30 Times Americans Shocked The Rest Of The World By Sharing Their Outrageous Medical Bills
Living in the United States has a lot of perks, from the incredibly friendly people and astounding nature to the universities and the great job opportunities. However, one of the biggest drawbacks that Americans have to deal with is the healthcare system. More specifically, just how expensive going to the hospital can get, whether you have health insurance or not. Things can get so ridiculous the entire system starts to look very dystopian.
To show you what we mean, the Bored Panda team has collected this list of the most mind-blowingly expensive hospital bills that Americans have shared online. The prices are, well, they’re ridiculous, to say the least! If these photos won’t get your jaw to drop, then practically nothing will.
Time and again we’ve analyzed why the system is so cumbersome, inefficient, and actually forces a lot of people to consider not going to the hospital whatsoever because of the huge medical debts they’re likely to accrue.
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Avoid Paying Costly Medical Bills By Dying Instead
How awful, when you feel relieved that someone just died instead of running up a huge bill.
I think it was sarcasm, but the writer made their point in a novel way - a funeral being much cheaper than treatment. That one blew me away.
Load More Replies...Imagine a "great country" where people think their best choice is to die, rather than accumulate massive medical debt that would negatively affect their families. It's disgusting and wrong, such a broken system. And this is a U.S. citizen saying so.
I had a heart attack. Because of the pandemic, I was moved between 4 hospitals. There were serious complications and I spent 2 months hospitalized. I paid 45€ for the ambulance ride to the ER. Having to pay for the ambulance is a new thing here, our healthcare system is in crisis and they are trying to make sure people only call for an ambulance when it's truly needed.
Effing hell... I do hope you are recovering well. That kind of bill would give most people a new heart attack!
Load More Replies...This is insane. You suffer a heart attack and immediately are over a ton in debt. How is this even possible?
Just so everyone understands, that $100k bill is WITH insurance!!
I think my dad made a similar decision. He had a severe medical issue, probably prostate cancer. I believe he decided not to get treatment because he knew it would be very expensive. He died of a presumed heart attack. Like OP I miss him so very much!
I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with Horner's syndrome which is super rare. They wanted me to stay because there was a possibility of a carotid tear somewhere. I had insurance. Signed myself out against doctors orders. It's cheaper to die in this country. Still here!
Oh and I still owe $1,600 for the three hours I was there getting blood pressure medication so I wouldn't have an aneurysm.. LoL
Load More Replies...This kind of stuff will continue because the US is a nation that has become brainwashed to believe any kind of progressive ideas or *GASP* LIBERAL *SHUDDER* changes are the devil's work and will DESTROY THE FOUNDATION OF THIS GREAT NATION UNDER GOD!" so the only change they want to see is to block it and attempt to undo any progress that has been made since the middle of the previous Century when it was the great White He-Men of the US time. And i think some want to go back even a century further so they could still own other people
It's not illegal to murder POC if they are PROPERTY!
Load More Replies...So This Is Crazy
Wtf? People must be wishing that they hadn’t survived. Cost in UK £0 , nothing, zilch. We don’t pay so much in tax that it makes this look like a more attractive alternative.
When you account for the money we save in not paying health insurance, Americans, on average, pay more than we do and still get a bill for treatment. Also the US government pays more per capita for healthcare (veterans, medicare, etc) than the UK does.
Load More Replies...I'd bet anything, that the 10$ at the end of the bill, was for printing the bill
Close to 3 million and they still charge you for printing the bill. seriously who can pay a hospital bill close to 3 million?
Load More Replies...Oh my goodness...it would be cheaper to travel to a different hospital in a different COUNTRY!
Should be enought to scare every antivaxer, but apearently nothing is.
This should be considered a robbery, and punishable by law. In Spain your care for having contracted covid19 and all the medical efforts to save your life, in public hospitals cost: 0€.
In Finland you'll pay about 20 euros per hospital day, so that would have been about 2 400 Eur for the whole thing, plus full sick leave pay for the first three months and about 500 Eurs sick pay for the fourth month. I love living in a welfare society!
Hospital Billing To Hold Your Own Child After Birth
Just waiting for the day US hospitals start charging for the air that the patients breathe... 😳
An American tried to justify this charge saying it has to do with a nurse having to be present. But from what I remember a few health workers are already present anyways and you're given your baby to hold immediately after birth for a few seconds. But apparently in America an extra specialist has to come in and monitor because mothers are too dangerous to babies *sarcasm
While I don't agree with this stupid charge it isn't necessarily that the mother is intentionally dangerous to the baby but the mother just had a traumatic experience to their body and many have had medication. When I delivered both of my kids I was extremely shaky and did almost drop my youngest son. Luckily my husband was there to catch him. The hospital did try to charge me for this stupid thing saying I almost dropped him. I was like, "the nurse didn't do anything! My husband caught him because she was busy doing other stuff!"
Load More Replies...Why would they defend medical care as a privilege and not a right? ("Sorry, but you were living beyond your means when you crossed the street and a cyclist going the wrong way knocked you down.")
Load More Replies...They charge by the 'kit' used even if it is partial and they used 79 kits to perform the C-section. You will probably find they used 3 full kits and the dressings and swabs from 76 others. It's a disgusting way to run a hospital
Load More Replies...Seriously? The baby is born and the nurse takes the baby about 4 feet to put in the mother's arms. You are fn kidding me!! Thats unconscionable.
Medicine is not caring any more it's big business! I have a doctor who works 4 days a week - to get a simple phone call one has to get through the telephone mafia- the usual answer is if the Doctor responds to your question I will give you a call back. Took him 60 days!
