American Woman Screams In Tears That She Can’t Afford Medical Emergency While In Tokyo, Ends Up Paying $33
There have been countless American healthcare “horror” stories circulating around that have made us question everything we’ve taken for granted in life. The killer bills are what a staggering 83 percent of Americans, regardless of their income, said make quality medical care virtually unaffordable in this Pew Center research.
It’s no wonder that, as a result, Americans feel reluctant to seek emergency treatment even when abroad. This is precisely what happened to one woman who, according to Twitter user Kyle McLain, had an emergency accident while in Tokyo. “She was in tears, screaming that she couldn’t afford it,” recalled Kyle, but it turned out the total payment, thank God, was just a bit over 30 dollars.
People were quick to share their own experiences of how shockingly different American and non-American health systems are. It just proves how one, left with no other option, gets used to defective medical care in the so-called greatest country in the world.
This Twitter user based in Tokyo shared his client’s story
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Brandon Sheffield, the director of Necrosoft Games, told how he fixed the crown on his teeth in Osaka
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The private Japanese clinic opened early just for him!
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After multiple complex procedures and sessions, the bill read 130 dollars total
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Japanese health insurance could have reduced the bill by half
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Even if there’s no set fee charged by clinics and hospitals in Japan, the general rule is that your first consultation is more expensive than the follow-ups. The organization Japan Healthcare Info suggests bringing anywhere from 50 to 100 dollars for your first consultation. Such a relatively low price is made possible by the country’s health insurance, which covers 70 percent of medical costs. The remaining 30 percent is paid by the patient himself.
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Brandon concluded that it’s a no-brainer that America needs universal healthcare asap
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The low costs at the clinic didn’t have any hidden fees
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Brandon’s experience made this man feel depressed
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Other people also told their stories of medical treatments abroad that came at a fraction of the American price
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Someone shared a bill that soared up to almost 15K dollars for 4 days in hospital
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This man paid 5 dollars for his son’s medicine thanks to Japanese social healthcare
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People had a lot to say about the subject
That comment from "PocketSandman" about the sister being diagnosed with MS and paying 55.000 USD for the diagnose, plus 85.000 USD monthly for meds, that really hit me hard. I also have MS and I take meds for it and I pay nowhere near that much for it. I have no insurance, I have a halftime job and a halftime pay and I don't have to worry about my health costing me much at all. Health doesn't have a price! I am so thankful for my country 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪
Well, corporations in America thought the same. They thought "heath has no price, so we can bill anything we want!" ...
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Americans are afraid of universal healthcare because they are told it is socialism and that the economy would fail and all their money would be taken away.
They also fear that socialism is two steps away from communism. Most of the people that are against it have never taken an economics class to understand how it all works. They also think that socialist countries don't have private businesses, that everything is owned by the government. Actually..there is a lot of private business ownership. And lastly, they think there is no way to be wealthy in a socialist country. There is..if you are willing to work...just the same as here. The difference is..socialist countries have less crime, less violence and less drug addiction. They have less people dying from curable diseases and illnesses. And the people there are happier over all. Why would anyone not want to be happy?
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I am glad you keep exposing how inhumane the American system is. It really is mind boggling to know that there are millions of people who still defend the fact that they can't afford treatment. It is a definite sign of brainwashing connected to forced patriotism and egomania that it's the best country in the world. It's ripe for a psychological study.
I don't hate my country, but the last few years everything has just felt wrong about it. Seeing an American flag even makes me feel uneasy. I'm in the south. Flags are everywhere.
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My friend's granny who lives in England fell down stairs and broke her leg and dislocated her hip. She was taken to hospital and operated on that same day . She had a lot of after care over the weeks she was in plaster and when the plaster came off she had nearly a year of physiotherapy to get her mobile again. She had the best people give her the best care from start to finish and she is now walking and even ballroom dancing again. NONE of her care cost her a penny. Thank God for the NHS. I dread what all that would have cost in America. Any ideas?
****GASP**** Are you telling me there were no 7 years long wait time for a hip replacement? Have I been lied to all along about having a ridiculous waiting period for NHS? ****GASP**** /End Sarcasm
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The reasons why American healthcare is so expensive are greed and inefficiency. While other countries treat medical care as vital for a healthy society, America treats healthcare as a profitable business for people that can afford it. And because of that affordable and accesable healthcare will never exist in the US.
Plus, you just know if we force them to have universal healthcare, they'll do every underhanded thing they can to torpedo it and then stand back and shout 'see? we told you it wouldn't work!'
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I'm in Canada and had elective abdominal surgery - the wait time was 6 months, but if I wanted it sooner, I could have gone to the states and paid $26,000. I did it in Canada and paid $0 - that is zero dollars. For a 3 day, semi private hospital stay, all I had to pay was for the meds I needed to pick up on the way home - $16. How can anyone argue against universal health care?
How much money will insurance companies make during the COVID 19 crisis? How many people won't have access to healthcare? Some states voted to be excluded from the affordable care act. How many more will die because of this? How many will lose everything to pay their medical bills? We are about to see how inadequate our health care is. COVID-19 will push more people into poverty and kill more in the civilized US.
I agree with you! Sick people, and exposed people (who should self quarantine) will continue to go to work as long as they can, exposing others in the process and resulting in more illness and deaths... all because they can't afford time off, can't afford a doctor appointment to ask for a test. They can't afford a hospital stay or all the tests that come along with it (blood, X-ray, CT). More people will lose everything. More people will pass the virus on. More people will die... especially in the US
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Try to discuss health care in the US, mention single-payer systems and/or Medicare For All, and trolls belch garbage about every wino getting a free liver transplant or the projected $32 trilllion cost. How about the 600,000 people who have to declare personal bankruptcy every year due to medical bills? How about all the people getting dicked around by their insurance providers?
