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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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.
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.
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.
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
Most Americans I talk to have this impression that the waiting periods are outrageously long in other countries, the service is subpar, and generally, you'll just die before being seen. The ignorance is nuts.
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THANK YOU. Sorty to yell, but I am so tired of hearing it's the diet or the walking. No, when they get a back pain, they get a CT right away, not three months later! (Just one example.)
We owe our drs $200 that our insurance didn't cover. (We go to the same office) Cant go back until we pay that. Over ten years at same place but money is more important than healthcare in the US.
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I spent 10 years in the US and is now back in DK. For a 6 hr emergency room trip in the US = $4800 for facility use (US for DVT and an MR scan) excluding the cost of doctors. 6 WEEKS in a Danish hospital, 11 days on life support, 12+ units of blood, numerous scans, ambulance transfers to 2 different hospitals, dialysis, plasma pheresis, physical therapy etc, etc...... total charge = $0 And yet socialism is such a horrible thing??
Canadians live longer because of maple syrup, tim horton's and poutine. Also, we can go to the doctor anytime we want and not go bankrupt
It doesn't cost you anything financially, but the NHS is in such a bad state now that you're lucky to get treatment. 10 months for a referral for counselling when I was extremely depressed (this referral was before the pandemic, it's worse now). I took a mortgage repayment holiday and paid privately for as long as I could afford (10 weeks). A referral to see if I have an underlying condition (ASC), will take up to 2 years. No doubt people have completed suicide while waiting for mental health support on the NHS.
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.
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.
Look into the cost of Insulin World wide. Lowest is about $15 a vile. $300 in US.
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.
Now, imagine if he lived in Canada. Free Healthcare, and a roof over his head. That's democracy.
And after having so many Gatorades, you will STILL need the healthcare.
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."
The odds against winning the lottery are pretty huge, but they're still better than working your way out of poverty.
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!
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
Health insurance is just as much of a scam as healthcare, if not worse!
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.
'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.
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
Note: this post originally had 57 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
As much as we like to make fun of the US "healthcare" "system", but these are just effing heartbreaking.
I stopped reading all the posts, because it just makes me angry and sad. The healthcare system really is way beyond greediness and corruption. I don't know what level it is on. Change is must.
My sister's death. Her fiance gave us the bill he got (they lived together) for the ambulance ride. His family had 7-figure incomes. He gave it to us. It was $350.75 .... I have remembered that number for 30 years. WTF? It wasn't that long a drive, and where did $0.75 come from?! (We got an itemization. We were charged $100 for gasoline, $125-something for lfie-saving efforts, and the rest was "miscellaneous". Miscellaneous what? Did they stop for coffee?) We've never known.... And now I'm crying. Ah, Monday.
I'm chronically ill and disabled. I can at times spend more than half the year in hospital, have 40-45 ambulance trips a year and see my GP 2-3 times a month. Thankfully all included in my taxes because I live in the UK.
The saddest part is that there's nothing we can do to fix this. You can write all the letters to Congress,, go to every protest, and sign all the petitions you want but you' might as well try knocking down the Eiffel tower by breathing on it.
We need to remember this is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. We are the People. We should stop electing the elitists. And the privileged who own stock in healthcare areas.
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No, America, it is NOT health care, it is "American health care". It is like "lite beer", that isn't beer at all...
I asked an American once why he didn’t want universal healthcare. His reply was that it would take away his freedom.
As an American, I am thoroughly disgusted by that man's ignorance. It's embarrassing.
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As someone who just suffered a surprise leg amputation and who doesn't have insurance, isn't working, and isn't wealthy yet is somehow expected to pay over $44,000 in hospital bills, I totally get it. I've had no physical therapy, no home health, no assistance, no family waiting to help, nothing. The hospital couldn't wait to kick me out. The US "healthcare" situation is demonic. It's led by corporations greedy for financial and political gain and we, the people, are the ones to suffer for their actions. And no one cares. I have several major life-long health problems and am now disabled but do I rate ANY sort of government health benefits? Of course not. I'm a useless, expendable non-entity as far as they're concerned. America is so great, right?
I still can't wrap my head around an Insurance company tell a person they can't have a life saving procedure, or telling a doctor he can't perform said procedure. This makes me so angry. In the u.S. why don't they just cut out the middleman (the doctors) and do it themselves! (Oh s**t I probably jut gave them an idea!)
The right-wing party of the Australian government wants an American-style health system, and has been steadily stripping bit by bit from our medicare. It's terrifying every time something else gets taken away. No sane person wants to be like the US. ☹
Richard Nixon signed legislation allowing health insurance to become for profit. Blame him first, then the greedy companies.
