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Non-American Asks Americans To Clarify A Thing About Their Healthcare, The Answers Reveal How Wrong Things Are
The coronavirus outbreak is rapidly sweeping across the globe with almost 400,000 confirmed cases to date. The death toll has reached a staggering 17,156, which shows that no one is safe at this point. The world has become a battlefield.
Americans have not one, but two enemies to defend themselves from. With the current health insurance system, many people are exposed to disastrous debts and financial damages. Unfortunately, this threat is no less real than the virus itself.
So when a Scottish man named Stu Cameron tried to sum up how the American healthcare system works amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Twitter exploded with comments. Americans explained the situation in detail and the grim reality became crystal clear. Let’s dive into the discussion below.
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Stu tried to make sense of how American health insurance works in this tweet
Image credits: stucam7771
Image credits: stucam7771
But Jeff was quick to announce that Stu is not even close
Image credits: jeffaschwarz
Image credits: jeffaschwarz
Coronavirus is putting the American healthcare system to the test, but experts claim that people will take the worst hit.
Wendell Potter, a whistleblower and former vice president of a leading insurance company, told Bored Panda in this previous article about the ways health insurers are failing Americans. “Ten years after the Affordable Care Act, 30 million people are uninsured and 60 million are underinsured.”
That means that in many cases, people will have no option but “to pay thousands of dollars out of their pockets before their insurance coverage will kick in.” The fear of paying expenses that so many Americans don’t have is the reason why they feel reluctant to get tested and seek treatment. But these measures are crucial to curb the viral outbreak.
Image credits: jeffaschwarz
Image credits: jeffaschwarz
Image credits: jeffaschwarz
More people expressed their frustration
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giovanna 4 years ago (edited)
I don't want to repeat myself, but our hospital bill is 0 (zero) euros if we need hospitalization, ICU treatment, surgery of any kind, chemo. The concern of not being able to pay for hospital bills doesn't even exist here. We don't know what that is. Do I pay taxes for this? Yes. Do my health taxes amount to 12.000 USD per year? No, it's far less. Am I happy to pay those taxes for myself and for my fellow citizens who might need healthcare? YES.
Thomas Es Thomas 4 years ago
Americans live in a ____-up society that we call freedom. Despite what the majority of the population think, the United States is not a democracy. Nor has it ever been. Instead it is a Federal republic with elected representatives. The people do not and have never made the policy of the American government. In true democracy, every person gets to vote on every subject. This is why it seems like nothing ever gets done in the United States. Because everything has to be deliberated over by the council.
What Does The Fugly Say 4 years ago
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Kazza 4 years ago (edited)
America gave Billionaires a tax cut in 2018 that has them pay less in taxes than the working class, whose salary averages $48, 672. Amazon paid 0 taxes in America last year. Average Monthly health insurance for individuals is $231, family Monthly health insurance $833. But wait! you are not done paying! Paying this Monthly amount buys you health insurance that starts...AFTER you pay your “Deductible” (the amount you have to spend out of pocket before the insurance you buy every month kicks in) . This ‘Deductible’ avgs. $4,300 for an individual and $8,000 for a family. But wait! Not done yet! Once you’ve paid your Monthly, spent $4-8 thousand out of pocket on your Deductible, you think this insurance will cover you, yes? NOPE! Every Dr. visit, every hospital stay now also has a “Co-Pay” (a % you are still on the hook for, usually 10-30% of every bill). Phew. But, *now you’re covered*, yes? NOPE! There is a ‘Lifetime Cap’ on your insurance! What’s this?
Kazza 4 years ago (edited)
A Lifetime Cap is an amount the insurance that you have just paid everything above for, stops at. Even if you want to keep paying your Monthly, your Deductibles, your Co-Pays...NOPE! You are now cut off. Sometimes it’s a million, sometimes It’s a little more, but not much. Yes. You are reading this right- the insurance company gets to cut you off when your health bill gets too high for them. This is all legal. Also, good luck trying to get new insurance now, you are now considered a “Bad Risk” and no insurance company will want to give you new insurance. On avg. an American individual spends $4-7 thousand a year, families $10-15 g on spotty, bad insurance. For a National Health plan, they would pay about $1,500 in taxes, A YEAR. TOTAL. $1,500 total paid once a year thru taxes. And we haven’t even gotten to their “Deny Treatment” policy. Or trying to keep up with all this billing. Or that 500,000 people go bankrupt from medical bills EACH YEAR. But sure- Keep America Great.
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giovanna 4 years ago (edited)
I don't want to repeat myself, but our hospital bill is 0 (zero) euros if we need hospitalization, ICU treatment, surgery of any kind, chemo. The concern of not being able to pay for hospital bills doesn't even exist here. We don't know what that is. Do I pay taxes for this? Yes. Do my health taxes amount to 12.000 USD per year? No, it's far less. Am I happy to pay those taxes for myself and for my fellow citizens who might need healthcare? YES.
Thomas Es Thomas 4 years ago
Americans live in a ____-up society that we call freedom. Despite what the majority of the population think, the United States is not a democracy. Nor has it ever been. Instead it is a Federal republic with elected representatives. The people do not and have never made the policy of the American government. In true democracy, every person gets to vote on every subject. This is why it seems like nothing ever gets done in the United States. Because everything has to be deliberated over by the council.
What Does The Fugly Say 4 years ago
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Load More Replies... Kazza 4 years ago (edited)
America gave Billionaires a tax cut in 2018 that has them pay less in taxes than the working class, whose salary averages $48, 672. Amazon paid 0 taxes in America last year. Average Monthly health insurance for individuals is $231, family Monthly health insurance $833. But wait! you are not done paying! Paying this Monthly amount buys you health insurance that starts...AFTER you pay your “Deductible” (the amount you have to spend out of pocket before the insurance you buy every month kicks in) . This ‘Deductible’ avgs. $4,300 for an individual and $8,000 for a family. But wait! Not done yet! Once you’ve paid your Monthly, spent $4-8 thousand out of pocket on your Deductible, you think this insurance will cover you, yes? NOPE! Every Dr. visit, every hospital stay now also has a “Co-Pay” (a % you are still on the hook for, usually 10-30% of every bill). Phew. But, *now you’re covered*, yes? NOPE! There is a ‘Lifetime Cap’ on your insurance! What’s this?
Kazza 4 years ago (edited)
A Lifetime Cap is an amount the insurance that you have just paid everything above for, stops at. Even if you want to keep paying your Monthly, your Deductibles, your Co-Pays...NOPE! You are now cut off. Sometimes it’s a million, sometimes It’s a little more, but not much. Yes. You are reading this right- the insurance company gets to cut you off when your health bill gets too high for them. This is all legal. Also, good luck trying to get new insurance now, you are now considered a “Bad Risk” and no insurance company will want to give you new insurance. On avg. an American individual spends $4-7 thousand a year, families $10-15 g on spotty, bad insurance. For a National Health plan, they would pay about $1,500 in taxes, A YEAR. TOTAL. $1,500 total paid once a year thru taxes. And we haven’t even gotten to their “Deny Treatment” policy. Or trying to keep up with all this billing. Or that 500,000 people go bankrupt from medical bills EACH YEAR. But sure- Keep America Great.
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