The simple fact of the matter is that the healthcare system in the United States is incredibly wasteful. As reported by The New York Times in 2019, at least 760 billion dollars are wasted each and every year due to the poor management of funds.
My Cousins Child Birth Bill From The Hospital In The USA. Never Seen Anything This High
What the actual h**l is wrong with the States?!? You could buy a House for the cost of Room and Care!
Yeah, my first thought was "did they BUY the friggin' hospital room?"
Load More Replies...Room and care is how much ?! Did they stay until the kid got married ?
Room and Care look kind of expensive, could have given birth in The Dorchester for less than that.
insurance should be illegal... why doesn't the gov't just force everyone to save a little bit of what they earn in a savings account?
Load More Replies...There has to be more to this story than what's listed sine the child was in the hospital for a month.
I saw a post telling you have to ask the hospital to give an itemized bill. The person who wrote it did it and the bill decreased enormously !
Rent a high class hotel and a private nurse... 1/50th of the price and the room is WAY nicer!
I Went To The Hospital (Us). They Did One Blood Test, Decided I Had A Virus That They Could Not Identify And That They Could Not Help Me, And Then They Sent Me Home. This Is The Bill From My Insurance. For One. Single. Blood Test
When in the American tv shows, I hear the doctor quickly order things like: The patient needs a CT scan, X-rays, blood tests and an operation for this or that., I just hear the cash register ring over and over again and I think, My God, they just ruined his life with the bill, he's going to wish he hadn't woken up from the accident/illness or whatever!
my sister and her husband owe $90,000 on their credit cards. All from just a few medical bills
Load More Replies...For a visit at the clinic, with a consultation and some blood work, I pay about NOK 250, slightly under USD 30. With a total maximum of NOK 2500 a year. I'm sure I use less of my taxes on health related stuff than an average American family does.
I'm old was sent to specialist (in Canada) before I even got to sit down in his office, he asked me if I had supplemental insurance when I said no I was told by him that he could do nothing for me! I know this is not as much as the extortion of these medical bills! I was like he was saying I don't treat old people who don't have money get the hell out!
An extensive blood test here would cost me 70 euro (if I'm still paying towards the threshold of 385 euro a year)
I never pay for my bloodwork in the Netherlands though.
Load More Replies...One blood test and they gave up is poor practice and possibly dangerous for the patient. And their one pitiful attempt at a diagnosis costs this much? And then again "You MAY owe." Well let you know when the billing department has gone over this with a fine tooth comb to try to catch any little thing left out and send you the "correct" bill later.
Insurance, You're The Greatest!
And yet the Americans can't see what a rip off health insurance is.
Of course we can. Most of us can. How do we go about fixing it?
Load More Replies...Insurance companies have contracts with medical facilities, establishing write-offs for services. I imagine in this case, the insurance company wrote off $1,732.75. There's the charge on the bill, what the write off is, what the insurance will pay and the patient is responsible.
Load More Replies...But Universal Healthcare is terrible, no-one wants free healthcare, free healthcare has no benefits apart from curing you and not giving you crippling debt, but apart from that it is stupid. 🙄🙄
Very common. We have a $5,000 deductible, so until that's paid, insurance doesn't start kicking in. Add that to $500 per month for health insurance fees.
UK here, I do have private medical insurance, pay less than £150 a month for the 3 of us. The deductible/excess on my last claim was £100. I have seen some people have about $13000 deductible. How does anyone afford that before you can get treatment. I should say that my private medical insurance does exclude a lot of things such as mental health treatment and a lot of emergency care.
Load More Replies...I can top that. Walked in to ED from work (graveyard shift, nothing was open, no primary care doctor) for my injured toe from a motorcycle crash. Bill was something like $2800, they did absolutely nothing, and my FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE paid (drum roll please) $14.
Insurance is just like a horse race its a bet, you pay not to get sick when you do they don't pay!! All insurance is a ripoff ever since it was developed by some rich bastard who wanted to become richer!
That amounts to around 20 to 25 percent of all American healthcare spending not being used as it should. Instead of reaching patients and making their healthcare better and cheaper, that money is used for administrative purposes and keeping the system afloat. In short inefficiencies in the system lead to larger costs. And the American people suffer for it. With the Covid-19 pandemic, things have gotten worse.
I’m A Registered Nurse That Contracted Covid. This Is My Bill For My Visit To The Emergency Department
That's disgusting. You literally risk your life every day to help patients for (I assume) rather mediocre pay, and when you become a patient yourself they send you this. Disgusting...
Even if Americans don't believe in universal healthcare surely they can get together and agree that if you catch COVID as a nurse or other medical professional the government/your employer should pay the damn bill.
Load More Replies...Why wouldn't your employer pay this for you? It is a job-related injury, isn't it?
You'd probably need to prove that's how you contracted it. Could just as easily got it outside your job. That's what they'd pull so they don't have to pay.
Load More Replies...And they wonder why so many nurses are leaving the profession! Because they are not treated as professionals a nurse can save your life quicker than those highly paid things called Doctors!
You don't get free care for being a hero fighting this pandemi then get infected?? Gosh, don't they the one that should pay because you get the disease on work place?? This is crazy..
My Bill For A 2 Night Hospital Stay
Oh my gawd, that is crazy! My Dad is currently fighting cancer in the hospital. He's been there for 11 days - total cost= 0,-!
Contact me. I will give you mine (unfortunately already used) for 30,000 😉
Load More Replies...Royal suite at the Burj Al Arab (Dubai) costs more than $24,000...
