8 ms·
>In the current system you walk in and hand them your card (insurance, Medicare, medicaid, etc) and they treat you. You get mailed a bill later. The thing you'
by minikites 6y ago
>In the current system you walk in and hand them your card (insurance, Medicare, medicaid, etc) and they treat you. You get mailed a bill later.
The thing you're missing is that the current system in the USA is in no way like this.
- giantg2 6y agoThat's completely false. I've had to deal with many medical bills in the US last year.
- minikites 6y agoYou must have good insurance if you think your experience is typical. Most people aren't so lucky.
- giantg2 6y agoIt's this way for everyone I know, except for medicaid recipients.
- mcguire 6y agoYou are healthy and not self-employed, I take it.
- giantg2 6y agoDo you have insurance? I fail to she how being healthy and not self-employed affects the scenario as described (present card, get treated, recieve a bill).
- RHSeeger 6y agoThat bill can be for an amount that varies wildly based on your insurance, the doctor, who helps the doctor, what lab they send things too, and a large number of other options. If things work out well, your bill could be for $30. If you don't remember to ask the right questions, the bill could be $30,000.
- giantg2 6y agoInsurance companies have web portals that you can comparison shop for providers.
- minikites 6y agoHow am I supposed to do that in the back of an ambulance?
- giantg2 6y agoYou can't. You should select a plan that covers you at all the local hospitals. If you look it up before hand you can usually specify which hospital you want to go to from memory. I do this not just for the network, but also for quality.
- minikites 6y agoWhat if you're injured while visiting a different city?
- giantg2 6y agoThen you should do research before going or accept that it is an unlikely scenario. This is what people do when travelling, especially internationally. You can also select a plan with the most extensive network to reduce the likelihood.
- minikites 6y ago>In the current system you walk in and hand them your card (insurance, Medicare, medicaid, etc) and they treat you. You get mailed a bill later. I'm glad we now agree that the current system in the USA is in no way like this.
- RHSeeger 6y agoHowever, if your in-network doctor sends your bloodwork out to a lab that is not in-network, you're now paying a lot more. Or (until recently), you go in for surgery where the surgeon is covered, but then get billed for an out-of-network doctor that consulted without anyone asking you.
- admax88q 6y agoYouve skipped the step for obtaining a card in the first place. Something which is trivial here in Canada (easier than a drivers license, and free). Also theres none of this in-network vs out of network chaos. Emergency care always covered, doesnt matter where you go. It feels like youre trying not to understand how a public option could be better.
- giantg2 6y ago"It feels like youre trying not to understand how a public option could be better." This statement assumes a public option (which varies wildly depending on the one) is better. The parent comment wasn't about a public option or getting a card. It was a complaint that recieving care at a provider is extremely complicated. At that stage of the process, that claim is incorrect.
- mcguire 6y agoIf you are not self-employed in the US, typically your employer provides insurance coverage, most of which is pretty decent. If you are healthy, it doesn't really matter either way; unless you are involved in a serious accident or something, your interactions with the health system are infrequent and relatively simple. I have, among other things, asthma. I'm a 1099 contractor; I buy my own health insurance. Prior to the ACA, which people keep threatening to revoke, I could not buy insurance that covered my asthma. I tried. I shopped around a lot. The same company that provided complete coverage at a previous employer had a pre-existing condition rider on the same policy. After the ACA, my policy now covers my pre-existing condition (Yay!), but I'm paying $750 or so per month for it. If I could not afford $750/month, my options would be considerably narrowed. (And that's before the prescriptions for my pre-existing condition.) Yes, I go in, I get treated. But my situation demands a pretty hefty bill anyway, or potentially a very large bill. Possibly enough to make me consider not going to get treatment.
- chordalkeyboard 6y agoI’m sorry you have a chronic illness. Do you understand that this is not about insurance, but about your ability to share the cost of your illness with society?
- giantg2 6y agoPlus, $750 per month is not that expensive for healthcare (unfortunately). My wife was paying $600 per month under the ACA and was completely healthy. Another point is that the people with lower incomes qualify for subsidies under the ACA.