4 ms·

The fact that his options were a small walk-in clinic and the ER (which he apparently did not go to) is a sad indictment of the state of health care in the USA.

The fact that his options were a small walk-in clinic and the ER (which he apparently did not go to) is a sad indictment of the state of health care in the USA. If the National Review wasn't ideologically opposed to the very idea of nationalized healthcare this would have been a good cause to reflect on the systemic issues that caused him to have limited options for treatment l, and that may have hastened his death

krrrh 9y ago
What other options would you expect? Lots of folks don't have, or are between, primary-care physicians, especially one that can see you within a few days. Even in countries with single-payer health care like Canada, these would be the same two options present.
- sfilargi 9y ago
  Maybe an ER that will not charge an arm and a leg? The minimum charge one can expect for just walking into ER is in the ballpark of $20k. Just for having a nurse look at you and administrate an IV. If you have insurance, it may come down to something like $2k. It's silly money, unless you know you are dying otherwise.
  - krrrh 9y ago
    The article didn't say that he didn't have insurance. It sounds like he was a longstanding full-time employee who almost certainly had insurance through his employer.
    - sfilargi 9y ago
      Maybe you missed the last sentence? > If you have insurance, it may come down to something like $2k. It's silly money, unless you know you are dying otherwise.
  - jtbayly 9y ago
    An ER visit can be expensive, but that number clearly incorrect. Were you just exaggerating for emphasis?
    - sfilargi 9y ago
      The numbers are based on my only visit to ER. I was charged almost $20k for an IV and an ECG. The doctor saw me for less than 10sec. Out of pocket ended up around $1,500.
    - danielvf 9y ago
      My only adult trip to the ER a few years ago was lower, but similar-ish. Ambulance ride, afternoon in the ER, an MRI, an X-ray, and no treatment needed, came to $9,000, of which I paid $6,000 after insurance. That said, I know plenty of people who go to the ER dozens of times a year for minor things like colds.
- abritinthebay 9y ago
  I'd expect a first world healthcare system, but the USA lacks that. So at the very least I'd expect the National Review to not try to lionize itself over feeling sad that someone has died after they've spent their lives helping that state of affairs to happen.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
cwyers 9y ago
Where do people with an urgent health problem on a weekend go outside of the US? It doesn't sound like cost of treatment was the problem, at least based on that.
- gerdesj 9y ago
  "Where do people with an urgent health problem on a weekend go outside of the US?" UK: We have several options. If it is non urgent then ring 111. If it is really urgent ring 999 and ask for an ambulance. If you can, then get yourself to the nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) dept. None of these options will involve a credit check. For example I had a wisdom tooth snag a few years back on a Sunday morning (it hurt quite a lot.) I rang 111 and within about 1.5 hours (including 1 hour drive across Somerset) I had it removed. The NHS isn't perfect but sometimes it feels like it. I have several other anecdotes that are less complimentary about it and some other good ones but in general I'm a major fan.
dang 9y ago
Please don't take this thread into political battle. It's a loving, specific article, not an angry generic one. We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14533509 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14533509 and marked it off-topic.
- abritinthebay 9y ago
  Healthcare is inherently political. This article shows nothing but disregard for the cause of his death: awful healthcare. It shows a stunningly blind lack of compassion. It's a self congratulatory pat on the back when they are opposed to everything that could have helped. It's political because it's the national review.
  - dang 9y ago
    You don't know the cause of his death. You're making that up to score a political point, which is exactly the wrong spirit to comment here in. I asked you to not take this thread into political battle, precisely because healthcare is political and the National Review even more so (the site is normally banned on HN for that reason). It's possible not to reduce every conversation to a repetition of the same talking points, but it takes an effort, and that's the space HN is trying hard to inhabit.

krrrh 9y ago

What other options would you expect? Lots of folks don't have, or are between, primary-care physicians, especially one that can see you within a few days. Even in countries with single-payer health care like Canada, these would be the same two options present.

sfilargi 9y ago
Maybe an ER that will not charge an arm and a leg? The minimum charge one can expect for just walking into ER is in the ballpark of $20k. Just for having a nurse look at you and administrate an IV. If you have insurance, it may come down to something like $2k. It's silly money, unless you know you are dying otherwise.
- krrrh 9y ago
  The article didn't say that he didn't have insurance. It sounds like he was a longstanding full-time employee who almost certainly had insurance through his employer.
  - sfilargi 9y ago
    Maybe you missed the last sentence? > If you have insurance, it may come down to something like $2k. It's silly money, unless you know you are dying otherwise.
- jtbayly 9y ago
  An ER visit can be expensive, but that number clearly incorrect. Were you just exaggerating for emphasis?
  - sfilargi 9y ago
    The numbers are based on my only visit to ER. I was charged almost $20k for an IV and an ECG. The doctor saw me for less than 10sec. Out of pocket ended up around $1,500.
  - danielvf 9y ago
    My only adult trip to the ER a few years ago was lower, but similar-ish. Ambulance ride, afternoon in the ER, an MRI, an X-ray, and no treatment needed, came to $9,000, of which I paid $6,000 after insurance. That said, I know plenty of people who go to the ER dozens of times a year for minor things like colds.
abritinthebay 9y ago
I'd expect a first world healthcare system, but the USA lacks that. So at the very least I'd expect the National Review to not try to lionize itself over feeling sad that someone has died after they've spent their lives helping that state of affairs to happen.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

cwyers 9y ago

Where do people with an urgent health problem on a weekend go outside of the US? It doesn't sound like cost of treatment was the problem, at least based on that.

gerdesj 9y ago
"Where do people with an urgent health problem on a weekend go outside of the US?" UK: We have several options. If it is non urgent then ring 111. If it is really urgent ring 999 and ask for an ambulance. If you can, then get yourself to the nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) dept. None of these options will involve a credit check. For example I had a wisdom tooth snag a few years back on a Sunday morning (it hurt quite a lot.) I rang 111 and within about 1.5 hours (including 1 hour drive across Somerset) I had it removed. The NHS isn't perfect but sometimes it feels like it. I have several other anecdotes that are less complimentary about it and some other good ones but in general I'm a major fan.

dang 9y ago

Please don't take this thread into political battle. It's a loving, specific article, not an angry generic one. We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14533509 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14533509 and marked it off-topic.

abritinthebay 9y ago
Healthcare is inherently political. This article shows nothing but disregard for the cause of his death: awful healthcare. It shows a stunningly blind lack of compassion. It's a self congratulatory pat on the back when they are opposed to everything that could have helped. It's political because it's the national review.
- dang 9y ago
  You don't know the cause of his death. You're making that up to score a political point, which is exactly the wrong spirit to comment here in. I asked you to not take this thread into political battle, precisely because healthcare is political and the National Review even more so (the site is normally banned on HN for that reason). It's possible not to reduce every conversation to a repetition of the same talking points, but it takes an effort, and that's the space HN is trying hard to inhabit.