4 ms·

I apologize for going out on a tangent, but I jus have to draw some attention to this quote from the article: > McFadden, 44, said she was previously healthy a

by nuerow 5y ago

I apologize for going out on a tangent, but I jus have to draw some attention to this quote from the article: > McFadden, 44, said she was previously healthy and needed two emergency surgeries to remove massive clots in her lungs, heart and left leg. She spent nine days in the hospital, racking up $489,153 in medical bills, she said. Seriously, US of A. What the hell is this? How is this even possible?

SkyPuncher 5y ago
That's "the bill". Actual, negotiated insurance rates are significantly lower.
- tpoacher 5y ago
  how lower?
Auracle 5y ago
The estimate for the birth of our baby was over $30,000 for a normal, natural birth. It ended up being a c-section, so I can’t wait to see what the actual total is. We don’t have a “healthcare is private” problem, we have a cost problem. Doctors, nurses, medical device companies, prescription drug makers, and everyone else get paid significantly more here than pretty much anywhere else. Now is definitely not the time to bring up that medical professionals should be paid less though.
- nuerow 5y ago
  > We don’t have a “healthcare is private” problem, we have a cost problem. Isn't the problem actually the lack of any public healthcare service compounded by the extensive reliance on private health insurances, which completely eliminates any competition based on cost and actually puts pressure for end-user prices to grow? The reason why healthcare costs in the US are extremely high is not due to quality at all, but because those selling services can get away with it.
  - Auracle 5y ago
    One could easily argue that a public healthcare system would also eliminate competition based on cost. Our federal government isn't especially known for keeping costs low. That's why, personally, I'd be all for individual states running healthcare but not for the federal government to do so. If one state is mismanaged in that taxes are too high or the healthcare quality is shoddy you could still move and at least be in the same country.
agency 5y ago
The invisible hand guiding our healthcare system has an unfortunate tendency to reach into your pocket and leave you bankrupt.

by nuerow 5y ago

SkyPuncher 5y ago

That's "the bill". Actual, negotiated insurance rates are significantly lower.

tpoacher 5y ago
how lower?

Auracle 5y ago

The estimate for the birth of our baby was over $30,000 for a normal, natural birth. It ended up being a c-section, so I can’t wait to see what the actual total is. We don’t have a “healthcare is private” problem, we have a cost problem. Doctors, nurses, medical device companies, prescription drug makers, and everyone else get paid significantly more here than pretty much anywhere else. Now is definitely not the time to bring up that medical professionals should be paid less though.

nuerow 5y ago
> We don’t have a “healthcare is private” problem, we have a cost problem. Isn't the problem actually the lack of any public healthcare service compounded by the extensive reliance on private health insurances, which completely eliminates any competition based on cost and actually puts pressure for end-user prices to grow? The reason why healthcare costs in the US are extremely high is not due to quality at all, but because those selling services can get away with it.
- Auracle 5y ago
  One could easily argue that a public healthcare system would also eliminate competition based on cost. Our federal government isn't especially known for keeping costs low. That's why, personally, I'd be all for individual states running healthcare but not for the federal government to do so. If one state is mismanaged in that taxes are too high or the healthcare quality is shoddy you could still move and at least be in the same country.

agency 5y ago

The invisible hand guiding our healthcare system has an unfortunate tendency to reach into your pocket and leave you bankrupt.