Do you ever wonder how much these so called humanitarian billionaires will pay if they are admitted for some problem - if you're thinking a lot don't kid yourself!
Was your bed made from zircon? How are these prices even - I'm baffled.
My Mother’s Hospital Bill Of When She Went To The Er Cause Of Her Gallbladder And Had To Have Emergency Surgery. She Was In The Hospital For One Day
And the ultrasound charge, holy mother... an ultrasound of the whole abdomen costs less than 100€ in Germany (and is paid by your insurance if it is medically necessary)...
Load More Replies...Then she'll get a bill from the physician and anesthesiologist, who are both out of network because they're employed by a third-party contractor who does not have contracts with insurance companies so they can siphon even more money from patients. There's a reason it's called SURPRISE BILLING and Congress has been trying to fix this problem but there are 11 million other problems to fix too.
So you end up hospital shopping for a surgeon who is on your insurance so you don't have to pay the huge cost of having your appendix out.
Load More Replies...I was in hospital for a week, HDU for most of it, having blood taken daily at least sometimes twice, and I had an MRI (I think, the one that does clunk clunk clunk - I was on a lot of morphine at the time) and an ultrasound. Had a chest drain in and was on an IV all but the last day when mine ruptured. Then I went back in a year later for day surgery (ended up staying overnight because apparently my body doesn't like anaesthetics) to have the gall bladder removed. And I was a carer on benefits looking after my father the whole time so I wouldn't have had insurance in the US. The first trip involved being blue lighted in by an ambulance too. Thank God I like in the UK.
I once had a tiny cyst removed right by my eye when I was eight. I was put under anesthesia and the total costs with insurance was about $10,000. The American Healthcare system is totally effed up.
A semi-private room translates to "there's a curtain between the two beds which can be pulled so the patients don't have to look at each other."
They basically did by charging for ER admittance
Load More Replies...They charge charge more for a room than the Waldorf Astoria does.
8 days in hospital with sepsis due gall stones stuck in bile duct, inflamed pancreas and liver. Ultrasound, MRI, intravenous antibiotics, daily blood tests, procedure to remove gallstones from bile duct and increase size of bile duct to prevent reoccurance until gall bladder removal 2 weeks later with 2 more days in hospital, all meds, incl margin and oxycodine plus antibiotics. TOTAL COST ZERO DOLLARS
Sorry should be Targin, not margin. Also had a private room and specialists constantly visiting and letting me know how everything is going and the food was great, in a public hospital.
Load More Replies...However, Investopedia provides slightly different numbers than the NYT. According to them, the US spends around 8 percent of its healthcare costs on administration. “Providers face a huge array of usage and billing requirements from multiple payers, which makes it necessary to hire costly administrative help for billing and reimbursements,” they explain why the waste in the system occurs in the first place.
Hospital Bill For A 21yo Admitted For A Suicide Attempt - This Is The State Of Our Modern American "Healthcare"
You hit the nail on the head - get this bill it's why the hell didn't they just let me die!
Load More Replies...Not to get really dark but fear of the bill if I failed once saved my life.
Nope. Better to just let him. Or better yet, help him so he doesn't fail.
General lab charge? What? Since when do EKGs cost more than an EEG or a CT scan? How many did they do for that price?! They're simple to do and take about 10 minutes at the very most. Nowadays you just stick the wires in the correct places and push a button and it spits the whole thing out. Take the wires off. Done like dinner. Note: Check out the cost of Behavior Health Services. Says they got next to no help with that issue that they ended up there for in the first place.
first time I see Room and Board being less than anything else..... and...... good insurance!
Having A Baby Is Not Cheap
In New Zealand our daughter was in NICU for 3-4 days. Our bill? $0... Didn't even pay for parking. Got given a pass to the carparks. Single room overlooking the park.
you're lucky. I had to pay parking in Canada. $10 for 24hrs. 2 Days in hospital was $20.
Load More Replies...Ah yes, the good old days in Canada. When I was born there was no universal Healthcare. Not sure about private insurance back then, but my parents wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway. I spent 48 days in an incubator ( the best they had back then as equivalent to a NICU). I had 2 pediatricians. Then I spent another month and a half in the regular nursery. Back then parents were not allowed access to the nursery. My mother never even touched me, held me until I was 3 months old. The hospital bill took them 3 years to pay off. They had a little party that the hospital couldn't repossess me!😆 But the bill for TWO PEDIATRICIANS? They knew my parents were poor and could never afford the cost for 48 days of care. The bill for both of them together? $50. That's what I call compassion.
I was in hospital for a week before my daughter was born prematurely. I was discharged 3 days after she was born but she was in NICU for 2 weeks. My total bill was zero.
Does that amount include the services of a maternity nurse who comes to your house for a week to help and advice you with your baby?
I go for treatments at a Canadian hospital - car park for patients only $20. Don't know what you have to pay as a visitor! What the staff has to pay per month is horrendous!
How do people afford childbirth fullstop? The previous bill was >$600,000
Insurance Just Paid $57,605.79 For Medication That Costs Under $100 Anywhere Else
OK So I REALLY don't understand why the FBI haven't charged these firms with fraud and racketeering-plainly this is fraudulent.
The Pharmaceutical companies give oodles of money to congressmen and senators. They pass laws to protect the racket. The USA is as much a narco-state as Mexico
Load More Replies...I'm an RN in Australia and when I worked in an infectious diseases ward in a public hospital we gave this to our patients for free. Sometimes they'd be with us for several months because they required extensive treatment. It was still free.