Most people do not know there is a another level of health care in the US. "Self Pay" doctors do not work with insurance companies; their fees are exorbitant. The 'lazy unemployed' and the rest of us can't afford this. My cancer treatment plan was based on the amount my insurance company covered. Disgusting.
That's funny that Americans think they have the best doctors while in fact they get training from foreign doctors ... funny enough, a lot of the best doctors are Japanese.
There are great doctors from all over the world. No one has a monopoly on them. American doctors get trained by foreign doctors and foreign doctors get trained by American doctors. I am sure what specialty it is has a huge factor in it.
Load More Replies... My health insurance coverage paid for my medical procedures after I shelled out the $7500 deductible. I was grateful I had it because a simple outpatient procedure at an OB/GYN cost $20k...Let me repeat that $20,000.00...for an outpatient procedure. And what was done didn't even resolve the issue. So when I had further problems at the end of the year and knew that my insurance was about to reset to another $7500 deductible..I panicked and chewed out the doctor for leaving me in such a precarious spot. He not only did not GAF, he sent me a letter saying I was no longer allowed to come back to his office. Really? I thought you were supposed to heal and do no harm.
I went on an exchange program with an American community college as a teacher (great experience!). So after I'd been at this school (which will remain anonymous), a few months later my US colleague came over for 2 weeks in the Netherlands. I knew she had some seriously pricey medications so I told her to see what she could get here (assuming it was available and in quantities that wouldn't get her busted for drug smuggling). She was reluctant because she felt she'd take advantage of the system since she didn't pay taxes. Honey, you couldn't possibly drain the health system as much as my grandmother did in the last ten years of her life. Get your prescriptions and be happy I saved you $$$ as a seriously underpaid teacher. Assume I paid the taxes and premium for you since I rarely need the doctor.
I also think she should have done so. In Europe, the only people complaining about "draining the health system" are politicians... everyone else is happy that others can get the care they need even if we paid for it. We know and accept that other people have it worth than us and that it could also happen to us. We like money but not at the price of our souls.
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Uhm, yeah. Check the average IQ in Japan, then in US. Of course they are better at everything in Japan. Free health care for americans is way way way too expensive, since the US is filled with fat, stupid people.
American here, my family and I were on vacation to Scotland to visit relatives, when I tore my right quadriceps tendon. Yes it was extremely painful, if you're wondering. About an hour in the ambulance to the nearest hospital, Raigmore in Inverness. Surgery to reattach the completely torn tendon. Five nights in hospital, which is probably two or three more nights than I would be allowed in the states. Medication for the flight home, so I wouldn't throw clots and die. I was billed, contrary to what I was told by most if not all Scots, for the astounding total of about 2,000 £. In the states this injury would have cost on the order of 30,000 dollars. Not including the ambulance ride. The 2000£ exchanged would be about $3,000. I had no hesitation in paying my bill, I was treated extremely well, my injury is completely healed now, due to the NHS and Raigmore hospital. Yeah, I support the idea of universal health care in the states. It's not even a question for me.
I live in Japan. I pay less in health insurance than most of my family members in America, and yet 2/3 of all medical costs are paid, there's no deductible, almost everything is covered (including dental and medicine), I can go to any clinic or hospital I want. In Japan, there are caps on how much we have to pay for a particular procedure, and how much we have to pay during a particular month and year, to prevent people from going into debt because of medical costs. As well, if I go into the hospital, I get special reimbursement from my workplace, and my supplementary insurance will cover more expensive procedures.
Yuck this is me without healthcare... I have medical debt from ER visits like stiches. I can't even get the mental help I need or medications.
Do not forget the biggest flaw in the US healthcare system: the extreme amount of money squeezed from the system by lawsuits if there was some error made by the doctors/hospitals.
It's a problem, but a completely different kind of problem. Doctors have malpractice insurance for that.
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American healthcare bills are a joke. It's practically a human right to have proper healthcare.
My 22 year old son woke up one day said he didn't feel well. With the hour he was struggling to speak. He was mixing up simple words, he told me to "rotate" the tv. Ha told me he had a book on his head, he meant hood. I texted his twin bro in a panic and asked if he thought he was on drugs. He wasn't, I didn't think he was. I was thinking he had a stroke. Scared as hell. Taking him to hospital he got sick and couldn't walk straight. Day and half later after MRI's and other expensive tests they said his phosphorus was low. Gave him a liquid to drink and sent home. the bill was $18,000. That's insanity and shouldn't happen. With insurance it was $1200. Thank God for insurance but why does a Motrin cost $300 in hospital? Because they can get away with it. $*=*@=#
With greedy Republicans in Office you can forget it, the U.S. has become even a bigger disgrace where only the rich matter while the rest can become homeless from the charges of 1 hospital stay. The Republican & some Democrats citizens here are beyond ignorant and blindly believe what the ones in Office state, even though it's never truly been looked out, cost wise. However, Republican Delegates put a temper tantrum throwing 5 yr old that knows nothing about business or running a Country in Office so ... so embarrassing. Universal Healthcare works everywhere else, but apparently that doesn't count.
A f*****g bit! 130! This makes me tear up and want to cry. I've even had to borrow to cover my mouth last time I needed another root canal and crown had another extra digit for starters...
