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#629

Post by thatfrenchguy »

ksclarke wrote: post #556
magicalhippo wrote: post #422

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Relative recently had their baby come several months early. The baby needed intensive care for a couple of months, and breathing support (CPAP) for another two. Mom lived at the hospital hotel for the duration. Baby got regular inspections of the heart, lungs and eyes (too much oxygen in the blood can lead to problems with the cornea or something), including after checkout. They got billed exactly zero. Both parents…

The whole time I was reading this, as someone from the U.S., I was wondering what country the writer was from, because it sure as #$@! wasn't written by someone in the U.S. When I got to that part, I was, "Oh. Okay. That makes sense."

In the US, you'll be billed the maximum out of pocket for your health insurance whether your little one is in the ICU for months or whether it was a easy delivery though, so at least birth is a predictable medical expense.

Re: Using AI to negotiate a $195k hospital bill down to $33k

#630

Post by georgeecollins »

kwanbix wrote: post #363
georgeecollins wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the reason is that people know it is a problem but ideologically they really disagree about what to do about it. The impasse creates an opportunity for profit driven actors to fight reforms. Also, democracies do dumb things sometimes. See Brexit. But also, sometimes people from other countries-- I am thinking parts of Europe-- underestimate how well paid people in the US often are. They compare the averages,…

As a non-american (from South America) who lived in both USA an Europe: Yes, in USA you get much more money, like you said 2x~5x, but then: University is expensive as fck. Health care is expensive as fck. You have 5 days of paid sick leave per year in most companies. You have 10 days of paid holidays per year in most companies. In contrast, in Europe: University was cheap or free. Healthcare is cheap and universal. I…

If this were true, the number of Americans I have known who moved to Europe would be roughly equal to the number of Europeans I have known who have moved to the US. That's not data, that's anecdote. But what is the European country where more people go there from the US than come to the US from there?
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