4 ms·

Very sorry to hear about the burden you and your family are bearing. I hope we can devise an alternative to the current system, as $25,000 is more costly than

Very sorry to hear about the burden you and your family are bearing. I hope we can devise an alternative to the current system, as $25,000 is more costly than just buying everything up front! I did some research and found that an apendectomy is one of the most important things insurance can pay for, as it is sudden, life threatening, and generally not easily controlled by lifestyle choices. The quoted cost of an apendectomy from a variety of different countries and hospitals? "Between $3,000 and $150,000 USD" It might as well be "blank check", if this price gouging is allowed in the US.

eganist 9y ago
Did a quick look-up of appendectomy pricing based on published CMS data from 2015. Results listed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vPg1jtV8CK3pAs5EXC48AeY0J-2DW15uyeUUSvX-nwk/ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vPg1jtV8CK3pAs5EXC48... Source: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Medicare-Provider-Charge-Data/Inpatient2015.html https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Sta...
maxerickson 9y ago
A single person can easily incur more than $30,000 of medical expenses, even at a hospital with reasonable prices. So no, $25,000 isn't more expensive than buying everything up front for 4 people. It's expensive, but the US spends something like $10,000 a year per capita on health care, so it isn't an outsized chunk.
- Frondo 9y ago
  Over 10 years ago, I had my gallbladder taken out. I spent two nights in the hospital (one in the ER, where they diagnosed it, and one more after they took it out). I was uninsured at the time, and at the end was given a bill for $18,000. Gallbladder removal is the simplest major surgery that can be done on a person; it's a simple organ to remove, and rarely presents any challenges. I could easily see surpassing that dollar amount for anything more complicated. For comparison, the total cost to do the surgery in a developing nation (where I spent several years in my early 20s) would have been $300-400, according to friends there.
  - mgkimsal 9y ago
    In 2004, I had gallbladder removed. Total bill for surgery and overnight stay was around $11k. The insurance I had at the time covered things, and I got a bill for around ~$40. That was it. I had employer-provided insurance, but I'd been there less than a month(!). With different insurance, different state, a few years later, my wife had to go to ER with pneumonia. 5 hours in total to draw some blood, xray, and a drip. Bill later - with blue cross insurance - was ~$3000. Health "care" here is insanely priced and managed.
  - damontal 9y ago
    had mine out last year. 3 nights in hospital. the bill for just the room and what little food i was allowed to have after surgery was 40K billed to insurance. that didn't include all of the smaller charges submitted by the pharmacy, radiology, anesthesia, the surgeon, the GI doc who visited once...

eganist 9y ago

Did a quick look-up of appendectomy pricing based on published CMS data from 2015. Results listed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vPg1jtV8CK3pAs5EXC48AeY0J-2DW15uyeUUSvX-nwk/ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vPg1jtV8CK3pAs5EXC48... Source: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Medicare-Provider-Charge-Data/Inpatient2015.html https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Sta...

maxerickson 9y ago

A single person can easily incur more than $30,000 of medical expenses, even at a hospital with reasonable prices. So no, $25,000 isn't more expensive than buying everything up front for 4 people. It's expensive, but the US spends something like $10,000 a year per capita on health care, so it isn't an outsized chunk.

Frondo 9y ago
Over 10 years ago, I had my gallbladder taken out. I spent two nights in the hospital (one in the ER, where they diagnosed it, and one more after they took it out). I was uninsured at the time, and at the end was given a bill for $18,000. Gallbladder removal is the simplest major surgery that can be done on a person; it's a simple organ to remove, and rarely presents any challenges. I could easily see surpassing that dollar amount for anything more complicated. For comparison, the total cost to do the surgery in a developing nation (where I spent several years in my early 20s) would have been $300-400, according to friends there.
- mgkimsal 9y ago
  In 2004, I had gallbladder removed. Total bill for surgery and overnight stay was around $11k. The insurance I had at the time covered things, and I got a bill for around ~$40. That was it. I had employer-provided insurance, but I'd been there less than a month(!). With different insurance, different state, a few years later, my wife had to go to ER with pneumonia. 5 hours in total to draw some blood, xray, and a drip. Bill later - with blue cross insurance - was ~$3000. Health "care" here is insanely priced and managed.
- damontal 9y ago
  had mine out last year. 3 nights in hospital. the bill for just the room and what little food i was allowed to have after surgery was 40K billed to insurance. that didn't include all of the smaller charges submitted by the pharmacy, radiology, anesthesia, the surgeon, the GI doc who visited once...