The problem with Universal healthcare in the US is that there aren't enough doctors (in all fields) to handle the influx of patients. Before Obamacare, I could get a doctor's appointment within a few days when I called. Now, I have to wait a week. If I need a specialty doctor, before I would wait at most 2 weeks and now I have to wait at least 2 months. I am all for everyone getting affordable health care, I just wish there were more doctors. I have serious health issues but I don't want to wait 6 months to find out if a misshapen mole is cancer or not.
NHS was amazing when I lived in the UK. I lived in a small city and never had to wait too long for an appointment. Lived in Hong Kong where the health system is similar to NHS. Hospitalization costs less than $20 per day for locals, and that includes doctors, nurses, bed, meds and all treatments. Hell, you could get organ transplant for that rate. If you are on government benefits, it's usually free
Where DO these crazy prices come from? Over sixthousand for four days in a semi private hospital bed? 5000+ for draining fluid? German medical bills are not cheap (although you only see them as a privately insured person) but that is just batshit crazy. Ok, American doctors pay a mindboggeling amount for their degree. That would be the first thing that has to go: the fees for educaiton. But the rest?
And even if we got medicare for all, it would still be expensive. I'm on medicare. I had to go to the dermatologist because I had a terrible persistent rash and have a family history of skin cancer, so I went. I didn't even see a doctor, just an assistant. She spent all of 6 minutes with me. Lab results came back inconclusive, so I got no answers with that and was back to square one. They charged me $1,512 for no answers. Medicare covered $1,100. So now on my limited, fixed income have to pay $458 and I'm sitting here with diaper rash cream on my arm because they did nothing to help me and I can't afford to go again. The system is so f*cking broken.
"Defend their cruel system with worn out talking points" who do you think put those talking points in the population's heads? Private health of course. Here is one example: https://twitter.com/wendellpotter/status/1206623259698974724?s=20
I've read that before. Everyone should. Insurance companies have a massive PR role in confusing Americans in to thinking we have choices about our care, coverage, doctors, or hospitals, and we really don't!
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I remember that when I lived in NYC for a few months 20 years ago, one of my biggest fears was to have some medical emergency. I am from Spain where,eventhough being a messy country in many aspects, we have one of the best social healthcare systems in the world. And everytime I hear someone recommend private healtcare I go mad. What happens in the USA is a complete disgrace.
As far as "universal health care" systems go, Japan's is pretty bad. Patient co-pay is typically 30% of cost, and hospitals usually upsell on various services - e.g. private room instead of the standard 4 or more beds per room. So a major surgery can still end up costing thousands of dollars.
A major surgery here is tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the surgery and hospital stay, hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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Even WITH private coverage from my company I recently paid over $2000 for my partner to have a root canal here in Canada. Why dental services in Canada aren't covered by our "national healthcare" is beyond me.
Same in Australia. I can get a hip replacement and physio for free but can't get dentistry.
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Trust me, I work in the medical field. You would think working for a hospital you would get top of the line health insurance. WRONG!! Where I work, we are charged $100 copay for an ER visit. We are expected to pay during or before you are discharged. If you need to have a medical procedure, you are only allowed to go their facilities, unless it is not available at theirs. I had an MRI with contrast outside of their facility, they refused to pay. I was stuck with a $5k bill. Was told I should have known better and that was an expensive lesson to learn. Mind you, the hospital I worked for was Seventh Day Adventist. I am glad their Christian faith comes before profit. The American healthcare system is corrupt.
I'd take $100 for an ER visit any day. Mine is TRIPLE that and I'm told I have "good insurance". It wouldn't be so bad but then they charge you for every bandaid and square of toilet paper you use while you're there.
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It is cheaper for us to go out if country. Some of us are disabled and flying is impossible. Most of us gave jobs with no or little vacation time
Reading these, make me feeling grateful for.medical cost In Malaysia. For government hospital, only RM1 or around USD0.25 cent per registrayion and medicine. Further meeting with Specialist with appoinment. Starting from RM5 equal to USD 1+ But if you cannot wait longer waiting period( government clinic unsuprisingly has loooongg queue :D), there are al ot of private hospitals. I bet you just spend little monies include: heaven medical vacation in Malaysia+ food paradise+ polite hospitality of Malaysian. But yet as usual, We malaysian also have complaint like other people of other countries :P
It's a tad cheaper to die on this country. Though cremation is an astounding 5000$. Guess I'll be buried in the backyard 😁
Canadians please tell me if this is true. I am 100% for Universal Healthcare. I read an article saying Canadians have to wait over four months to see a doctor. This is false, right? Gotta be false...
That's the thing, it depends on how urgent the issue is. It works on a Triage system, like an emergency room. We still have private hospitals is you are rich and want to skip the line.
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Dental in Australia is quite expensive, to have 2 wisdom teeth removed it was gonna cost me $3000 and if I had private health insurance I would have to pay 12 months of cover before being eligible to use it. And then would have to pay $1500 out of pocket. So in the end it would have cost the same with or without private cover. I decided to wait and fortunately I was eligible for the government dental scheme because we are a low income family. I had 2 wisdom teeth removed for $49. I suffer calculus due to the minerals in my saliva and I am supposed to get a deep clean done every 2 years but haven’t had it done in 10 years due to it costing $350 every time, well I recently had that done in 3 sessions, some fillings and a tooth removal all for $155 in total. But if I wasn’t able to have government dental then all of that would have cost me thousands.
Wow...I live in France and had two wisdom teeth removed, paid nothing at all. Implants are expensive, you pay 1000 Euros/piece...
