I went to the emergency room a few months ago with a really bad back pain. It was terrible. By the time they saw me the pain was gone, but I was already signed in.

They took a few tests and told me that I had just passed a kidney stone, from my kidney to my bladder.

A few weeks later I started receiving the bills. All said and done: just a few bucks shy of $5,000!!!!

$5,000 to tell me I had just passed a kidney stone! Are you fucking kidding me?!

And there are right wing asswipes in this country who think our healthcare system is just fine.

FUCK YOU!

Bugger. Yet another reason for me not to have kids. LOL

Don't let Baddog, 12Clicks or Daddy Halbucks hear you say that!

All their Canadian "Friends" tell them what a nightmare it is up here.

I'll bet you are mid-thirties or younger with a relatively clean medical history (or work for a large employer). You are a cash-cow to the the insurance companies right now at $4,500 a year.

As soon as you are no longer a profit center or statistics show you may become an expense you will get dropped like a hot rock from your insurance. Doesn't matter how much you paid in the past you will be dropped.

That is what many face right now. That is what you WILL face someday.

.

Actually he is under 25 and obese. Hardly a cash cow, more like a money pit waiting to happen unless he does something about that.

Socialysed medicine is bad mmmkay :1orglaugh

Cracks me up....

:1orglaugh Then he'll be getting dropped faster than most.


.

Never once did I say it was perfect Dumbass. I however had problems with my one kidney last year (had more problems when I was younger) I was sent to a specialist the following week.

I've know many friends and family that have had the same experiece as I. Sure the wait times can be longer in some cases, depends on how critical it is.

All and all its pretty good here

Sounds like your insurance sucks. We had our twins born via C-Section, 2 days stay at the hospital, my son was in the incubator for his first day of life, and it costs us. $200.00

that seems pretty cheap to me. last time i was there I got an iv drop and it cost me $7k.

Actually heard some good things about the Canadian system from some family and also some friends over there. Nothing is perfect but they pretty much love the free health care there and would never go for an American system, or the new proposed one.

In the US that would have cost you AT LEAST $20,000, and probably much much more!

And we have losers in this country stating that the US has the best health care system in the world.

Talk about naive...

As a Canadian citizen, born and raised in BC my entire life I will agree - I hate Canada's health care. Never a good experience.

Damn who do you have for insurance, I will switch my wife ASAP.
That is below most yearly deductibles, even at 100% pay - though I typically see 80% pay after deductible charges. Or meaning you pay deductible up to 20% of the charges or your yearly deductible, whichever is greater first.

loling from Asia

My kids were born at West Boca Raton Hospital, Florida, USA

Tylenol, rubbing alcohol and some super glue. That's like what? $10 bucks?

Sure, $200 sounds about right - I believe you... and my dick is 22 inches long.

How much was the total of the bill, not your $200 deductable?

If you are not full of shit then you are in a very fortunate place in the US, and/or paying mega bucks for insurance - directly, or through an employer, or social service of some sort.

The facts do not jive.

I am in the US, and it cost me $5,000 for the hospital to run a few tests concluding that I had just passed a kidney stone. If I had passed 2 kids via a c-section.... PLEEEEEASE!

I believe he is in the U.S.!!

Who cares what the total really is though?
Shouldnt the real point be what it costs the person?

He did say he had insurance, I am just now very curious with whom so I can switch my wife from blue shield to whatever he has. Assuming it is private insurance.

Hospital bills are high, that is universal though. Does not matter where either. Even with socialized medicine, it is not like the bills shrink that much. Insurance goes down a tad - not 100%

I also see people bitching often about some simple things. I know for instance my wound doctor is making good cash, hell I pay him monthly. Him and his partner opened up their own practice earlier this year since the hospital wanted their own and did not renew their contracts, even though they built it from the ground up for the hospital. Learning, going to classes, etc.
Anyways I am on pretty damn good terms with my doctor over there. Some of the shit they buy I can not even fucking fathom how they pay for. It is one thing spending a grand on a piece of equipment to help people out of their cars. It is entirely something else if they want an X-ray machine, or heaven forbid a hyperbaric chamber which is key for wound treatment. (hospital grade) is fucking a huge expense. Especially since 1 chamber may service just 1-3 patients a day, since your in them for several hours. They can only be in service for so long before replacing, etc. They do have to cover such costs.

