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It’s no secret that American healthcare is notorious for continually shocking the rest of the world who are well used to being more or less covered in case of health emergencies. And while American hospitals and medical facilities are undisputedly something you’d call ‘world class,’ they are also unaffordable for many.
The numbers speak for themselves: total health care spending in America went over $4 trillion in 2020 and more than 30% of that—or about $1.24 trillion—was spent on hospital services. Hospital costs per day averaged $2,607 with California being the most expensive at $3,726 per day. And if you want to stay overnight, the coast soars up Everest, $11,700, to be exact, and that’s for the ones with insurance.
There’s only one thing that speaks even louder than figures. It’s people who have experienced what it’s like to have their health in jeopardy just because they couldn’t afford the costs. Below are some of the most upsetting cases shared by Americans who, while living in the ‘greatest country in the world,’ would probably not dare to call it that.
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#1
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
This. This needs to be more prevalent. Spam your government with it. They need to hear you, to care for you. That is one of their jobs.
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#2
Call Me Mars 4 years ago
I cannot say how much I hated reading this. People should never put their love on the line because of healthcare. I hope that something changes soon, but I doubt it will.
#3
Helen Haley 4 years ago
In the US medical system, death isn't the worst outcome. Financial death is
Previously, Bored Panda spoke with Dr. Andrew Carroll from Arizona, who has experience dealing with healthcare insurance companies and fighting for what's best for his patients. Some time ago, we covered a story about how he broke down in tears when a company refused to provide one of his patients a CT chest scan that you can read right here.
Dr. Carroll explained that there are clear financial incentives for the companies that provide healthcare insurance to keep the system, with its high administrative costs, as it is. "It will be very difficult to reduce the administrative costs without overhauling the payment system altogether," he explained. This is why even small step-by-step changes are really hard to push through.
#4
Yula Lopez 4 years ago
True. We really take it for granted; I'm appalled at these admissions. Sometimes there is a waiting period (luckily never been long for me), sometimes we complain about the care we receive but I've had a life-saving operation with a week in hospital and only paid about 180 euros
Moreover, Dr. Carroll candidly said that healthcare insurance providers don’t have it in their interest to do what's best for American patients. "Unfortunately, these payers tend not to have altruistic intentions towards their members. They cater to the advantage of the employers paying for the benefits, who want to try and spend the least amount of money they can."
He believes that employers that pay for benefits will need to demand more of the companies providing the benefits or patients will need to file class-action lawsuits to demand that benefits due to them are not unduly restricted, as they are today.
#7
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago (edited)
That is disgusting. This whole list is. I rely on the medical system to live, and I take it for granted it seems, this is majorly depressing
Another side of the problem of American healthcare is that the country spends enormous amounts of money on healthcare, but a whopping quarter of the costs are purely administrative. As a result, customers are charged a lot, but not every dollar they pay is targeted at helping them. It’s no secret that there’s a lot of waste in the system although nobody really talks about it that much.
#11
Ashley Coe 4 years ago
Look into the cost of Insulin World wide. Lowest is about $15 a vile. $300 in US.
#14
Call Me Mars 4 years ago
Again, I am going to cry. This is why I am sceptical about authority. Not just because of my skin colour, but because of things like this.
#16
Ashley Coe 4 years ago
Now, imagine if he lived in Canada. Free Healthcare, and a roof over his head. That's democracy.
#17
Mohsie Supposie 4 years ago
And after having so many Gatorades, you will STILL need the healthcare.
#21
#24
Tequila4Two 4 years ago
How can you even have a maximum sick days. It is not like, "Oh, I am out of my sick days, so I am cured now."
#27
Luther von Wolfen 4 years ago
The odds against winning the lottery are pretty huge, but they're still better than working your way out of poverty.
#28
Brian Bennett 4 years ago
Dear DR. Carroll - an Insurance company can over rule a Doctor's Order! This is one s**t head Country you live in! Insurance company's should be named after a famous man HITLER!
#30
#31
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Amazing huh, when in order to protect themselves they have to treat everyone, all of a sudden they can afford to give you a vaccine. They can afford way more than that. I hope to everything that this kind of topic becomes a thing of the past for more countries, and fast
#34
Mohsie Supposie 4 years ago
Health insurance is just as much of a scam as healthcare, if not worse!
#35
Julie C Rose 4 years ago
And the incumbent party is actively negligent and the party that replaces them phoned up Jacinda for advice on how to pandemic only to ignore everything she actually said.
#38
BigOrangeTractor 4 years ago
'Probably' fine. Just to be clear, when you go the NHS with a funny-looking mole, they will usually just whip that sucker straight off and biopsy it to be on the safe side. For $0. Demand better from your tax-charging government.
#40
Kobus Loots 4 years ago
Suddenly I am very glad that I live in South Africa, where both me and my wife's meds are fully covered by my medical aid
#41
Brian Bennett 4 years ago
There is a lack of humanity in Insurance they are blood sucking bastards!
#46
Wendy Heath 4 years ago
Why on earth can't you Americans fight the greedy hospital administrations that charge such gross amounts for treatment. You've heard of people power, start a campaign, if one man can have the cost of insulin capped, think what millions of you could do. Start on the insurance companies as well, sounds as if a lot of the medical insurance policies aren't worth the paper they are written on. Go on, start campaigning, fight for Obama care. I wouldn't visit America if I was paid to, you have the greediest CEO's in the world.
#51
Tobias Rieper 4 years ago
that is absolutely ridiculous i mean $10 for a cough drop why u could probably buy a whole box for that price
#54
#57
Brian Bennett 4 years ago
How can a Insurance company tell you that you are not a candidate for a heart transplant. Have they seen or examined you - this country is treating you like Hitler treated the Jews - into the ovens we need more room for more people to kill!
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Trillian 4 years ago
As much as we like to make fun of the US "healthcare" "system", but these are just effing heartbreaking.
Trillian 4 years ago
As much as we like to make fun of the US "healthcare" "system", but these are just effing heartbreaking.
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