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Real problem in US with health (and education...) is that cost has skyrocketed out of control. How much is hearth bypass ? $30k? Other countries do that for $4k

by thro32 10y ago

Real problem in US with health (and education...) is that cost has skyrocketed out of control. How much is hearth bypass ? $30k? Other countries do that for $4k with similar quality and better post-op care. Public health care will just transfer more money from poor to corporations (like with education). You need to fix the leaks first, for example sponsor medical tourism to other countries, etc...

lumberjack 10y ago
I don't think "the cost skyrocketed out of control". The cost is simply reflective of the leverage the health care provider and all the middle men in between hold against the patient. It's just that in other countries you have the government setting up a monopsony and dictating costs and salaries. I don't see how charging $30k for a heart bypass is unreasonable for somebody making $50k/year.
- thro32 10y ago
  Reducing cost is always good. Is not that mantra of free market and capitalism?
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - subhobroto 10y ago
    It is. Unfortunately, a free market for helathcare does not exist in the U.S.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- developer2 10y ago
  >> I don't see how charging $30k for a heart bypass is unreasonable for somebody making $50k/year. Wow, just wow. You must not have ever had a family member or close friend fall ill. If you think someone making $50k/year is financially capable of paying $30k up front, you need a reality check.
- walshemj 10y ago
  And what proportion of the US population has $30K spare cash that they can use in this way.
gentlehum 10y ago
$30,000 is a very European estimate. It costs between $90,000 and ~$200,000 out of pocket in the US for a bypass surgery. Probably more for the guy in the article given the extreme nature of the situation/complications that arose.
developer2 10y ago
Seriously. The quote from the article: >> In the end, this entire ordeal set me back about 1,300 euros, or $1,455. I sometimes wonder how my health crisis would have played out had I returned to America instead of deciding to stay in Paris more than 20 years ago. In the U.S., it's likely they would have died; or at least gone $100,000+ in debt - if they could have even qualified for that much credit. I can understand not covering things like lung transplants for lifetime smokers, or other similar "meh it's their own fault" situations. But when it comes to treating the health of citizens who are not severely at fault for their conditions, there should be absolutely no cost to the individual. Taxes should be enough to handle this, without one's own insurance being part of the equation.

by thro32 10y ago

lumberjack 10y ago

I don't think "the cost skyrocketed out of control". The cost is simply reflective of the leverage the health care provider and all the middle men in between hold against the patient. It's just that in other countries you have the government setting up a monopsony and dictating costs and salaries. I don't see how charging $30k for a heart bypass is unreasonable for somebody making $50k/year.

thro32 10y ago
Reducing cost is always good. Is not that mantra of free market and capitalism?
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- subhobroto 10y ago
  It is. Unfortunately, a free market for helathcare does not exist in the U.S.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
developer2 10y ago
>> I don't see how charging $30k for a heart bypass is unreasonable for somebody making $50k/year. Wow, just wow. You must not have ever had a family member or close friend fall ill. If you think someone making $50k/year is financially capable of paying $30k up front, you need a reality check.
walshemj 10y ago
And what proportion of the US population has $30K spare cash that they can use in this way.

gentlehum 10y ago

$30,000 is a very European estimate. It costs between $90,000 and ~$200,000 out of pocket in the US for a bypass surgery. Probably more for the guy in the article given the extreme nature of the situation/complications that arose.

developer2 10y ago

Seriously. The quote from the article: >> In the end, this entire ordeal set me back about 1,300 euros, or $1,455. I sometimes wonder how my health crisis would have played out had I returned to America instead of deciding to stay in Paris more than 20 years ago. In the U.S., it's likely they would have died; or at least gone $100,000+ in debt - if they could have even qualified for that much credit. I can understand not covering things like lung transplants for lifetime smokers, or other similar "meh it's their own fault" situations. But when it comes to treating the health of citizens who are not severely at fault for their conditions, there should be absolutely no cost to the individual. Taxes should be enough to handle this, without one's own insurance being part of the equation.