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I don’t. Already had one! I had full coverage and got sent to a hospital that wasn’t contracted with my insurance company. 4 days in the hospital for a bike

I don’t. Already had one! I had full coverage and got sent to a hospital that wasn’t contracted with my insurance company. 4 days in the hospital for a bike accident with 6 broken bones and surgery cost hit me back with $100k in out of network hospital bills. I don’t know if this is still the case, but in 2006, San Francisco General Hospital (now the Zuckerberg themed hospital) was the only level 1 head trauma hospital in the city. I had head trauma and was forced to go there. I asked them if they took my insurance. They said yes. What they meant is they’d bill my insurance and hit me with anything insurance wouldn’t cover. That ended up putting me into a spiral of depression that took years to recover from, on top of the physical recovery. What a shit show.

ryandrake 6y ago
Yea, one lesson I also learned the hard way is to stop asking doctors if they "take my insurance". They all will gladly take your insurance, meaning they take the insurance card and laugh at you while knowing that none of what they bill will actually be covered. Don't ask the doctor anything. Ask your insurance company whether the doctor in question is in-network. This of course assumes you are conscious, and can do such due diligence.
- PopeDotNinja 6y ago
  Yup. 100% correct.
- nmca 6y ago
  This is extraordinarily dystopian.
- EForEndeavour 6y ago
  This reads like something straight out of a William Gibson novel. How much longer can Americans tolerate this ever-worsening shitshow of a system before something gives? What will that look like?
Kagerjay 6y ago
so insurance didn't cover anything? You had a $100k bill that you ultimately had to pay for? that sucks man
- PopeDotNinja 6y ago
  Insurance coverer half, and they went after me for the rest.
  - alex_duf 6y ago
    That sounds dreadful, sorry to hear. Out of curiosity, has that changed the way you'd vote? As in, you'd pick a candidate based on their health care program?
    - PopeDotNinja 6y ago
      Anyone who thinks we don't need health insurance for everyone doesn't understand how insurance works and/or has never been in a compromising health situation. The more people have health insurance, the cheaper it gets. Taking away the incentive to profit for healthcare sounds good to me, too. I truly don't understand arguments against healthcare for all, because there's no financial argument against it that makes sense, unless you one of those that profits from people been somehow unhealthy. But politics isn't about being rational, it's about power & influence & control, and that makes me sad.
      - BrianOnHN 6y ago
        Your story is incredible. I hope you continue to share it as frequently as possible. It's the only way people will start to wrap their heads around why things need to be changed.
oh_sigh 6y ago
If you have severe head trauma can you even consent to anything? As in, if you were completely unconscious when they found you, and they took you to that hospital, would you be on the hook for the bill even though you never agreed to be taken there?
- PopeDotNinja 6y ago
  The healthcare system in the USA is set up to milk you like a the cash cow that you are, and it does not require your consent to start doing that. Most of the time I think you can opt out of receiving treatment, but I'm not 100% sure about that, and to your point, you may not be in a position to opt out. I had cracked my skull & scraped off half my face on the asphalt. I was in shock. The took me to the hospital the moment I couldn't answer some of the basic question that first responders ask. If I recall correctly, they asked me what day it was, and I said knew the answer, but that I needed to think about it. I was most definitely not in my right state of mind, but I was not in a position to deny treatment, let alone navigate the finer points of in & out of network care.
refurb 6y ago
SF General is an absolute cluster. It’s mostly for indigent care, so the SF Board of Supervisors tells insurers to f-off when it comes to contracts. Or at least that’s what I’ve read in the local media. And this is a hospital run by the local government.
blacksmith_tb 6y ago
Ouch, I also went to a level 1 trauma hospital after I got hit on my bike (no head injuries, but broken pelvis, femur, vertebrae, ribs), but Kaiser covered almost all of that (to the tune of $250K). I ended up with maybe $40K of out-of-pocket, and recovered that in the insurance settlement (Kaiser even agreed to only take $125K of the settlement, which was friendly of them). Not the best lottery to play, no matter what, but I'm sorry to hear your experience was so terrible.

ryandrake 6y ago

Yea, one lesson I also learned the hard way is to stop asking doctors if they "take my insurance". They all will gladly take your insurance, meaning they take the insurance card and laugh at you while knowing that none of what they bill will actually be covered. Don't ask the doctor anything. Ask your insurance company whether the doctor in question is in-network. This of course assumes you are conscious, and can do such due diligence.

PopeDotNinja 6y ago
Yup. 100% correct.
nmca 6y ago
This is extraordinarily dystopian.
EForEndeavour 6y ago
This reads like something straight out of a William Gibson novel. How much longer can Americans tolerate this ever-worsening shitshow of a system before something gives? What will that look like?

Kagerjay 6y ago

so insurance didn't cover anything? You had a $100k bill that you ultimately had to pay for? that sucks man

PopeDotNinja 6y ago
Insurance coverer half, and they went after me for the rest.
- alex_duf 6y ago
  That sounds dreadful, sorry to hear. Out of curiosity, has that changed the way you'd vote? As in, you'd pick a candidate based on their health care program?
  - PopeDotNinja 6y ago
    Anyone who thinks we don't need health insurance for everyone doesn't understand how insurance works and/or has never been in a compromising health situation. The more people have health insurance, the cheaper it gets. Taking away the incentive to profit for healthcare sounds good to me, too. I truly don't understand arguments against healthcare for all, because there's no financial argument against it that makes sense, unless you one of those that profits from people been somehow unhealthy. But politics isn't about being rational, it's about power & influence & control, and that makes me sad.
    - BrianOnHN 6y ago
      Your story is incredible. I hope you continue to share it as frequently as possible. It's the only way people will start to wrap their heads around why things need to be changed.

oh_sigh 6y ago

If you have severe head trauma can you even consent to anything? As in, if you were completely unconscious when they found you, and they took you to that hospital, would you be on the hook for the bill even though you never agreed to be taken there?

PopeDotNinja 6y ago
The healthcare system in the USA is set up to milk you like a the cash cow that you are, and it does not require your consent to start doing that. Most of the time I think you can opt out of receiving treatment, but I'm not 100% sure about that, and to your point, you may not be in a position to opt out. I had cracked my skull & scraped off half my face on the asphalt. I was in shock. The took me to the hospital the moment I couldn't answer some of the basic question that first responders ask. If I recall correctly, they asked me what day it was, and I said knew the answer, but that I needed to think about it. I was most definitely not in my right state of mind, but I was not in a position to deny treatment, let alone navigate the finer points of in & out of network care.

refurb 6y ago

SF General is an absolute cluster. It’s mostly for indigent care, so the SF Board of Supervisors tells insurers to f-off when it comes to contracts. Or at least that’s what I’ve read in the local media. And this is a hospital run by the local government.

blacksmith_tb 6y ago

Ouch, I also went to a level 1 trauma hospital after I got hit on my bike (no head injuries, but broken pelvis, femur, vertebrae, ribs), but Kaiser covered almost all of that (to the tune of $250K). I ended up with maybe $40K of out-of-pocket, and recovered that in the insurance settlement (Kaiser even agreed to only take $125K of the settlement, which was friendly of them). Not the best lottery to play, no matter what, but I'm sorry to hear your experience was so terrible.