The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
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Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#2As a Canadian who has also lived in America, I am consistently mortified by the costs of health care in the states.
Are they intentionally designed to force the lower class into even more poverty (I’ve seen $50 being charged for a pill of Advil - first hand) - or is it just an unintended side effect?
I find it harder to believe it’s accidental than intentional.
EDIT: Due to jiveturkey’s pathetic and wholly inaccurate defense of this system, and my inability to post in this thread further, I need to specify I was changed $740 to see the doctor and identify the issue. The pill itself cost $50. Please don’t defend this pathetic slavery of the lower class, guys, unless you’re a part of it. I’ve actually got a photograph of this bill somewhere on my backup drive I’d love to share.
EDIT 2: And before any of you say this isn’t intentional, please look up Martin Shkreli. The only difference between him and the other guys at the top of the industry is that he got caught.
Get real, guys. Please. Most of the comments here are beyond sad - I’m glad this has so many upvotes from people who silently disagree.
Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#3Definitely need to start cracking down on predatory hospital billing. 10K billed just for stepping into the ER Room without even getting tested is absolutely insane. AT point do we decide this is criminal and start taking actions against these guys? Normally, I would never be in favor of price ceilings but this is one industry that desperatly needs it.
Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#4As a Canadian who has also lived in America, I am consistently mortified by the costs of health care in the states. Are they intentionally designed to force the lower class into even more poverty (I’ve seen $50 being charged for a pill of Advil - first hand) - or is it just an unintended side effect? I find it harder to believe it’s accidental than intentional. EDIT: Due to jiveturkey’s pathetic and wholly inaccurate…
I think they're doing it just because they can. there are some long winded explanations about this being about the negotation process between the hospitals and insurance companies but that's no exucuse. at the end of the day, it's just unmitigated greed on the part of the hospitals.
Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#5Definitely need to start cracking down on predatory hospital billing. 10K billed just for stepping into the ER Room without even getting tested is absolutely insane. AT point do we decide this is criminal and start taking actions against these guys? Normally, I would never be in favor of price ceilings but this is one industry that desperatly needs it.
I think once the dust has settled from COVID-19 the entire health system in America will be totally changed.
Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#6As a Canadian who has also lived in America, I am consistently mortified by the costs of health care in the states. Are they intentionally designed to force the lower class into even more poverty (I’ve seen $50 being charged for a pill of Advil - first hand) - or is it just an unintended side effect? I find it harder to believe it’s accidental than intentional. EDIT: Due to jiveturkey’s pathetic and wholly inaccurate…
I think they're doing it just because they can. there are some long winded explanations about this being about the negotation process between the hospitals and insurance companies but that's no exucuse. at the end of the day, it's just unmitigated greed on the part of the hospitals.
It's politics as well. The Democratic candidate campaigning on maintaining the status quo is leading against the candidate who is campaigning on single payer. There's not much left to do when larger cohorts of voters prefer an inefficient, wasteful system (or a candidate who supports such a system). What we currently have is what people are voting for.
I've tried to make everything stated above objective in keeping with forum guidelines. Personally, I find the situation incredibly demoralizing. Perhaps the outcome of COVID-19 is a demonstration as to why healthcare needs to be fixed.
Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#7As a Canadian who has also lived in America, I am consistently mortified by the costs of health care in the states. Are they intentionally designed to force the lower class into even more poverty (I’ve seen $50 being charged for a pill of Advil - first hand) - or is it just an unintended side effect? I find it harder to believe it’s accidental than intentional. EDIT: Due to jiveturkey’s pathetic and wholly inaccurate…
I don't think it requires any more than an indifference towards the welfare of others from those who believe they can afford any kind of healthcare they would ever need while simultaneously pursuing a minimal tax bill.
Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#8As a Canadian who has also lived in America, I am consistently mortified by the costs of health care in the states. Are they intentionally designed to force the lower class into even more poverty (I’ve seen $50 being charged for a pill of Advil - first hand) - or is it just an unintended side effect? I find it harder to believe it’s accidental than intentional. EDIT: Due to jiveturkey’s pathetic and wholly inaccurate…
They are not - the effect these prices have on the poor is an unintended[1] consequence of the true aim. Extracting the most money possible from insurance payors - honestly, if hospitals could bill "You owe us 50$ or as much of that that your insurance would cover" then they would. Nobody actively wants to impoverish the poor (except for a small number of utterly terrible people) but payors force cost pass on to their subscribers as a way to keep the costs from getting too crazy and and the uninsured get hit by the full bill that providers want to extract out of payors simply because it's impossible for them to under bill without getting hit by lawsuits.
That paragraph was an attempt to be really fairly voiced so just to follow up - this system is utterly rotten and terrible, the US has one of the worst health care systems in the world when it comes to the non-super rich - and even for them there are better options - and it needs to be fixed.
1. Edit note: Originally I used "unavoidable" here which was a poor word choice that's been pointed out below.
Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#9This is unfortunately why the US is going to fail miserably at containing SARS-CoV-2.
Re: The Cost of Not Getting Tested for Coronavirus: A $10K ER Bill
#10As a Canadian who has also lived in America, I am consistently mortified by the costs of health care in the states. Are they intentionally designed to force the lower class into even more poverty (I’ve seen $50 being charged for a pill of Advil - first hand) - or is it just an unintended side effect? I find it harder to believe it’s accidental than intentional. EDIT: Due to jiveturkey’s pathetic and wholly inaccurate…
I think they're doing it just because they can. there are some long winded explanations about this being about the negotation process between the hospitals and insurance companies but that's no exucuse. at the end of the day, it's just unmitigated greed on the part of the hospitals.
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