Call it what it is, if you did it would be Blackmail plain and simple!
In some parts of the world, what this drug is used to treat, is not that unusual a health issue and so is not expensive at all. In other areas of the world, where it is a rare occurance, it's known as an "orphan" disease. it is considered to be what is called an "orphan" drug because its not used much. FDA approved in the US, but not given all that often. So, hey! Let's charge a lot when it is. It is not approved by Health Canada and so must have special permission from them to administer. A gentleman here in Ontario needed this drug so as not to go blind in one eye. Ontario wouldn't pay for it under it's program for special access because it was not approved by Health Canada. So, it had to be purchased from the US, of course in US dollars at an exorbitant price. Every penny came out of his pocket. Thanks Canada! Thanks Ontario!
Investopedia notes that the Covid-19 pandemic has further increased the pressure on the already highly complex and expensive American healthcare system. “There’s an urgent need to expand testing and treatment for COVID-19 to all residents who need it, regardless of health insurance status. Massive federal cash influxes have sought to shore up hospitals sagging under the weight of the coronavirus burden and the related cessation of elective surgery and regular medical care,” they write.
My Buddies Medical Bill For A Month-Long Stay In The Hospital After Being Hit By A Driver High On Heroin
Thank you for the kind welcome but I- um- I just realized that I have a very important place to be very very far away so.... *runs in the opposite direction while desperately hoping they won't charge me for my existence*.
Load More Replies...Wait, it's still a lot of money for whoever pays it, but shouldn't the guy that hit him be responsible?
If the driver at fault doesn't have insurance that covers it the victim is screwed
Load More Replies...I'm stunned that the bill isn't over the million dollar mark, considering the patient was in the hospital for an entire MONTH.
And the guy that hit you got a slap on the wrist told to go to rehab, which nobody check up on and he is still if he is alive is still shoving a needle in his arm!
The Hospital "Helping"
And I'm sure this will have a great effect on this person's mental well-being, too. Great business model. Take people's money, their mental health goes down because they have money trouble, they have to get help, you can take more of their money, repeat. It's like something a supervillain would cook up.
Oh, no, not even. Mental illness isn't real because it isn't caused by a pathogen,, or a visible injury. /s Why are we so stuck on punishment for street drugs and trying to get guns away from honest people who wouldn't hurt anyone who isn't trying to hurt them, when what needs to happen in our country is recognition of mental health problems, and treating children like human beings not an education product.
Believe me that’s cheap. I’m surprised it’s not twice as much. Shameful
First of all, the cost?! And the best they could do for someone who is suicidal is 2 days anyway? That cannot be successfully dealt with in 2 days. Trust me I've been there. Three words from a song by Mark Knoffler. "Money for nothing".
I was taken to a psych hospital about a month ago for observation. I actually gave them a different name and had no ID on me ( only my nickname bc I was not okay and had a bunch of cops and EMTs surrounding me freaking me out) am happy I didn't bc I have no income and wouldn't be able to afford the thousands I'd be charged. So damn upsetting bc they didn't even help me there.
I Bought Dental Insurance Specifically So I Could Afford To Get My Wisdom Teeth Removed. Humana Deducted Less Than What I Pay Them Monthly From My Medical Bill
Go on America, tell me how medical insurance is better than socialized healthcare
In Ontario we have to pay our dental bills ourselves unless we have private insurance to pay for it. Surprise people! We do have to have private insurance for some things up here. I got fantastic insurance paid for by my employer. Never paid a penny for any dental work. I just retired. The money I would have to pay for useless dental coverage is highway robbery so really my only choice to pay for every dental procedure myself. Thank god I take good care of my teeth. I will continue to do so because I won't be able to afford if I don't.
However, the American healthcare system has had issues long before Covid. Life expectancy in the US stands at 78.8 years while it ranges from 80.7 to 83.9 in other high-income countries that the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at.
My Father In Law's Hospital Bill After 2 1/2 Days In The Hospital For Observation
Don’t these suspiciously high bills often decrease a lot once a detailed itemised bill is requested? I really hope that the do.
You can do that, sometimes they remove charges. A lot of hospitals have programs for low income and no insurance as well that can actually wipe your bill completely, but this really shouldn't be the best way to fix this issue.
Load More Replies...Wonder if we started sending bills for wait times and minimum wage for a 40 hr week. Isn't our time as valuable as theirs!
Went To The Er For What Turned Out To Be A Panic Attack. These Were The Consequences
and the irony is that bill like that is likely to cause another panic attack as most should rightfully be worried about how to come up with that sort of money on a short notice.
i REALLY , REALLY , REALLY do not get how ALL of America is not standing up and DEMANDING social health care , can you all HONESTLY say your way is working ????
Most of us agree that it does NOT work. Everyone says we should change it - but how? Where to start? Our elected representatives? Once elected, they do the bidding of their wealthy donors, not the will of the people who elect them. The truth is, most people feel helpless about this s**t show, and just don't know what to do about it.
Load More Replies...Panic attack -> hospitalized -> hospital bills 1000 another panic attack -> repeat
Got The Hospital Bill For Delivery Of My C-Section Baby. I Don’t Think I Need To Say Which Country I Live In
For that money she could have travelled to Europe, give birth, enjoy 6 months of rest and relaxation and still have saved $40.000.
And given her child a path to alternate citizenship if they chose so in 18 years
Load More Replies...Had my son by c-section in Sweden, 5 days in hospital and lots of round the clock care as i was very unwell. We had a suite so my husband stayed every night. Our final bill was about $35 US. That's thirty five dollars. Not thousands.