I've had medical debt for quite a few years. As soon as I pay one bill, another one comes. Chronic illness is expensive.
As I read this I thought that it was an exagreation, then I remebered when I broke my hand, and we put off going to the Walk-in, because we didn't want to waste insurence on something that was a possible sprain. Only an hour after, when it had swelled noticeably, did we go to the doctor.
I'm predicting a de-colonization of the Americas as everyone either dies off or immigrates to other countries for health care
There’s more wrong in america than just healthcare. the worst part is, we think we’re the best and we’re far from it. I worked for decades, became a single mom. Had no choice and applied for food assistance for my son and I. We struggled like hell, but did the best I could for my son and I. Meanwhile, I see people with multiple shopping carts of fresh and bulk packs of butchered meats, gold chains around their necks, nails and hair done, expensive clothes, obviously not the working crew…everything paid on food stamps. Probably never worked a day here, eating better than my son and I. The taxes I pay, go to their free food…but I was denied. Figure out how that works.
I live in third world country. But I think our healthcare system is still better than this.
America: We don't want Socialist healthcare! Also America: Has Medicaid, so already has socialist healthcare. Also also America: Actually spends MORE in tax money per capita on socialist healthcare per year than the UK does, just without 99% of the benefits this money should bring. Also also also America: Lets not tell our citizens this fact so they don't kick up a stink and demand to get their actual money's worth from us!
Sorry my dear Americans, you're being lied to about the whole "taxes will shoot up if we switch to Socialist healthcare!". Not only will they NOT go up - at all - if you do switch and actually set it up properly, here's what'll happen if you switched tomorrow; a) you keep the same level of tax you're at now and end up with an even better, higher-funded healthcare system than the UK has or b) your taxes will go DOWN when it's realised how much is being wasted on the current messed up system and that you can actually afford the same type of system (or still better) that the UK has at a cheaper cost than you're currently paying.
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In view of this, the US being the gatekeeper for democracy, is like a bad punchline.
I have purposely kept myself out enough to qualify for Medicaid. I am not ashamed to admit it.
I think Europeans are pretty tired of Americans complaining about their healthcare. Get rid of one of your aircraft carriers and stop crying.
No, we´re not. We´re tired of seing people, no matter where, continue electing parties that are enabling such systems.
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I live in Canada the home of 'free' health care. My friend broke her wrist about 8 weeks ago and with plates/pins it was 'fixed. Two weeks ago she had a surgeon appointment and he told he it was healing wrong and she would need surgery to fix it. Still hasn't had it and probably will wait another couple of weeks if she is lucky. When I had my knee replacement surgery I was initially put on the wait list to be put on the wait list because they were 'managing' the wait lists by not putting people on the wait lists. When I finally was allowed on the wait list it still took a year to have the surgery. Tell me again how free health care is great?
Here’s a radical thought. How about those from the USA who are against the current so-called health care system do not purchase health insurance. Surely this would have a big impact on the profits of the bloodsucking insurers and big pharma companies thus forcing a rethink on how health care is provided. Just me being silly, then!
Yes, we could do that. Say I refuse to get health insurance, but then get cancer, or get in an auto accident? There's no way I'd be able to afford the full hospital bills. Health insurance is a disgusting scam, but it's still slightly better than not having it. There's no easy fix, here.
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As much as we like to make fun of the US "healthcare" "system", but these are just effing heartbreaking.
I stopped reading all the posts, because it just makes me angry and sad. The healthcare system really is way beyond greediness and corruption. I don't know what level it is on. Change is must.
My sister's death. Her fiance gave us the bill he got (they lived together) for the ambulance ride. His family had 7-figure incomes. He gave it to us. It was $350.75 .... I have remembered that number for 30 years. WTF? It wasn't that long a drive, and where did $0.75 come from?! (We got an itemization. We were charged $100 for gasoline, $125-something for lfie-saving efforts, and the rest was "miscellaneous". Miscellaneous what? Did they stop for coffee?) We've never known.... And now I'm crying. Ah, Monday.
I'm chronically ill and disabled. I can at times spend more than half the year in hospital, have 40-45 ambulance trips a year and see my GP 2-3 times a month. Thankfully all included in my taxes because I live in the UK.
The saddest part is that there's nothing we can do to fix this. You can write all the letters to Congress,, go to every protest, and sign all the petitions you want but you' might as well try knocking down the Eiffel tower by breathing on it.
We need to remember this is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. We are the People. We should stop electing the elitists. And the privileged who own stock in healthcare areas.
Load More Replies... No, America, it is NOT health care, it is "American health care". It is like "lite beer", that isn't beer at all...