Not sure why I often defend the medical industry since I have to use it so often. I just suppose since I do have to use it so often I can see the smaller issues at work.

:1orglaugh

.

Well, I've lived for 24 years in the UK, 5 years in the US and 8 years in France and all I can conclude is the UK is great if you are lucky enough to live in a decent postcode area, the US is great if you have a damn good health cover, and the France out of the 3 I would choose every single time - France covers very well those that have no insurance, and covers the same with slightly less co-pay that those that have. France covers dental, optical to levels that aren't bad: root canal + crown for ?30 with mediocre insurance in France, 150 GBP on NHS in the Uk if you can find a NHS dentist, and $2000 in the US with great health cover. France covers specialist treatment that some would consider a luxury - for eg free and unlimited IVF treatment for parents that medically would have probs. Just the fact that the entire system is run very differently in that most doctors are specialists - yes, you have your GP (UK) or PCP (US) but they play a very minor part - if I have an ear infection, I'd go to an otologist, if I have a skin prob, I'd see a dermatologist etc etc - less time wasted and you're seen the person that specialises in that prob straight away.

I'm rambling, but I really do prefer the French service over the only other two I've experienced... it's cheaper and more efficient.

How many people die or worsen their condition by waiting because they are worried about money?

Some do.
There is a level of information that all people should know, and most refuse to inform themselves of. Lack of education is expensive.

People should have a good first aid kit and book. A cut, scratch, or even ear infection is one thing, ignoring chest pains or an obviously infected tooth is another. Often though the fact that it is your kid crying, or your wife/gf freaking out, then well I do not know what to say. We were raised a bit different.

You're right. Everything costs money, and highly skilled services and specialty equipment is rightfully expensive.

Our military is very expensive, with wars costing trillions of dollars and new types of bombs and guns, etc., also costing mega-bucks.

Same with crime prevention. Cops are skilled at what they do too, and put their lives on the line to save us. They need new expensive equipment all the time.

Cyber threats are expensive to prevent against as well, and part of the pentagon's HUGE annual budget.

Take an extra 5% or 10% out of everyone's income, as another tax, and call it a fucking day on health care. We're paying AT LEAST that now, just for limited coverage. Why do we need to think about healthcare at all?

Do you pay military insurance? New bomb insurance? No - all of that shit is payed for by the taxpayer.

Healthcare should not be a "for-profit" enterprise for insurance companies, and any civilized society should expect it to be a RIGHT and NOT a privilege.

Do you negotiate fire department insurance, or military assistance insurance, or public education insurance?

Some things are paid for by your taxes, and that just makes sense. Health insurance is one of those things.

Your reading comprehension needs work. I said it cost me 200 bucks, and his insurance sucks.

I don't think people understand insurance or how it is 'supposed to work' and how it really does.
Michigan uses BlueCross BlueShield as insurer of last resort so they HAVE TO give you insurance, in exchange they get tax breaks and a bigger pool of customers. While my premiums are growing I still only pay 190/month with a 1500 deductible and 0 co-pay and while I would love to customize a better plan (only covers 2 doc visits/year) it very easily takes care of my hospital visits, drugs, etc just as insurance was invented to do.
Lots of people bitching live in states without insurers of last resort or similar sytems that help to fix some inherent problems with health insurance and if I were you I'd fucking move or vote to change the system at the state level. Big government getting into insurance scares the shit out of me, when has the federal government done anything useful for me?

200 bucks, and whos insurance sucks? Is this a rap song?

not everyone is fucked when it comes to healthcare coverage, many are well-covered for any situation. comprehensive childbirth coverage is a huge component many companies tout as a benefit of their respective insurance plans they offer employees.

also, while the u.s. system fails in allowing access to th ebest care for everyone, the fact remains, the best care our systems provides is head & shoulders better than elsewhere.

I am with you and I am very much for health care for everyone. I would love to see pre existing condition shit dropped from all insurance as well. Had some hopes but alas the republicans are better are attack/smear campaigns. They just know how to pick out things, take them out of context and then get it to the masses through assorted outlets to scare the crap out of the uneducated.

http://i19.tinypic.com/2po8qoy.gif


Tbh.

Yes but that was what - 13 years ago? OB care goes WAY up year after year.

A good friend of mine had a baby in an ATL burb last December. C-section. Hubby is a pilot for Delta so has probably some of the best insurance available. $5K out of pocket.