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I'm 9 months pregnant and I slipped and broke my hand I went to the hospital and just for them to give me an X-ray was over $1,000 and then they transferred me to a different hospital bc my pregnancy is high risk so 15 without any meds putting stress on my baby. And I do have insurance
I'm not fully against universal healthcare; my only thing with it right now is: has anyone seen how our Medicaid/Medicare work? I do not want the people in charge of those in charge of everyone's healthcare. They need to fix the government insurance we already have first.
That's why lazy foreigners come to Japan from the periphery, get treated in hospitals, and then go back to their home countries.
Friend of mine had Carpal tunnel surgery. HE was assured it would cost no more than $3k out of pocket. Hospital sent him a bill for $11k. Told him to demand a itemized bill both from hospital and from insurance. two weeks later they were down to $6k but they weren't done yet... they still haven't sent him itemized bill. They will charge ridiculous prices for crazy things because of insurance but if you demand an itemized bill then they remove some of that junk.
No one remembers why this country was founded. To get away from exorbitant taxes and have the freedom of religion. This is also why refugees constantly pour into this country, to get away from poverty and religious intolerance and executions. Half the people on this site want to turn this country into the places everyone else is trying to run from and keep it from turning into.
I already told hubby that if I had any bigger health issues, I'd go back to my home country Germany to get care. Now I"m considering Japan, too ;) I love Japan.
Universal healthcare would be peachy in the US, but the politicians would screw it up since they make money keeping the insurance and drug companies in business and filthy rich.
Our stupid system is why we will have problems containing Covid-19. People will wait until they are super-sick and shedding the virus like crazy to either get help or stay home from work.
Americans suffer like this because from day 1 they are force fed the propaganda that Universal Healthcare costs 50% of their wages. That it is performed by a butcher from the middle ages. The waiting time is measured in months. The hospitals are dilapidated and overcrowded. Doctors don't give a rats a*s. It bankrupts the economy etc. The truth comes out when they go anywhere else in the world and need medical help. If the Americans discovered the reality of the situation they are in then there would be rioting on the streets and pharmaceutical manufacturers and government officials would be ravaged by lynch mobs.
I think if I lived in the US I'd be dead I can't imagine any circumstances I could afford what happened to me. In November 2018 I collapsed and was taken to hospital. I was in hospital for 8 months, over that period of time I had: 3 operations 5 drains 23 CT scans 8 xrays 2 MRI 6 types of antibiotics (as they tried to find a solution) 2 doses a day twice a day. An NG feed (for a month) A TNP feed (for two months) Two blood transfusions Longtec morphine (twice a day) Shortec morphine (4 times a day) Codine (usually 4 times a day) Paracetamol (usually 4 times a day) Tramadol (twice a day) Diazapam (as needed) Catheterization 3 times Water retention tablets Antihistamines (when I developed an allergy to one of my antibiotics) Steroid creams for when my skin started peeling off due to the allergy. I was in ICU for a week. And there were a bunch of other meds and specialist equipment for when I developed bed sores and things I can't remember. It cost £0.
This is so sad. I have family and friends in America, and I worry for them. How can this this be a thing in a first world country. I’m Aussie, but I lived most of my adult life in Finland. I’ve never paid a cent for any kind of medical help here in Aus, and in Finland over the course of 10 years I spent maybe €200 all up. That’s with no insurance, giving birth twice, about 6 days total hospital stays. All my pre-natal care, plus 1 ambulance ride and emergency care. Crazy.
One thing also very nice in Japan is the speed at the hospital. I don't know how it is in the U.S. so I'll compare to France, the country I'm from. One example, I had to have a X-ray for my back in France. You need to see your doctor to get a recommendation to a hospital with the X-ray machine. Without a recommendation, waiting time are longer. By waiting time, I mean the time to get an appointment. (Continue in next comment)
With the recommendation, we could get an appointment for two months later. When the time came, I went and got x-rayed. Results came by postal services 2 weeks later. With those results, I went back to my doctor and we discussed what was wrong. Overall, almost 3 month so I can learn I had one more rib than expected.
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It's annoying when certain people say that universal healthcare will decrease the quality of the care because (according to them), if healthcare isn't privately owned then there's no competition, and they will never improve. Is that true to some extent? Sure. But then again, guess what? Ultimately WHAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER TO BE BETTER QUALITY HEALTHCARE, DOESN'T HELP ME IF I CAN'T AFFORD IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! (I live in a place where if I get injured I will literally have to die)
My tumor removal surgery cost 175,000 insurance adjusted it $ 75,000, with our deductible we only paid 5,000 out of pocket . Now i wondered what it would have cost elsewhere 🤦🏼♀️
This month my wife have to do 3 visit to dentist for root canal cleaning and one tooth crown filling. Cost around USD 35.
Sadly the NHS hasn't got the balls to charge foreigners for services.
In case people were wondering.... Healthcare In Japan is both private and public, but the services provided are fairly standard across. How it works is the insurance is public. Some workplaces can offer additional insurance that will cover a higher portion. The other key thing is the price of procedures is also universal regardless of whether you go to a private or public clinic. The idea behInd it is this. If you are In an area where a private clinic wouldn't do well (eg. poor area, low population), public hospitals go in. These doctors are paid decent wages, but nothing humongous. This gives surety to your career. Private clinics tend to be Doctors who think they can make more money, but are given the same pay per procedure. Additionally, specialists can be approached without referral. This set up is meritocratic. It rewards physicians where patients want to be treated by the certain clinic/physician. If you are a bad doctor, you cant win. I think this system would wOrk well In the
This is so hurtful when I read this kind of stories. Here(The Netherlands) I pay 127 euros per month with a 385 euros per year my own risk, and after that all is included that includes dental work(till certain value), physiotherapy(9 appointments) and my child is included till he is 18(he has ADHD and all meds are included plus psicologic help). And we have this own risk since a couple of years, as before everything was included, no extra payments. I don't understand why in the US they don't apply the same system or something similar. It is better to pay a little every month then to have to pay this absurd and horrendous bills! Everybody have the right to have medical assistance.
