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The price they billed her (after her insurance negotiated its standard discount) was $427.

by phonon 8y ago

ssijak 8y ago
For 400$, in my country, I paid (well not me, my job but that is not the point) for private health insurance for a WHOLE YEAR. It covers all the basic stuff, pregnancy costs, some surgery costs, etc.. Aside from that we are all covered by the state and are not billed for anything apart from some medications. Yeah, hospitals are not that great of a place and there is a lot to be improved, but at least you know that even if you are very poor, you will not be left to die (or with some ridiculous bills) if you are very ill. And before someone asks, why to pay for private if you have state coverage.. It is a job perk, and in any case, you pay for your time. Service is much faster and more convenient for the basic stuff/illnesses.
- phonon 8y ago
  You are paying for private supplemental health insurance in a low cost region. I'm sure lawyers charge much less there than ones in New York as well.
  - ssijak 8y ago
    Of course. But if I roughly compare medical and/or litigation costs between my region and US, taking into account average wage, US is still whey pricier. Our law also does not require you to have a lawyer if you don`t want it. Also if you are poor you can have free legal counseling (but not to be represented in the court).
Broken_Hippo 8y ago
To be fair... that 427 is more than I'll pay for normal doctor's services in an entire year. (Some things have a different category, but I'm still in less than $1k for the year). I'm in Norway, which isn't exactly known for being a low-cost nation. Now, I understand I pay taxes to cover health care. This isn't really any worse than I was paying in the states in my monthly premiums. The thing is that it creates a wonderful sort of stability in life. I can plan on taxes, I can plan on the out-of-pocket costs for a year. I won't go bankrupt. I no longer feel I'm getting ripped off for something I might have little to no control over.

The price they billed her (after her insurance negotiated its standard discount) was $427.

by phonon 8y ago

The price they billed her (after her insurance negotiated its standard discount) was $427.

For 400$, in my country, I paid (well not me, my job but that is not the point) for private health insurance for a WHOLE YEAR. It covers all the basic stuff, pregnancy costs, some surgery costs, etc.. Aside from that we are all covered by the state and are not billed for anything apart from some medications. Yeah, hospitals are not that great of a place and there is a lot to be improved, but at least you know that even if you are very poor, you will not be left to die (or with some ridiculous bills) if you are very ill. And before someone asks, why to pay for private if you have state coverage.. It is a job perk, and in any case, you pay for your time. Service is much faster and more convenient for the basic stuff/illnesses.

phonon 8y ago
You are paying for private supplemental health insurance in a low cost region. I'm sure lawyers charge much less there than ones in New York as well.
- ssijak 8y ago
  Of course. But if I roughly compare medical and/or litigation costs between my region and US, taking into account average wage, US is still whey pricier. Our law also does not require you to have a lawyer if you don`t want it. Also if you are poor you can have free legal counseling (but not to be represented in the court).

Broken_Hippo 8y ago

To be fair... that 427 is more than I'll pay for normal doctor's services in an entire year. (Some things have a different category, but I'm still in less than $1k for the year). I'm in Norway, which isn't exactly known for being a low-cost nation. Now, I understand I pay taxes to cover health care. This isn't really any worse than I was paying in the states in my monthly premiums. The thing is that it creates a wonderful sort of stability in life. I can plan on taxes, I can plan on the out-of-pocket costs for a year. I won't go bankrupt. I no longer feel I'm getting ripped off for something I might have little to no control over.