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Person Starts A Discussion Online After Having To Pay $8k For Going To The Hospital For A Hurting Arm Despite Being Insured
Being able to go to a doctor and receive medical care should be a basic human right, and it is in most countries. Sadly, in the United States, medical care could be compared to a luxury like a brand new car rather than a right, because so many people just simply can’t afford it. And even if you do have insurance, it’s not guaranteed that your situation is better.
An Imgur user thought they were so lucky to finally get healthcare insurance because of their husband’s new job, but they soon had to find out that it didn’t really cover much. A trip to the ER for a hurt arm during a fall will still cost $8k, and the arm wasn’t even broken.
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Imgur user meyo hurt their arm and went to the ER to get it checked, then got an $8k medical bill despite being insured
Image credits: meyo
They were overjoyed to have health insurance, but turns out, it didn’t help that much
Meyo was so happy to finally have health insurance because it’s such a big deal in the United States. Medical debt contributes to a large part of bankruptcies in the country and having insurance should provide protection against the costs of medical services.
An online survey conducted in 2019 by Economic Times revealed that 48 percent of insured people are dissatisfied with the features and benefits of their policies. So maybe having insurance is better than not having it, but the statistics prove that insurance policies need improvement.
For being X-rayed, a painkiller pill, and a bandage, the bill was $10k, and with insurance and the ER lowering the amount, it was still $8k
However, the joy soon faded away when after a trip to a hospital, meyo got the medical bill. It was for $8,000 and that came as a shock. Turns out, the insurance covered only $800 of the $10,000 bill and then the ER lowered the amount a little bit more.
The reason for going to the ER wasn’t even serious enough to justify the amount that was charged in the first place. The Imgur user fell and hurt their arm. It was hurting so bad that they thought it had broken, so at the hospital, they had two X-rays done, which confirmed that no bones were broken, given a painkiller, and a bandage.
Meyo even started blaming themselves for going to the ER and trusting that their health insurance would help
Meyo tried calling the insurance company but they couldn’t get in touch. What’s worse, they are blaming themselves for going to the hospital because now their family has to deal with the huge bill. This is really sad because no one should feel guilty for wanting to take care of their health.
The health insurance should have left them relieved; it should have meant that they didn’t have to worry about it anymore, because if an accident happened, they wouldn’t need to think about what would happen if they can’t afford it.
Some comments had useful advice, so meyo will try to find out if the situation can be fixed
Image credits: meyo
However, there is still hope. People who have read this story were advising meyo to ask for an itemized bill from the hospital and check its financial aid policies. After the encouragement in the comments, the writer and their husband were assured that this situation is not right and they have to get to the bottom of this.
All in all, readers were astounded and felt sorry for what meyo is going through. And non-Americans find it really hard to believe that people can be tortured like this for basic needs.
People in the comments were just as frustrated and sorry for what happened to meyo
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Nicholas Yu 4 years ago
Idiots will tell you that free healthcare is of poor quality to dissuade you from ever wanting universal health care. I have friends who have flown to other countries, took a vacation, stayed in hotels, for the sole purpose of getting medical work done overseas and it was STILL cheaper than getting it done in their own home states. Same quality.
Artime Silk 4 years ago
Yep and any time you tell them about it they say 'Canada and the Scandinavian countries are failing because of this you know?'. Idiot is the correct term yes
Load More Replies...
BusyLizzy 4 years ago
This would be one of my worst nightmares. In the last 5 years I've had a baby, a mammogram and biopsy, appendicitis with surgery and a 4 night hospital stay. The only thing it's cost me is £9 for each prescription. If I had to live in fear of not being able to pay for medical care for my child I don't know how I'd cope. Why is this acceptable? What am I missing?
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
It is not acceptable to the people. But the politicians in the pay of Big Insurance Companies LOVE this. For some reason, people here in the US keep re-electing the (profanities). And since we seem to be unable to get out of it ("Obamacare" was gelded by Congress, the insurer lobbyists, and the state governors in the grand pissing match that leaves us people all pissed on and pissed *off*)..... Yeah, I'm all for a revolution myself.
Load More Replies...
Christine M Quigley 4 years ago (edited)
Don't EVER pay the first bill. Call billing and ask for an itemized bill. Then you can argue the ridiculous charges. I worked in health care for almost 50 years, thank God I have great insurance being retired- but yeah...ask for that itemized bill...