The story is probably about a small white crown or a silver one. A medium size white crown is around 800$ and not covered by healthcare in Japan.
As opposed to a white crown here that would cost between $500-$3000...and that doesn't include all the additional costs of putting it in. You could easily be looking at a $5000 bill out of pocket. So yeah...universal care in Japan is much cheaper.
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That comment from "PocketSandman" about the sister being diagnosed with MS and paying 55.000 USD for the diagnose, plus 85.000 USD monthly for meds, that really hit me hard. I also have MS and I take meds for it and I pay nowhere near that much for it. I have no insurance, I have a halftime job and a halftime pay and I don't have to worry about my health costing me much at all. Health doesn't have a price! I am so thankful for my country 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪
Well, corporations in America thought the same. They thought "heath has no price, so we can bill anything we want!" ...
Load More Replies... Americans are afraid of universal healthcare because they are told it is socialism and that the economy would fail and all their money would be taken away.
They also fear that socialism is two steps away from communism. Most of the people that are against it have never taken an economics class to understand how it all works. They also think that socialist countries don't have private businesses, that everything is owned by the government. Actually..there is a lot of private business ownership. And lastly, they think there is no way to be wealthy in a socialist country. There is..if you are willing to work...just the same as here. The difference is..socialist countries have less crime, less violence and less drug addiction. They have less people dying from curable diseases and illnesses. And the people there are happier over all. Why would anyone not want to be happy?
Load More Replies... I am glad you keep exposing how inhumane the American system is. It really is mind boggling to know that there are millions of people who still defend the fact that they can't afford treatment. It is a definite sign of brainwashing connected to forced patriotism and egomania that it's the best country in the world. It's ripe for a psychological study.
I don't hate my country, but the last few years everything has just felt wrong about it. Seeing an American flag even makes me feel uneasy. I'm in the south. Flags are everywhere.
Load More Replies... My friend's granny who lives in England fell down stairs and broke her leg and dislocated her hip. She was taken to hospital and operated on that same day . She had a lot of after care over the weeks she was in plaster and when the plaster came off she had nearly a year of physiotherapy to get her mobile again. She had the best people give her the best care from start to finish and she is now walking and even ballroom dancing again. NONE of her care cost her a penny. Thank God for the NHS. I dread what all that would have cost in America. Any ideas?
****GASP**** Are you telling me there were no 7 years long wait time for a hip replacement? Have I been lied to all along about having a ridiculous waiting period for NHS? ****GASP**** /End Sarcasm
Load More Replies... The reasons why American healthcare is so expensive are greed and inefficiency. While other countries treat medical care as vital for a healthy society, America treats healthcare as a profitable business for people that can afford it. And because of that affordable and accesable healthcare will never exist in the US.
Plus, you just know if we force them to have universal healthcare, they'll do every underhanded thing they can to torpedo it and then stand back and shout 'see? we told you it wouldn't work!'
Load More Replies... I'm in Canada and had elective abdominal surgery - the wait time was 6 months, but if I wanted it sooner, I could have gone to the states and paid $26,000. I did it in Canada and paid $0 - that is zero dollars. For a 3 day, semi private hospital stay, all I had to pay was for the meds I needed to pick up on the way home - $16. How can anyone argue against universal health care?
How much money will insurance companies make during the COVID 19 crisis? How many people won't have access to healthcare? Some states voted to be excluded from the affordable care act. How many more will die because of this? How many will lose everything to pay their medical bills? We are about to see how inadequate our health care is. COVID-19 will push more people into poverty and kill more in the civilized US.
I agree with you! Sick people, and exposed people (who should self quarantine) will continue to go to work as long as they can, exposing others in the process and resulting in more illness and deaths... all because they can't afford time off, can't afford a doctor appointment to ask for a test. They can't afford a hospital stay or all the tests that come along with it (blood, X-ray, CT). More people will lose everything. More people will pass the virus on. More people will die... especially in the US
Load More Replies... Try to discuss health care in the US, mention single-payer systems and/or Medicare For All, and trolls belch garbage about every wino getting a free liver transplant or the projected $32 trilllion cost. How about the 600,000 people who have to declare personal bankruptcy every year due to medical bills? How about all the people getting dicked around by their insurance providers?
Most people do not know there is a another level of health care in the US. "Self Pay" doctors do not work with insurance companies; their fees are exorbitant. The 'lazy unemployed' and the rest of us can't afford this. My cancer treatment plan was based on the amount my insurance company covered. Disgusting.
That's funny that Americans think they have the best doctors while in fact they get training from foreign doctors ... funny enough, a lot of the best doctors are Japanese.
There are great doctors from all over the world. No one has a monopoly on them. American doctors get trained by foreign doctors and foreign doctors get trained by American doctors. I am sure what specialty it is has a huge factor in it.
