Quote:
Originally Posted by CyberSEO
Sorry for prying into this thread. I have a question however. Let's say, you have no paid medical insurance at all (like me, for example). What will happen if you break an arm/leg etc, have an appendicitis, intestinal infection or so? What if your wife is pregnant and is going to give birth? Let's consider you called for an ambulance to deliver you/your wife to the hospital for an x-ray or tomography check, surgery, childbirth (for your wife) etc. Will you have to pay for that? If yes, how much?
Thanks a lot for you answer.
P.S. Asking this question because in my country it's all 100% free (the ambulance, the surgery, the essential meds etc). Yes, we also pay taxes (6% or even 13% from what we gain), but we don't pay for the essential medicine service here. Even the basic dental medicine (say you need to treat caries or remove a dead tooth) is available for free.
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If you have no insurance a hospital will still treat you. Depending on what your issues is can determine how much help you get. For example, if you have a broken arm or need an emergency surgery for your appendix they will fix that problem so you can get better. They will then bill you. If you don't pay they may take legal action against you. I'm not sure how that would work if you are from a different country and are visiting here.
Now, if you have ongoing issues they may or may not treat you. Say for example you have some kind of injury that requires physical therapy. The hospital may determine that your financial situation is such that they will treat you for free and write it off. If you have cancer they may choose not to treat you and require you to pay for you chemo or other treatments in advance. It really is a case by case basis.