Even when you do have 'good' insurance... When I had severe hypokalemia and was effectively paralyzed several years ago [1] (sorta comical read) they never onc

Even when you do have 'good' insurance... When I had severe hypokalemia and was effectively paralyzed several years ago [1] (sorta comical read) they never once asked me about my dietary intake, instead they assumed I had some rare genetic disorder (in the ER the doctor literally told me "we're googling your symptoms") and once I was admitted they paraded 3 doctors through my room and billed me for 5 or 6 'consults'. While I considered my insurance to be 'good' getting dinged for each of those 'consults', 2 times each, despite only ever having seen 4 doctors total (one an ER doc that was probably a year or two into his medical career) face to face once each I ended up paying 10-12 different 'consul' fees, then a portion of the ambulance, then a portion of the room, the two different physical therapists they sent by after declaring me a 'fall risk' since I came in functionally paralyzed, then a portion of all the tests. From the time I set foot in the ER until I left I was there about 37 hours. All they had to do was give me some oral and IV potassium and I was fine. I actually diagnosed it myself, with no medical training whatsoever, in the ER unable to move 45 minutes before they did. My mother was there and after I'd somewhat calmed myself (I could not move, I could barely move my fingers) I told her it was probably a sodium potassium imbalance and I could probably still make it to work for overtime that morning. I ended up paying a little bit under 7k$, 1/4 of my gross income at the time, with my 'good insurance'. Took me 4~ years to pay it all off. [1] https://www.ryanmercer.com/ryansthoughts/2013/2/19/flashback-to-the-hypokalemic-episode.html https://www.ryanmercer.com/ryansthoughts/2013/2/19/flashback...