Load More Replies... My health insurance coverage paid for my medical procedures after I shelled out the $7500 deductible. I was grateful I had it because a simple outpatient procedure at an OB/GYN cost $20k...Let me repeat that $20,000.00...for an outpatient procedure. And what was done didn't even resolve the issue. So when I had further problems at the end of the year and knew that my insurance was about to reset to another $7500 deductible..I panicked and chewed out the doctor for leaving me in such a precarious spot. He not only did not GAF, he sent me a letter saying I was no longer allowed to come back to his office. Really? I thought you were supposed to heal and do no harm.
I went on an exchange program with an American community college as a teacher (great experience!). So after I'd been at this school (which will remain anonymous), a few months later my US colleague came over for 2 weeks in the Netherlands. I knew she had some seriously pricey medications so I told her to see what she could get here (assuming it was available and in quantities that wouldn't get her busted for drug smuggling). She was reluctant because she felt she'd take advantage of the system since she didn't pay taxes. Honey, you couldn't possibly drain the health system as much as my grandmother did in the last ten years of her life. Get your prescriptions and be happy I saved you $$$ as a seriously underpaid teacher. Assume I paid the taxes and premium for you since I rarely need the doctor.
I also think she should have done so. In Europe, the only people complaining about "draining the health system" are politicians... everyone else is happy that others can get the care they need even if we paid for it. We know and accept that other people have it worth than us and that it could also happen to us. We like money but not at the price of our souls.
Load More Replies... Uhm, yeah. Check the average IQ in Japan, then in US. Of course they are better at everything in Japan. Free health care for americans is way way way too expensive, since the US is filled with fat, stupid people.
American here, my family and I were on vacation to Scotland to visit relatives, when I tore my right quadriceps tendon. Yes it was extremely painful, if you're wondering. About an hour in the ambulance to the nearest hospital, Raigmore in Inverness. Surgery to reattach the completely torn tendon. Five nights in hospital, which is probably two or three more nights than I would be allowed in the states. Medication for the flight home, so I wouldn't throw clots and die. I was billed, contrary to what I was told by most if not all Scots, for the astounding total of about 2,000 £. In the states this injury would have cost on the order of 30,000 dollars. Not including the ambulance ride. The 2000£ exchanged would be about $3,000. I had no hesitation in paying my bill, I was treated extremely well, my injury is completely healed now, due to the NHS and Raigmore hospital. Yeah, I support the idea of universal health care in the states. It's not even a question for me.
I live in Japan. I pay less in health insurance than most of my family members in America, and yet 2/3 of all medical costs are paid, there's no deductible, almost everything is covered (including dental and medicine), I can go to any clinic or hospital I want. In Japan, there are caps on how much we have to pay for a particular procedure, and how much we have to pay during a particular month and year, to prevent people from going into debt because of medical costs. As well, if I go into the hospital, I get special reimbursement from my workplace, and my supplementary insurance will cover more expensive procedures.
Yuck this is me without healthcare... I have medical debt from ER visits like stiches. I can't even get the mental help I need or medications.
Do not forget the biggest flaw in the US healthcare system: the extreme amount of money squeezed from the system by lawsuits if there was some error made by the doctors/hospitals.
It's a problem, but a completely different kind of problem. Doctors have malpractice insurance for that.
Load More Replies... American healthcare bills are a joke. It's practically a human right to have proper healthcare.
My 22 year old son woke up one day said he didn't feel well. With the hour he was struggling to speak. He was mixing up simple words, he told me to "rotate" the tv. Ha told me he had a book on his head, he meant hood. I texted his twin bro in a panic and asked if he thought he was on drugs. He wasn't, I didn't think he was. I was thinking he had a stroke. Scared as hell. Taking him to hospital he got sick and couldn't walk straight. Day and half later after MRI's and other expensive tests they said his phosphorus was low. Gave him a liquid to drink and sent home. the bill was $18,000. That's insanity and shouldn't happen. With insurance it was $1200. Thank God for insurance but why does a Motrin cost $300 in hospital? Because they can get away with it. $*=*@=#
With greedy Republicans in Office you can forget it, the U.S. has become even a bigger disgrace where only the rich matter while the rest can become homeless from the charges of 1 hospital stay. The Republican & some Democrats citizens here are beyond ignorant and blindly believe what the ones in Office state, even though it's never truly been looked out, cost wise. However, Republican Delegates put a temper tantrum throwing 5 yr old that knows nothing about business or running a Country in Office so ... so embarrassing. Universal Healthcare works everywhere else, but apparently that doesn't count.
A f*****g bit! 130! This makes me tear up and want to cry. I've even had to borrow to cover my mouth last time I needed another root canal and crown had another extra digit for starters...
The problem with Universal healthcare in the US is that there aren't enough doctors (in all fields) to handle the influx of patients. Before Obamacare, I could get a doctor's appointment within a few days when I called. Now, I have to wait a week. If I need a specialty doctor, before I would wait at most 2 weeks and now I have to wait at least 2 months. I am all for everyone getting affordable health care, I just wish there were more doctors. I have serious health issues but I don't want to wait 6 months to find out if a misshapen mole is cancer or not.
NHS was amazing when I lived in the UK. I lived in a small city and never had to wait too long for an appointment. Lived in Hong Kong where the health system is similar to NHS. Hospitalization costs less than $20 per day for locals, and that includes doctors, nurses, bed, meds and all treatments. Hell, you could get organ transplant for that rate. If you are on government benefits, it's usually free
Where DO these crazy prices come from? Over sixthousand for four days in a semi private hospital bed? 5000+ for draining fluid? German medical bills are not cheap (although you only see them as a privately insured person) but that is just batshit crazy. Ok, American doctors pay a mindboggeling amount for their degree. That would be the first thing that has to go: the fees for educaiton. But the rest?