Jennie-Lind Normand 4 years ago
I'm not American but I have heard of peoples bills being reduced to zero after asking for an itemized bill!
Load More Replies...
Ryan-James O'Driscoll 4 years ago
I had cancer as a teenager, and I'm diabetic as an adult. I can't help but think that if I was American mine and my family's whole live would just be write offs, stuck in a never ending cesspit of medical debt. If indeed I was alive at all.
A Head 4 years ago
My wife and I (USA) own a business together, so we buy our own insurance. We pay about $1,300 a month (nearly as much as our mortgage) for coverage for our family of 4. For that money, we get one "free" well-check visit per year, and have to pay about $14,000 as a family, "out-of-pocket", before our costs are covered in any meaningful way. Sure we get a bit of a discount if we go "in-network". Last year was great! Because my wife had cancer, and breast reconstruction, we met our maximum out-of-pocket! I was finally able to go to see my dermatologist, and have some suspicious things removed and tested. Yay! we only had to pay $29,000 to get there. The US insurance system is a joke.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
The US insurance system insures NOTHING but its own profit.
Load More Replies...
Hannah Edwards 4 years ago
What’s the point of health insurance if you still have to pay so much? Americans should be marching in the streets demanding a health service free at the point of delivery. I mean it’s not like you don’t have lots of other countries who have it to see if it works. Businesses and greed are preventing them having something that is literally seen as a right in most countries and propaganda paid for by said businesses is trying to make them believe it’s for their own good. Madness.
somnomania 4 years ago
yeah, the problem is that a few talking heads or big wig politicians go "but *someone* has to pay for it, where does the money come from?!" and then the media runs with it and people get scared. we do have lots of excellent examples from other countries, but that would involve looking outside our own country. :(
Load More Replies...
TheReader19 4 years ago
There is no way in heck that the hospital can justify a $10,000 bill of even $8'000 for that matter. A packet of Ibuprofen must only cost $1.00 if that. (Comparing to UK cost). I can see why the insurance company paid what it did; in truth surely that is what the treatment was worth
JennyLaRue 4 years ago
£8k for what must just be a consultation, a few x-rays and some meds. There is just no way that can cost even close to that.
Load More Replies...
Oliver Seitz 4 years ago
But still GOP tells their brain weak minions that healthcare for everyone is socialism. Fun fact: republican voters still fall for that "socialism" false argument to stay poor, uneducated and without Healthcare instead of demanding changes.
Carol Emory 4 years ago
Don't call the insurance company, call up the hospital and tell them you want an itemized bill. Then nit-pick that bill. They are required to explain costs. Don't ask them what they would have billed to Medicare or Medicaid...ask them what Medicare/Medicaid would have PAID them for these items. Then ask them to explain why you are being charged more than they would have accepted from Medicare/Medicaid. You can usually knock 50-70% of the bill down just by being aggressive in asking questions. Also, do some research online. There is a woman that explains how she got her husbands hernia operation reduced from $43,000 to under $10,000 with just a few phone calls and well placed questions.
The Dave 4 years ago
Ok, rather than just bitching about the health care system like most folks, here's some advice. Do like what Christine Quigley said. Don't pay the first bill. Call and tell the hospital you can't afford that bill. Stick to your guns. They should work with you.
Freya the Wanderer 4 years ago
Don't agonize, organize! Pester your elected officials and demand an overhaul of our TFU health (don't) care system. Call their offices, text them, tweet them, send them postcards. Create and sign petitions. Organize protests. March thousands strong. Remind the twits in Congress that WE THE PEOPLE are in the long run more powerful than the Big Pharma fat cats because we have the votes!
Load More Replies...
Nicholas Yu 4 years ago
Idiots will tell you that free healthcare is of poor quality to dissuade you from ever wanting universal health care. I have friends who have flown to other countries, took a vacation, stayed in hotels, for the sole purpose of getting medical work done overseas and it was STILL cheaper than getting it done in their own home states. Same quality.
Artime Silk 4 years ago
Yep and any time you tell them about it they say 'Canada and the Scandinavian countries are failing because of this you know?'. Idiot is the correct term yes
Load More Replies... BusyLizzy 4 years ago
This would be one of my worst nightmares. In the last 5 years I've had a baby, a mammogram and biopsy, appendicitis with surgery and a 4 night hospital stay. The only thing it's cost me is £9 for each prescription. If I had to live in fear of not being able to pay for medical care for my child I don't know how I'd cope. Why is this acceptable? What am I missing?