Health care (by these bills this is the wrong term) is an abomination in the U.S.
Unfortunately, only 90 percent of Americans have health insurance which is 9 to 10 percent lower than in these other industrialized countries. Many Americans feel like they simply cannot afford insurance.
The Worst Part About Healthcare! This Is A Real Bill For A Motorized Wheelchair, Something A Person Needs To Live!
It's motorized run over the bastards! Sorry Pandas but this stuff pisses me off so much!
Hospitals: LET'S MAKE IT SO THAT LIVING TAKES THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!
Just Got My $39k Hospital Bill For Having A Stroke At 34
I'd have had a second one after seeing the bill. Why do Americans put up with this??
Because we've allowed ridiculous things like gerry mandering to wreck our elections. So now an ignorant few can hold the rest of us hostage.
Load More Replies..."Presbytarian" hospital? I'm struggling to find that bit in the bible where Jesus healed the sick and then charged him 38k...
Presbyterian in name, not in deeds apparently.
Load More Replies...My brother had a stroke at age 62. Since he is one Social Security Disabiltiy because of a TBI when he gets the bills he opens them, laughs at them, then tosses them in the trash. Since it is his only income he can't get sued. I love it that he at least f****d over the heath care system.
A stroke at 34 is scary and serious. Considering the cost of some other things on this post it looks like they didn't do very much to treat it. Criminal.
My Buddy's Son Ate A Penny, This Is How Much The Hospital Charged For A 5 Minute Procedure To Get It Out
Holy crap. I swallowed a Canadian penny 30 years ago, got lodged in my throat for 4 months, it cost my parents 1¢.
National Nurses United points out that a whopping 78 percent of adult Americans avoided visiting the hospital while 44 percent skipped medical care due to the large cost, in 2018. In a very sad commentary on the reality that Americans face, nearly a third, 30 percent, said that they were forced to choose between paying for their medical bills and necessities such as buying food or paying for their housing.
Got Our Hospital Bill On The Same Day That A Handwritten Thank You Card From My Wife's Nurses Arrived
I bet poor old Florence Nightengale is spinning in her grave so fast she's now in middle earth!
Reply to survey: Thank you for "allowing" us to take care of you. No choice on that one. The hospital did "$h!++y" as far as the cost of this stay. And it would it improve things if you stopped robbing the patients.
A gimmick to make the patient feel like they've received some extra, "personal" care, right before they're slammed with atrocious bills.
A thank you card for having to use their facilities and care seems inappropriate to me.
That looks hand signed, but the text on it looks like a cursive font.
Just Got The First Bill For My Back Surgery. The Surgery Itself Is Not Included On This Statement
Blackmail!1 I hope the surgery worked but this is so callous and unfeeling from a plce that supposedly heals the sick and injured!
This Is The Cost Of A Rattlesnake Bite In America
How can the pharmacy charges be higher than the intensive care bed?! This is just ridiculous. I'm so grateful for the NHS.
Because it was a snake bite and antivenin is hella expensive. Also, the amount of antivenin needed to counteract the bite can be (and often is) excessive, depending on the type of snake, weight of the patient, time elapsed between the time of bite & administration of the drug, and any underlying health issues the patient may have that could counteract and/or work against the effectiveness of a "standard" dose of antivenin. That said, the pharmacy charges on this bill are absolutely criminal, even for a treatment this specialized.
Load More Replies...But wait a minute, this is America, I’m pretty sure there will be a lawyer somewhere that’s ready to sue the snake
Maybe we (at this price) we should try cut, suck and spit! Cause that's what they did to you!
Meanwhile, NNU also reports that back in 2019, 137.1 million people living in the US said that they were struggling with medical debt. The complexity of the system and the high hospital charges also drove up the cost of treating those ill with Covid-19. The cost of treating a Covid-19 patient who stays at the hospital can reach over 42.4k dollars if there are no or few complications. Whereas those with major complications can end up paying over 74.3k dollars for their stay.
My Hospital Bill After A Single Mri Brain Scan In The Us
For comparison: In Germany a head MRT is billed with 400 to 500€ if you pay yourself (because it was not medically necessary and thus the insurance doesn't cover it.)
About the same in the UK, if you go private to speed things up.
Load More Replies...I had the same procedure here a couple of months back, for which I was charged the Japanese Yen equivalent of about $40.00. I say 'about' because I didn't bother looking at the bill. Everyone in Japan has mandatory health insurance, which is totally affordable and covers pretty much anything medical. The costs to me are laughably small. Why Americans don't revolt and burn down the insurance companies and start over is a mystery to the civilized world.
Have you noticed on every bill it's for "services" guess that's another word for being screwed -and not particularly enjoying it!
My Hospital Bill For An Uncomplicated Birth
Wait until you see the cost of adoption in the US............
Load More Replies...Room and board Did ya give birth in a five star hotel with a Michelin chef cooking for ya.........
Well just rise up people and pray to SAINT PETER! Let me read that again it says SAINT PETER'S Hospital saints can own and need payment for the use of HIS hospital?
Define other diagnostic services please. Makes the whole idea of home birth look good.
And people wonder why so many young adults aren't having babies.
170k
What was to happen if one refuses to pay the bill? ( not from America and any form of health care is borne by the insurance company in my country).
You'll have bad credit for a few years. If you own business property in your name in some states but not all they can sue you and sell it off. Your usually better off sending a pic of your middle finger.
