I came across some reminders of why it is so necessary to reform the US health care system. If nothing else, these images should serve as a stark warning, especially to young people, why they should sign up for health insurance, either through their workplace or their state exchange established by the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
My apologies if these have made the rounds already....
Good thing there's a discount. It would only take me about 25 years to pay off the balance.
Not sure what the balance was for a 45 minute hospital stay, some allergy meds, steroids, but the insurance "adjustment" is over $40K
Cost for a motorcycle accident.
And the cost for a car accident.
Appendectomies have been around for a long time.
Back surgeries are common.
Here's what you can expect when you slip and break your ankle. It doesn't include the cost of an ambulance.....
....because in America, we charge money to pick up the injured and take them someplace to be cared for.
When I saw these images, I was shocked. I hope they didn't upset anyone. If anyone's stomach was upset as a result....
The place I found these images was surrounded by comments from Canadians and citizens of nations with socialized medicine. In the comments, the costs they mentioned for hospital visits in their countries were comparable to what we might pay for lunch. Their outrage at their system is aimed at paying $12 for name brand pharmaceuticals instead of $6 for generic. Paying for an ambulance is apparently uniquely American.
Aside from the suffering and toll on lives and families, the financial burden American healthcare system imposes can sink a family. Even with insurance, a patient may face massive debt. Without insurance, I can't even imagine coping.
One final image, a bill from the socialist Canadian health care system; what it cost a family to have a child.
Kind of looks like a 4 day stay at $40 a day.