I asked an American once why he didn’t want universal healthcare. His reply was that it would take away his freedom.
As an American, I am thoroughly disgusted by that man's ignorance. It's embarrassing.
Load More Replies... As someone who just suffered a surprise leg amputation and who doesn't have insurance, isn't working, and isn't wealthy yet is somehow expected to pay over $44,000 in hospital bills, I totally get it. I've had no physical therapy, no home health, no assistance, no family waiting to help, nothing. The hospital couldn't wait to kick me out. The US "healthcare" situation is demonic. It's led by corporations greedy for financial and political gain and we, the people, are the ones to suffer for their actions. And no one cares. I have several major life-long health problems and am now disabled but do I rate ANY sort of government health benefits? Of course not. I'm a useless, expendable non-entity as far as they're concerned. America is so great, right?
I still can't wrap my head around an Insurance company tell a person they can't have a life saving procedure, or telling a doctor he can't perform said procedure. This makes me so angry. In the u.S. why don't they just cut out the middleman (the doctors) and do it themselves! (Oh s**t I probably jut gave them an idea!)
The right-wing party of the Australian government wants an American-style health system, and has been steadily stripping bit by bit from our medicare. It's terrifying every time something else gets taken away. No sane person wants to be like the US. ☹
Richard Nixon signed legislation allowing health insurance to become for profit. Blame him first, then the greedy companies.
I've had medical debt for quite a few years. As soon as I pay one bill, another one comes. Chronic illness is expensive.
As I read this I thought that it was an exagreation, then I remebered when I broke my hand, and we put off going to the Walk-in, because we didn't want to waste insurence on something that was a possible sprain. Only an hour after, when it had swelled noticeably, did we go to the doctor.
I'm predicting a de-colonization of the Americas as everyone either dies off or immigrates to other countries for health care
There’s more wrong in america than just healthcare. the worst part is, we think we’re the best and we’re far from it. I worked for decades, became a single mom. Had no choice and applied for food assistance for my son and I. We struggled like hell, but did the best I could for my son and I. Meanwhile, I see people with multiple shopping carts of fresh and bulk packs of butchered meats, gold chains around their necks, nails and hair done, expensive clothes, obviously not the working crew…everything paid on food stamps. Probably never worked a day here, eating better than my son and I. The taxes I pay, go to their free food…but I was denied. Figure out how that works.
I live in third world country. But I think our healthcare system is still better than this.
America: We don't want Socialist healthcare! Also America: Has Medicaid, so already has socialist healthcare. Also also America: Actually spends MORE in tax money per capita on socialist healthcare per year than the UK does, just without 99% of the benefits this money should bring. Also also also America: Lets not tell our citizens this fact so they don't kick up a stink and demand to get their actual money's worth from us!
Sorry my dear Americans, you're being lied to about the whole "taxes will shoot up if we switch to Socialist healthcare!". Not only will they NOT go up - at all - if you do switch and actually set it up properly, here's what'll happen if you switched tomorrow; a) you keep the same level of tax you're at now and end up with an even better, higher-funded healthcare system than the UK has or b) your taxes will go DOWN when it's realised how much is being wasted on the current messed up system and that you can actually afford the same type of system (or still better) that the UK has at a cheaper cost than you're currently paying.
Load More Replies... In view of this, the US being the gatekeeper for democracy, is like a bad punchline.
I have purposely kept myself out enough to qualify for Medicaid. I am not ashamed to admit it.
I think Europeans are pretty tired of Americans complaining about their healthcare. Get rid of one of your aircraft carriers and stop crying.
No, we´re not. We´re tired of seing people, no matter where, continue electing parties that are enabling such systems.
Load More Replies... I live in Canada the home of 'free' health care. My friend broke her wrist about 8 weeks ago and with plates/pins it was 'fixed. Two weeks ago she had a surgeon appointment and he told he it was healing wrong and she would need surgery to fix it. Still hasn't had it and probably will wait another couple of weeks if she is lucky. When I had my knee replacement surgery I was initially put on the wait list to be put on the wait list because they were 'managing' the wait lists by not putting people on the wait lists. When I finally was allowed on the wait list it still took a year to have the surgery. Tell me again how free health care is great?
Here’s a radical thought. How about those from the USA who are against the current so-called health care system do not purchase health insurance. Surely this would have a big impact on the profits of the bloodsucking insurers and big pharma companies thus forcing a rethink on how health care is provided. Just me being silly, then!
Yes, we could do that. Say I refuse to get health insurance, but then get cancer, or get in an auto accident? There's no way I'd be able to afford the full hospital bills. Health insurance is a disgusting scam, but it's still slightly better than not having it. There's no easy fix, here.
Load More Replies... 