Load More Replies...Imagine when this goes to collections. Even at 1% interest a month that's $1715 added to it every month. "Oh, you cant pay it? here let's charge you more" What the actual f**k america....
In case you couldn't tell and instead mistook it for a horror novel, which is an understandable mistake.
Load More Replies...What do you think about the healthcare and health insurance systems in the United States, dear Pandas? What do you think it would take for the situation to fundamentally change? Have you ever had to pay off a huge hospital bill like in this list? Share your thoughts and feelings about the topic in the comment section at the bottom of the article.
An Uninsured Covid-19 Patient Just Got Her Medical Bill: $34,927.43
Wth does single payer and covid have to do with each other? They are literally separate issues.
If the healthcare is out of means for many people, they will not seek help until they are nearly dying, which I imagine would lead to more preventable deaths because the sick get to the hospital too late.
Load More Replies...I should like to invent(?) a quote. "Man can and must live by MONEY alone!"
Welcome To The USA. Just The Hospital Bill From A Car Accident. Note Charges Denied
The medical insurance will want the car insurance to pay first. If there is no car insurance, they will go after whoever caused the wreck. If that was the patient, they are s**t out of luck.
Yup. Came here to say that. Med insurance does everything they can to not have to pay.
Load More Replies...I'm not a mathematician, but when I add those numbers up, I get $43.488.88. WTF?
There's another 3 pages of bogus charges which may include $600 for a band aid and $40.000 for a 3 minute ambulance ride.
Load More Replies...If I wreck in my commercial truck, I hope it's runaway downhill and I hit a concrete wall at 85 mph. I'm an over the road truck driver.
Aside from the question of its being an auto accident and who/whose insurance is liable, this patient has a High Deductible Health Plan -- those are usually, but not always, paired with a medical savings account (I think that's the right term, it's actually a term of art; there are a bunch of different kinds of cash accounts with similar sounding names that are related to employee health insurance benefits). For a lower overall insurance premium, the employer deposits cash monthly into the medical savings account, which can then be used to meet the high deductible on the insurance when there is a claim. The high deductible is measured in thousands of dollars rather than hundreds of dollars as for a normal health insurance deductible.
Healthcare As God Would Have Wanted It
Matthew 21:14 "And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them." And lo, he charged them 135,000 dollars each...
I feel terrible for laughing but that was funny
Load More Replies...Matthew 25:31-46. Sheep ( the people with compassion) "Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me". The goats: (people who were without compassion) "Whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for Me." I guess this hospital who delivers "the healing ministry of Christ" would have no problem charging Him this exorbitant amount. What a bunch of goats!
Please do not insult goats! They is cute little critters!
Load More Replies...My Recent Hospital Bill Seems A Little On The Steep Side.. (This Is For A Five Day Stay With No Surgery)
Ok this one I have a problem with. First of all it’s a 2015 bill. And there is NOTHING itemized or showing what the person was treated for. Over a million US dollars??? I don’t think so based on what is here.
$129 For The Hospital Gown But Only $6 For Opioids. Make It Make Sense
Get you stoned so you won't notice the price hikes on everything else
It does make sense, you aren't going to get hooked on a hospital gown. Big pharma wants life long customers. Big hospital gown doesn't.
Went To The Er For What Turned Out To Be Bad Food Poisoning. Was In A Bed For Less Than 2 Hours. Got The Bill Today
I like how they went to 3 separate labs and 4 different emergency rooms.
My Brother Fell While Rock Climbing And Broke His Neck, Back, And Ankle. This Is What The Bill Looks Like For Two Surgeries, A Week Hospital Stay, The Neck/Back Braces, And Ankle Cast
Compared to the others in this list, this seems like a bargain for 2 surgeries, the length of hospital stay, and the rehab. But geez, no one should go bankrupt trying not to die.
$70,000+ In Medical Bills?
As a European I just don't understand this at all. I get that you Americans have to pay insurance, but then the insurance refuses your claims for medical treatments? Am I missing something here? How do they justify that?
There really are no regulations for insurance companies. The government here does not deem it an emergency issue to deal with.
Load More Replies...I had my appendix out about 15 years ago (UK). I was in hospital for two or three nights (I forget). No charge.
I Owe Them $1500 Just To Remove Blood Out Of The Tip Of My Finger
I Had To Be Transported To The Hospital Last Year In An Ambulance. It Cost $1,118
My wife had to be transported 20km in Wallonia (French speaking part of Belgium) after a nasty bicycle accident during our vacation. I think it ended up costing us around €26 (< $30). I can't remember the exact amount because it was so trivial.
it is a max $45 in Ontario Canada - for residents with a valid Ontario health card
It's about the same in Australia without insurance and a lot of people don't have it
A lot of Australians & New Zealanders don't know that you have to pay for an ambulance (charge is per km) but annual insurance is about $50, pretty cheap considering they're always struggling for funds.
Don't Get In A Car Accident In The Us. 3 Days $60,000, And That's Just The Hospital Bill
My Cousin Was In A Motorcycle Accident Last Month, Has No Insurance, And Spent 4 Days In The Hospital. Just Got His Bill Today
U.S. Healthcare At Its Finest. It's Great That I Got That Cares Act Adjustment, Otherwise I'd Have Been In So Much Debt
I Forgot My Meds And Had An Anxiety Attack At Work. My Boss Freaked Out And Called 911. Just Got The Bill Today, For Less Than 2 Hours Of Care And A Xanax
Look At Those Discounts
The initial price is horrifically inflated. Insurance companies never pay the "sticker price". They negotiate contracts with hospitals annually that spell out how much they will actually pay for any given procedure.