And even if we got medicare for all, it would still be expensive. I'm on medicare. I had to go to the dermatologist because I had a terrible persistent rash and have a family history of skin cancer, so I went. I didn't even see a doctor, just an assistant. She spent all of 6 minutes with me. Lab results came back inconclusive, so I got no answers with that and was back to square one. They charged me $1,512 for no answers. Medicare covered $1,100. So now on my limited, fixed income have to pay $458 and I'm sitting here with diaper rash cream on my arm because they did nothing to help me and I can't afford to go again. The system is so f*cking broken.
"Defend their cruel system with worn out talking points" who do you think put those talking points in the population's heads? Private health of course. Here is one example: https://twitter.com/wendellpotter/status/1206623259698974724?s=20
I've read that before. Everyone should. Insurance companies have a massive PR role in confusing Americans in to thinking we have choices about our care, coverage, doctors, or hospitals, and we really don't!
Load More Replies... I remember that when I lived in NYC for a few months 20 years ago, one of my biggest fears was to have some medical emergency. I am from Spain where,eventhough being a messy country in many aspects, we have one of the best social healthcare systems in the world. And everytime I hear someone recommend private healtcare I go mad. What happens in the USA is a complete disgrace.
As far as "universal health care" systems go, Japan's is pretty bad. Patient co-pay is typically 30% of cost, and hospitals usually upsell on various services - e.g. private room instead of the standard 4 or more beds per room. So a major surgery can still end up costing thousands of dollars.
A major surgery here is tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the surgery and hospital stay, hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Load More Replies... Even WITH private coverage from my company I recently paid over $2000 for my partner to have a root canal here in Canada. Why dental services in Canada aren't covered by our "national healthcare" is beyond me.
Same in Australia. I can get a hip replacement and physio for free but can't get dentistry.
Load More Replies... Trust me, I work in the medical field. You would think working for a hospital you would get top of the line health insurance. WRONG!! Where I work, we are charged $100 copay for an ER visit. We are expected to pay during or before you are discharged. If you need to have a medical procedure, you are only allowed to go their facilities, unless it is not available at theirs. I had an MRI with contrast outside of their facility, they refused to pay. I was stuck with a $5k bill. Was told I should have known better and that was an expensive lesson to learn. Mind you, the hospital I worked for was Seventh Day Adventist. I am glad their Christian faith comes before profit. The American healthcare system is corrupt.
I'd take $100 for an ER visit any day. Mine is TRIPLE that and I'm told I have "good insurance". It wouldn't be so bad but then they charge you for every bandaid and square of toilet paper you use while you're there.
Load More Replies... It is cheaper for us to go out if country. Some of us are disabled and flying is impossible. Most of us gave jobs with no or little vacation time
Reading these, make me feeling grateful for.medical cost In Malaysia. For government hospital, only RM1 or around USD0.25 cent per registrayion and medicine. Further meeting with Specialist with appoinment. Starting from RM5 equal to USD 1+ But if you cannot wait longer waiting period( government clinic unsuprisingly has loooongg queue :D), there are al ot of private hospitals. I bet you just spend little monies include: heaven medical vacation in Malaysia+ food paradise+ polite hospitality of Malaysian. But yet as usual, We malaysian also have complaint like other people of other countries :P
It's a tad cheaper to die on this country. Though cremation is an astounding 5000$. Guess I'll be buried in the backyard 😁
Canadians please tell me if this is true. I am 100% for Universal Healthcare. I read an article saying Canadians have to wait over four months to see a doctor. This is false, right? Gotta be false...
That's the thing, it depends on how urgent the issue is. It works on a Triage system, like an emergency room. We still have private hospitals is you are rich and want to skip the line.
Load More Replies... Dental in Australia is quite expensive, to have 2 wisdom teeth removed it was gonna cost me $3000 and if I had private health insurance I would have to pay 12 months of cover before being eligible to use it. And then would have to pay $1500 out of pocket. So in the end it would have cost the same with or without private cover. I decided to wait and fortunately I was eligible for the government dental scheme because we are a low income family. I had 2 wisdom teeth removed for $49. I suffer calculus due to the minerals in my saliva and I am supposed to get a deep clean done every 2 years but haven’t had it done in 10 years due to it costing $350 every time, well I recently had that done in 3 sessions, some fillings and a tooth removal all for $155 in total. But if I wasn’t able to have government dental then all of that would have cost me thousands.
Wow...I live in France and had two wisdom teeth removed, paid nothing at all. Implants are expensive, you pay 1000 Euros/piece...
Load More Replies... I'm 9 months pregnant and I slipped and broke my hand I went to the hospital and just for them to give me an X-ray was over $1,000 and then they transferred me to a different hospital bc my pregnancy is high risk so 15 without any meds putting stress on my baby. And I do have insurance
I'm not fully against universal healthcare; my only thing with it right now is: has anyone seen how our Medicaid/Medicare work? I do not want the people in charge of those in charge of everyone's healthcare. They need to fix the government insurance we already have first.
That's why lazy foreigners come to Japan from the periphery, get treated in hospitals, and then go back to their home countries.
Friend of mine had Carpal tunnel surgery. HE was assured it would cost no more than $3k out of pocket. Hospital sent him a bill for $11k. Told him to demand a itemized bill both from hospital and from insurance. two weeks later they were down to $6k but they weren't done yet... they still haven't sent him itemized bill. They will charge ridiculous prices for crazy things because of insurance but if you demand an itemized bill then they remove some of that junk.
