me, a canadian, talking to an american who’s sick or hurt: have you tried—no wait that costs money for you… what about—no no, that costs you money too, doesn’t it? …god, that’s absolutely fucking nonsense, eh? what do they expect you to do??? die????????
True things I have seen working in one aspect or other of health care for the past decade in America:
In the ER: is this as a result of a car accident, workplace accident, or something else? It matters, because we bill different people for each.
In the pharmacy: so your total today for your one medication is $238.43. Yes we ran it through insurance. That’s the *copay*.
In the pharmacy again: that medicine your doctor says you need for your heart/blood pressure/breathing isn’t covered by your insurance so uh talk to your doctor I guess or pay $800 out of pocket every month?
In the psych ward: right so patient A is still suicidal but their insurance says they’ve been here four days so the insurance isn’t gonna pay any more. Uh. Let them go, I guess?
In the hospital: right well so we did treat your illness but the HOSPITAL is in network with your insurance but the doctor who saw you isn’t you owe us $15,000. (Patient: I got two Tylenol. Hospital: oh shit we forgot to bill for that. $15,320 please)
But single payer health care is socialism. And that’s the worst ever.
They have an excellent series on emergency room costs.
Btw, anyone else struck by how bizarre it is that “if you cannot afford a lawyer one will be provided to you” but if you cannot afford a doctor, well fuck you then.
I live in America and even I wonder how I’m still alive ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Today I went to enter a script for ranitidine. The patient’s copay was over $60.
He could buy it off the shelf as an OTC – same strength – for $25.
Sure that makes sense. (I didn’t enter the script in the end, I just handed him the cheaper box)
The people in charge want sick and poor people dead, and this is the less messy way of doing it
They’ve just rewritten their eugenics as the ‘free market’ and now it’s sacrosanct
amusedAnarchist 