Load More Replies...T-Pain’s Brothers Medical Bill For Staying In The Hospital For Over A Month
SHOW THE ENTIRE BILL. SHOW THE ADJUSTMENTS, THE NEGOTIATED RATES, THE INSURANCE PORTION? WHAT DOES THE PATIENT ACTUALLY OWE?
Wow
There's pharmacy, and then there is other pharmacy, plus I've charges and more.. can anyone explain?
About A Month Ago I Had To Give A Guy Cpr During Covid, Which Meant I Needed To Get Tested. Today I Got The Bill For Being A Good Samaritan
i'm sure covid tests in other places are free, or at least, not cost this much
Yep, had to get lateral flow tests for my husband who then also had a PCR test - all free in the UK and I'm sure in many other countries.
Load More Replies...damn, here in italy people are gong crazy because private covid test cost 8€
Wait you even pay that much for this? If I need a covid swab my doctor visit is entirely free no matter what else they treat when I'm there. Would this just make ppl avoid covid tests, like they must avoid all healthcare for fear of crippling debt?
Welcome To The United States, Where It Costs You $800 To Have Pneumonia (With Good Insurance)!
3 Day Stay In The Hospital After Knee Surgery. Medical Bills Are Ridiculous
In Australia I had a partial knee replacement, 4 nights in hospital, followup physiotherapy sessions and checkups - total cost $0.00
I Was Rearended, Went To Hospital, Doctor Asked A Couple Of Question (Didn’t Even Touch To Check). Sent Me To Xray Room. Came Out Negative. Total Of Time Spent: 1 Hour Waiting For My Turn, 5 Min Question, 5 Xray. That’s It
ONE Ibuprofen for 50$?? Wtf ist wrong with these people??? For that price you get over TWO HUNDRED in Germany...
For that price you could get at least a bottle of 50-100 at a store like Walmart or Target. This was from the pharmacy inside the hospital. So there’s your rate hike.
Load More Replies...I was t-boned on a Sunday afternoon. I had an ambulance ride to the hospital, the ambos gave me morphine and paracetamol and took me to ED. I spent 8 hours in ED, saw three doctors, had a head and neck CT, chest x-ray, and was given the all-clear. They gave me a taxi voucher for my ride home because it was midnight and I had no other way of getting home. The total cost to me was $0.
Fifth?
I will freely admit that the US health care system is jacked up, believe me. My mother had to move in with me because she can't pay rent and her medication, but so many of these bills don't show the patient cost or the insurance adjustments or the hospital negotiated rates. They just show the total charge or the itemized charge. How much is the FINAL BILL TO THE PATIENT? That isn't being shown. I think that threads like these just serve to overdramatize the already jacked up system.
ALWAYS ask for the itemized bills. Then when that comes, ask to have it clarified. THAT's where they pad the bills, as they know most folks just go along w/ the bill. They don't know they can question charges. If you can, don't forget to comparison shop. Get a list of what they charge for things ahead. Yes, some hospitals have these and you see if they're even being in line w/ their own costs! If you have one, bring along your first born and offer to surrender it/leave it for the CEO as payment.
I feel sorry for the USA, then wearily frustrated when Americans poo-poo taxes paying for education, housing and healthcare - calling it communism / socialism without understanding what socialism actually is. It's like the circus elephant that's learned to love the chain around its leg. Get private shareholder-based insurance companies out of healthcare. It's as evil as a pedophile running a daycare.
Especially as I imagine the amount lost in taxes would be less than the amount they pay in insurance, but one supports just them and the other supports those less well off.
Load More Replies...Speaking as someone from Europe, I wonder how many Americans realise just how utterly bewildering this is to other countries. It just doesn't seem possible outside of a dystopian novel. I just genuinely don't understand it.
And even more, I wonder how many Americans realise that on top of the free covernmental healthcare we can whenever needed also services from the private sector with way more lower prices and our reasonable priced voluntary medical insurances also really handles most of those costs :D
Load More Replies...I had to stop reading, these are so depressing. Do they effect your credit score? Do you have to sell your homes to pay for them? How is this bullshit even legal?
Yeah, I found it increasingly depressing to read. It's hard enough dealing with a medical emergency without the stress of extortion.
Load More Replies...I'm not reading this thread as it is just going to make me really angry. The US does not have anything resembling a healthcare system. It just has greedy corporations that extract money from its citizens through IV lines. Having just read about some guy stealing $1 so he can be sent to prison and get free healthcare just about sums up the state it is in.
I agree 100% but even the prisons there are run for profit. Don't even get me started on that...🙄
Load More Replies...I paid $6500 for a one hour surgery that was very much needed and less than 6 hours in the hospital total. Half Had to be paid before the surgery. And that's with insurance. Healthcare in the US sucks. They rape us everyday.
Doesn't anyone find it peculiar that people in the states will scream at the top of their lungs to "free britney" - something they will absolutely get 0 benefit from - yet they won't riot against disastrous healthcare?
Every year I realize we are more stupid than the rest of the world!!
Load More Replies...Let me tell you a short story: my husband is a Captain. Back a few years he was at sea and he answered to a MayDay over the radio (his boat happen to be the closest to the incident). He got there, there was a guy in the water ( whom he saved, by the way) but the dingy that the guy fell from had no kill switch and was lose. In a freak twist of faith, that same dingy hit a buoy and did a 180degree turn, and run my husband three times. This resulted in his left foot being amputated below knee. The total bill we've got was over 250.000$. He is a Captain and he saved someones life!!