No one remembers why this country was founded. To get away from exorbitant taxes and have the freedom of religion. This is also why refugees constantly pour into this country, to get away from poverty and religious intolerance and executions. Half the people on this site want to turn this country into the places everyone else is trying to run from and keep it from turning into.
I already told hubby that if I had any bigger health issues, I'd go back to my home country Germany to get care. Now I"m considering Japan, too ;) I love Japan.
Universal healthcare would be peachy in the US, but the politicians would screw it up since they make money keeping the insurance and drug companies in business and filthy rich.
Our stupid system is why we will have problems containing Covid-19. People will wait until they are super-sick and shedding the virus like crazy to either get help or stay home from work.
Americans suffer like this because from day 1 they are force fed the propaganda that Universal Healthcare costs 50% of their wages. That it is performed by a butcher from the middle ages. The waiting time is measured in months. The hospitals are dilapidated and overcrowded. Doctors don't give a rats a*s. It bankrupts the economy etc. The truth comes out when they go anywhere else in the world and need medical help. If the Americans discovered the reality of the situation they are in then there would be rioting on the streets and pharmaceutical manufacturers and government officials would be ravaged by lynch mobs.
I think if I lived in the US I'd be dead I can't imagine any circumstances I could afford what happened to me. In November 2018 I collapsed and was taken to hospital. I was in hospital for 8 months, over that period of time I had: 3 operations 5 drains 23 CT scans 8 xrays 2 MRI 6 types of antibiotics (as they tried to find a solution) 2 doses a day twice a day. An NG feed (for a month) A TNP feed (for two months) Two blood transfusions Longtec morphine (twice a day) Shortec morphine (4 times a day) Codine (usually 4 times a day) Paracetamol (usually 4 times a day) Tramadol (twice a day) Diazapam (as needed) Catheterization 3 times Water retention tablets Antihistamines (when I developed an allergy to one of my antibiotics) Steroid creams for when my skin started peeling off due to the allergy. I was in ICU for a week. And there were a bunch of other meds and specialist equipment for when I developed bed sores and things I can't remember. It cost £0.
This is so sad. I have family and friends in America, and I worry for them. How can this this be a thing in a first world country. I’m Aussie, but I lived most of my adult life in Finland. I’ve never paid a cent for any kind of medical help here in Aus, and in Finland over the course of 10 years I spent maybe €200 all up. That’s with no insurance, giving birth twice, about 6 days total hospital stays. All my pre-natal care, plus 1 ambulance ride and emergency care. Crazy.
One thing also very nice in Japan is the speed at the hospital. I don't know how it is in the U.S. so I'll compare to France, the country I'm from. One example, I had to have a X-ray for my back in France. You need to see your doctor to get a recommendation to a hospital with the X-ray machine. Without a recommendation, waiting time are longer. By waiting time, I mean the time to get an appointment. (Continue in next comment)
With the recommendation, we could get an appointment for two months later. When the time came, I went and got x-rayed. Results came by postal services 2 weeks later. With those results, I went back to my doctor and we discussed what was wrong. Overall, almost 3 month so I can learn I had one more rib than expected.
Load More Replies... It's annoying when certain people say that universal healthcare will decrease the quality of the care because (according to them), if healthcare isn't privately owned then there's no competition, and they will never improve. Is that true to some extent? Sure. But then again, guess what? Ultimately WHAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER TO BE BETTER QUALITY HEALTHCARE, DOESN'T HELP ME IF I CAN'T AFFORD IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! (I live in a place where if I get injured I will literally have to die)
My tumor removal surgery cost 175,000 insurance adjusted it $ 75,000, with our deductible we only paid 5,000 out of pocket . Now i wondered what it would have cost elsewhere 🤦🏼♀️
This month my wife have to do 3 visit to dentist for root canal cleaning and one tooth crown filling. Cost around USD 35.
Sadly the NHS hasn't got the balls to charge foreigners for services.
In case people were wondering.... Healthcare In Japan is both private and public, but the services provided are fairly standard across. How it works is the insurance is public. Some workplaces can offer additional insurance that will cover a higher portion. The other key thing is the price of procedures is also universal regardless of whether you go to a private or public clinic. The idea behInd it is this. If you are In an area where a private clinic wouldn't do well (eg. poor area, low population), public hospitals go in. These doctors are paid decent wages, but nothing humongous. This gives surety to your career. Private clinics tend to be Doctors who think they can make more money, but are given the same pay per procedure. Additionally, specialists can be approached without referral. This set up is meritocratic. It rewards physicians where patients want to be treated by the certain clinic/physician. If you are a bad doctor, you cant win. I think this system would wOrk well In the
This is so hurtful when I read this kind of stories. Here(The Netherlands) I pay 127 euros per month with a 385 euros per year my own risk, and after that all is included that includes dental work(till certain value), physiotherapy(9 appointments) and my child is included till he is 18(he has ADHD and all meds are included plus psicologic help). And we have this own risk since a couple of years, as before everything was included, no extra payments. I don't understand why in the US they don't apply the same system or something similar. It is better to pay a little every month then to have to pay this absurd and horrendous bills! Everybody have the right to have medical assistance.
The story is probably about a small white crown or a silver one. A medium size white crown is around 800$ and not covered by healthcare in Japan.
As opposed to a white crown here that would cost between $500-$3000...and that doesn't include all the additional costs of putting it in. You could easily be looking at a $5000 bill out of pocket. So yeah...universal care in Japan is much cheaper.
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