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
It is not acceptable to the people. But the politicians in the pay of Big Insurance Companies LOVE this. For some reason, people here in the US keep re-electing the (profanities). And since we seem to be unable to get out of it ("Obamacare" was gelded by Congress, the insurer lobbyists, and the state governors in the grand pissing match that leaves us people all pissed on and pissed *off*)..... Yeah, I'm all for a revolution myself.
Load More Replies... Christine M Quigley 4 years ago (edited)
Don't EVER pay the first bill. Call billing and ask for an itemized bill. Then you can argue the ridiculous charges. I worked in health care for almost 50 years, thank God I have great insurance being retired- but yeah...ask for that itemized bill...
Jennie-Lind Normand 4 years ago
I'm not American but I have heard of peoples bills being reduced to zero after asking for an itemized bill!
Load More Replies... Ryan-James O'Driscoll 4 years ago
I had cancer as a teenager, and I'm diabetic as an adult. I can't help but think that if I was American mine and my family's whole live would just be write offs, stuck in a never ending cesspit of medical debt. If indeed I was alive at all.
A Head 4 years ago
My wife and I (USA) own a business together, so we buy our own insurance. We pay about $1,300 a month (nearly as much as our mortgage) for coverage for our family of 4. For that money, we get one "free" well-check visit per year, and have to pay about $14,000 as a family, "out-of-pocket", before our costs are covered in any meaningful way. Sure we get a bit of a discount if we go "in-network". Last year was great! Because my wife had cancer, and breast reconstruction, we met our maximum out-of-pocket! I was finally able to go to see my dermatologist, and have some suspicious things removed and tested. Yay! we only had to pay $29,000 to get there. The US insurance system is a joke.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
The US insurance system insures NOTHING but its own profit.
Load More Replies... Hannah Edwards 4 years ago
What’s the point of health insurance if you still have to pay so much? Americans should be marching in the streets demanding a health service free at the point of delivery. I mean it’s not like you don’t have lots of other countries who have it to see if it works. Businesses and greed are preventing them having something that is literally seen as a right in most countries and propaganda paid for by said businesses is trying to make them believe it’s for their own good. Madness.
somnomania 4 years ago
yeah, the problem is that a few talking heads or big wig politicians go "but *someone* has to pay for it, where does the money come from?!" and then the media runs with it and people get scared. we do have lots of excellent examples from other countries, but that would involve looking outside our own country. :(
Load More Replies... TheReader19 4 years ago
There is no way in heck that the hospital can justify a $10,000 bill of even $8'000 for that matter. A packet of Ibuprofen must only cost $1.00 if that. (Comparing to UK cost). I can see why the insurance company paid what it did; in truth surely that is what the treatment was worth
JennyLaRue 4 years ago
£8k for what must just be a consultation, a few x-rays and some meds. There is just no way that can cost even close to that.
Load More Replies... Oliver Seitz 4 years ago
But still GOP tells their brain weak minions that healthcare for everyone is socialism. Fun fact: republican voters still fall for that "socialism" false argument to stay poor, uneducated and without Healthcare instead of demanding changes.
Carol Emory 4 years ago
Don't call the insurance company, call up the hospital and tell them you want an itemized bill. Then nit-pick that bill. They are required to explain costs. Don't ask them what they would have billed to Medicare or Medicaid...ask them what Medicare/Medicaid would have PAID them for these items. Then ask them to explain why you are being charged more than they would have accepted from Medicare/Medicaid. You can usually knock 50-70% of the bill down just by being aggressive in asking questions. Also, do some research online. There is a woman that explains how she got her husbands hernia operation reduced from $43,000 to under $10,000 with just a few phone calls and well placed questions.
The Dave 4 years ago
Ok, rather than just bitching about the health care system like most folks, here's some advice. Do like what Christine Quigley said. Don't pay the first bill. Call and tell the hospital you can't afford that bill. Stick to your guns. They should work with you.
Freya the Wanderer 4 years ago
Don't agonize, organize! Pester your elected officials and demand an overhaul of our TFU health (don't) care system. Call their offices, text them, tweet them, send them postcards. Create and sign petitions. Organize protests. March thousands strong. Remind the twits in Congress that WE THE PEOPLE are in the long run more powerful than the Big Pharma fat cats because we have the votes!
Load More Replies...
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