Like someone else mentioned, those of us with insurance pay for those without it.

our system isnt totally free.

to get a private room we needed coverage which company pays for
then it was an extra 30 on top of that

i had to pay the hospital 100 dollars to take the umbilical stem cell blood or what not and freeze it to make clones

hmm if we had demanded a c section i think it is like 335 or something
if they deem it necessary it is free, i could be wrong

cutting his foreskin off costs about 300 bucks as well i think
it is not covered

so cdn system is good...we didnt have to pay for the 24 hours of constant nurse observation and for the observation the following day...nor the doctors that arrive and check your baby...the staff who delivered the baby and all that jazz

so over all that being my biggest event or usage of cdn health care system...im happy and impressed.

Over 15 now. Our daughter went to Emergency last week, $50.00 was the co pay.

My sister went in to the Docs when she felt ill, went to her primary, deductible cost: $25.00. Zpack and Anti Biotics: $50.00 She pays over $600.00 a month for insurance due to her handicap. In this case, insurance worked out for her.

Talk about clueless.

Over an ear bleeding? Probably none.

How is that?

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5391105_av...ild-birth.html

Cesarean Childbirth
The June 2007 study conducted for the March of Dimes says one-third of all U.S. babies are born via Cesarean section, at an average cost of $10,958, which is $3,000 more than vaginal births.

x 2 kids.

Do the math genius.

Yeah, ERs are stupid cheap for me too - I went one Friday night recently only because it was a Friday night and I knew it would be 3 days before I could see a doctor. $50 copay (which they made sure to get from me before I left....) which was actually cheaper than if I had gone to the doctor. Crazy logic, IMHO.

My insurance just went to $555 a month with a $5K deductible (odd it's all those 5's) and I don't have a handicap. :Oh crap But I can't afford NOT to have it.

There are a million different things they can do to fix the current system before they start all this government run crap. There were illegals in GA protesting because they weren't getting "free" dialysis here any more (hospital was going broke) and they were being sent to other hospitals. That's just absurd. If you're here ILLEGALLY you shouldn't have me footing your medical bill.

I love it when people provide me with the links to prove them wrong.

Why not read another paragraph or two?

Strange how Croatia is on 43 place yet everything is free,even dental.

2 kids, c section births, plus one day special care, with no insurance = $30,000 easy!

Not sure what kind of argument you are going for here.

He also mentioned (semi-unrelated) that his sister is currently paying $7,200 p/year for her insurance.

If you think this system is cool, good for you. I think it sucks balls, and would rather just have an extra 5% to 10% taken out of my pay every week, for healthcare coverage, and never have to give it another thought.

To each his own.

Premiums are going up by leaps and bounds, as unemployment soars. How many people will continue to pay?

Pretty soon the cost of covering health care insurance (which is just a middle man), coupled with those who are not paying anything at all, will start turning into $5,000 to $10,000 p/year policies, until even more people can't pay, and then what?

It is amazing how many people fight against their own interests to protect the unsustainable status quo.

Baffling...

Your reading and debating skills are on par with a trained monkey.

$7200, is about 10 percent of what my sister makes a year, your point?

So I guess in 10 years when premiums have tripled (as they are on track to do without any changes), your sister will be making $216,000.00 per year to stay on par.

Another genius.

Two C-sections? You really think they go in there twice for twins?

Only in America...

Debating with you on this issue makes as much sense as talking to a wall.

Now you are just splitting hairs, for argument sake.

The truth is that a change in the US healthcare system is imperative, and the "for-profit" health insurance companies don't need any more help. In fact, we can do without the special interest fat-cats entirely, since they do not provide any actual care whatsoever.

Do you have local law enforcement insurance, or do your taxes pay for their services?

Simply sounds like your side of the argument has hit a wall.

Wake up. Let me refresh your memory. Anthony said his twins were born c-section at a total cost of $200 due to his insurance coverage. [Side note: Two kids, tubal ligation, no cost. Did not pay anything for insurance either.]

For some reason you decided to chime in with, "In the US that would have cost you AT LEAST $20,000, and probably much much more!"

Then Anthony informed you that they were born in FL.

At this point I informed you that you were clueless if you did not think the procedure could be done for $200 out-of-pocket to someone that had good insurance.

At this point you are trying to suggest that the "average cost" and actual "out-of-pocket costs" are essentially the same and that they just double the charge if you have twins.