Did he get no help or support with the finances at all? Disgusting if not. Hope he's doing okay now.
Load More Replies...Genuine question if someone can enlighten me? How does the average American actually manage to pay these bills? I know the above might be extreme examples but even if, after an insurance payout, your medical bill still amount to tens of thousands how does someone actually pay this? Myself and my wife earn a decent wage but if we suddenly had a 10k + bill land on our doormat I really don't know how we'd pay it.
Payment plans. Basically these people just bought the equivalent of a house - against their will. "Oh, you don't HAVE $200k? Well what a coincidence, our hospital has a partnership with a lending company!!! Oh, you don't like 20% interest rates? Oh darn, that's too bad!...check your wallet again and see if you have that $200k yet!"
Load More Replies...What many Americans might not know, is that in Europe there usually is also a private health care available beside the public one. It's usually paid by your employee, so the working people get fast quality care, and non-working (children, pensioners, unemployed) get slow quality care. But even if you don't have an employer to pay and you decide to pay for a private health care, it's WAY cheaper (Like 5 000 euros for a hip placement surgery or 10 000 euros for a bariatric surgery) and you'll still get heavily subsidized medication.
This is appalling. How did a country lose its way so shockingly in such a fundamental human right area as health. I come to Bored Panda for amusement - this is just horribly wrong. Really, it’s symptomatic of a wider American problem though: let’s not pay our sports stars 1 million, give them 80 million. Why charge $2000 for a University program when you can charge $200000??
Because people have been brainwashed. They think we do this to ourselves.
Load More Replies...I feel sorry for the USA, then wearily frustrated when Americans poo-poo taxes paying for education, housing and healthcare - calling it communism / socialism without understanding what socialism actually is. It's like the circus elephant that's learned to love the chain around its leg. Get private shareholder-based insurance companies out of healthcare. It's as evil as a pedophile running a daycare.
Especially as I imagine the amount lost in taxes would be less than the amount they pay in insurance, but one supports just them and the other supports those less well off.
Load More Replies...Speaking as someone from Europe, I wonder how many Americans realise just how utterly bewildering this is to other countries. It just doesn't seem possible outside of a dystopian novel. I just genuinely don't understand it.
And even more, I wonder how many Americans realise that on top of the free covernmental healthcare we can whenever needed also services from the private sector with way more lower prices and our reasonable priced voluntary medical insurances also really handles most of those costs :D
Load More Replies...I had to stop reading, these are so depressing. Do they effect your credit score? Do you have to sell your homes to pay for them? How is this bullshit even legal?
Yeah, I found it increasingly depressing to read. It's hard enough dealing with a medical emergency without the stress of extortion.
Load More Replies...I'm not reading this thread as it is just going to make me really angry. The US does not have anything resembling a healthcare system. It just has greedy corporations that extract money from its citizens through IV lines. Having just read about some guy stealing $1 so he can be sent to prison and get free healthcare just about sums up the state it is in.
I agree 100% but even the prisons there are run for profit. Don't even get me started on that...🙄
Load More Replies...I paid $6500 for a one hour surgery that was very much needed and less than 6 hours in the hospital total. Half Had to be paid before the surgery. And that's with insurance. Healthcare in the US sucks. They rape us everyday.
Doesn't anyone find it peculiar that people in the states will scream at the top of their lungs to "free britney" - something they will absolutely get 0 benefit from - yet they won't riot against disastrous healthcare?
Every year I realize we are more stupid than the rest of the world!!
Load More Replies...Let me tell you a short story: my husband is a Captain. Back a few years he was at sea and he answered to a MayDay over the radio (his boat happen to be the closest to the incident). He got there, there was a guy in the water ( whom he saved, by the way) but the dingy that the guy fell from had no kill switch and was lose. In a freak twist of faith, that same dingy hit a buoy and did a 180degree turn, and run my husband three times. This resulted in his left foot being amputated below knee. The total bill we've got was over 250.000$. He is a Captain and he saved someones life!!
Did he get no help or support with the finances at all? Disgusting if not. Hope he's doing okay now.
Load More Replies...Genuine question if someone can enlighten me? How does the average American actually manage to pay these bills? I know the above might be extreme examples but even if, after an insurance payout, your medical bill still amount to tens of thousands how does someone actually pay this? Myself and my wife earn a decent wage but if we suddenly had a 10k + bill land on our doormat I really don't know how we'd pay it.
Payment plans. Basically these people just bought the equivalent of a house - against their will. "Oh, you don't HAVE $200k? Well what a coincidence, our hospital has a partnership with a lending company!!! Oh, you don't like 20% interest rates? Oh darn, that's too bad!...check your wallet again and see if you have that $200k yet!"
Load More Replies...What many Americans might not know, is that in Europe there usually is also a private health care available beside the public one. It's usually paid by your employee, so the working people get fast quality care, and non-working (children, pensioners, unemployed) get slow quality care. But even if you don't have an employer to pay and you decide to pay for a private health care, it's WAY cheaper (Like 5 000 euros for a hip placement surgery or 10 000 euros for a bariatric surgery) and you'll still get heavily subsidized medication.
This is appalling. How did a country lose its way so shockingly in such a fundamental human right area as health. I come to Bored Panda for amusement - this is just horribly wrong. Really, it’s symptomatic of a wider American problem though: let’s not pay our sports stars 1 million, give them 80 million. Why charge $2000 for a University program when you can charge $200000??
Because people have been brainwashed. They think we do this to ourselves.
Load More Replies...
