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Everytime I see an invoice/receipt for medical services in US I cannot think anything else than the cliche "failed state". How is it possible, that such a whea

Everytime I see an invoice/receipt for medical services in US I cannot think anything else than the cliche "failed state". How is it possible, that such a whealthy nation is billing tens of tousands of dollars for staying in an hospital room or a simple RTG. In my small EU country, when I hit my foot with an axe, I went unannounced to hospital. Was takrn basically immediatelly, checked its not life threatening, got a bandage and left to wait for about 10 minutes. Then I got RTG, and set to wait another 10 minutes to stich the wound up and sent home. I paid $4 on the spot (mandatory "see doctor" fee), and thats it.

RecycledEle 3y ago
> for staying in an hospital room or a simple RTG I searched the web, but I can not find out what an RTG is. Can you please enlighten me? Correction: ChatGPT told me it is an X-Ray.
1letterunixname 3y ago
The US wasn't always as dysfunctional or as corrupt of a banana republic of some billionaires, a nonexistent middle class, mostly poor people, and undercounted millions of homeless people living along freeway embankments and under highway overpasses. The problem is the blind faith in capitalist utopian magical thinking when certain functions are perverted when they are abandoned to unreasonable and under-regulated profit extraction. Prisons, firefighting, public safety, the military, healthcare, voting, and education should not be privatized or for-profit.
- gorjusborg 3y ago
  I agree, and what I find fascinating is that the 'blind self faith' that pervades the U.S. culture is something that helped it rise earlier in its history. The faith that help it rise has survived longer than the rise itself. What once was a boon now makes it unable to act to correct a clear downward trend in the society.
- lurking15 3y ago
  > blind faith in capitalist utopian magical thinking you can find this in heaps throughout the political spectrum
lsllc 3y ago
How about $8500 for 2 hrs in the ER to get 5 stitches after slicing my finger with a utility knife? (that also didn't include the later removal of said stitches).

RecycledEle 3y ago

> for staying in an hospital room or a simple RTG I searched the web, but I can not find out what an RTG is. Can you please enlighten me? Correction: ChatGPT told me it is an X-Ray.

1letterunixname 3y ago

The US wasn't always as dysfunctional or as corrupt of a banana republic of some billionaires, a nonexistent middle class, mostly poor people, and undercounted millions of homeless people living along freeway embankments and under highway overpasses. The problem is the blind faith in capitalist utopian magical thinking when certain functions are perverted when they are abandoned to unreasonable and under-regulated profit extraction. Prisons, firefighting, public safety, the military, healthcare, voting, and education should not be privatized or for-profit.

gorjusborg 3y ago
I agree, and what I find fascinating is that the 'blind self faith' that pervades the U.S. culture is something that helped it rise earlier in its history. The faith that help it rise has survived longer than the rise itself. What once was a boon now makes it unable to act to correct a clear downward trend in the society.
lurking15 3y ago
> blind faith in capitalist utopian magical thinking you can find this in heaps throughout the political spectrum

lsllc 3y ago

How about $8500 for 2 hrs in the ER to get 5 stitches after slicing my finger with a utility knife? (that also didn't include the later removal of said stitches).