Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us

[elialshadowpine]

Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us

By Steven Brill

1. Routine Care, Unforgettable BillsWhen Sean Recchi, a 42-year-old from Lancaster, Ohio, was told last March that he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his wife Stephanie knew she had to get him to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Stephanie’s father had been treated there 10 years earlier

Comments

[jaded110]

My dad may need to file for bankruptcy because our medical bills for my mom ALONE are most likely in the millions, let alone the bills for him after his heart surgery.

The glories of for-profit healthcare! 'Murrica!

[bellichka]

I've read this before, and it's a damn good read. Our healthcare system is so broken, and people are so complacent about it that it just boggles my mind. I had no health insurance from 2006 to last month, and it was a scary time. I was in a serious car accident, and I didn't want the ambulance to take me to the hospital to check for internal injuries because I was worried about the bills (until I realized I was covered under my car insurance, and at that point I was like, do whatever the hell you want, I don't have to pay for it!). It's fucked up when you have to even CONSIDER not seeking necessary medical treatment, especially after a traumatic accident, because you're worried about affording it

Re: The glories of for-profit healthcare! 'Murrica!

[muizenstaartje]

I would never raise a child in this country, though, with healthcare costs what they are.I think the USA is indeed quite scary to live in when you aren't very rich. I may not live in the most perfect country, but I would not want to live in the USA (for multiple reasons

Re: The glories of for-profit healthcare! 'Murrica!

[shortsweetcynic]

droppin' the truthbombs today.

I would never raise a child in this country, though, with healthcare costs what they are.

this is a huge factor for my husband and i as well. we've talked about adoption, but until very VERY recently, we couldn't even insure ourselves (and it's not even comprehensive - it's basically in case we end up in the hospital)...how the hell could we possibly consider taking on another little life? we'd be crazy to try.

Re: The glories of for-profit healthcare! 'Murrica!

[xo_bumblebee]

My husband is in the military, and we already decided that if we do have a kid, it's while he's in (to avoid medical bills). If he gets out, then my coverage has a LOT of out of pocket costs for just routine stuff. If I had complications, forget it.

[estella7]

We spend two or three times that much on durable medical devices like canes and wheelchairs, in part because a heavily lobbied Congress forces Medicare to pay 25% to 75% more for this equipment than it would cost at Walmart.

This is a big part of the problem. Congress sucks. Why are they bought by lobbyists? How do We the People even allow it? Gross.

My daughter gets allergy shots. Our insurance was paying $39 a shot. We lost our insurance and I talked to the doctor about paying cash up front and was told it would cost $15. Why the huge markup for insurance? Sickening, and the Affordable Care Act doesn't seem to address this much at all because it was so thoroughly gutted.

[bestdaywelived]

It's not a markup for insurance, it's a discount for paying cash.

[estella7]

I get that but $15 vs. $39? That's an obscene difference.

[hinoema]

"We spend two or three times that much on durable medical devices like canes and wheelchairs, in part because a heavily lobbied Congress forces Medicare to pay 25% to 75% more for this equipment than it would cost at Walmart."

This is a big part of the problem. Congress sucks. Why are they bought by lobbyists?

Because Congress- especially the R side- has become the natural home for business people who want to rig the game in favor of corporate profits, and who make insane kickbacks by doing so.

[teacup_werewolf]

I am going through something similar.

For those that read Shenanigans, a month or so ago I posted that I recently had ankle surgery. Everything went off without a hitch except at that time I had no health insurance. I was kicked off of United Healthcare because I turned 26 and I was pretty much 'screwed', but I was praying to friggin Jesus, Buddha and Odin that I would get on medicaid. A couple weeks ago, I did. I finally got on medicaid and I signed up for Molina healthcare which my GP was covered under. I thought the hell of a loom 11k in debt would finally go away.

NOPE

turns out that while my Ortho (great people btw) could cover me. The surgery center that did my surgery couldn't I found this out on Tuesday of this week. I spent that afternoon sobbing. I finally got paper work to get financial assistance and see if I am under HCAP. But frankly I am so tired of paperwork and going through more red tape. But anything to make a 11k go away.

My father's insurance as pretty boss and covered my IUD I hope medicaid can too. *sigh*

[elialshadowpine]

I'm so sorry you're dealing with all that. :(

Depending on where you live the state may have additional funding for birth control. That said I know several people who have had Medicaid cover their IUDs. But it's a state to state thing :-\

[blackpuddle]

I have health insurance and I'm still paying out the ass for a surgery I had in December. I'm like, wait, why am I paying into this at all if I'm getting tons and tons of medical bills anyway?

I don't even want to go into my friends that have EDS and need special wheelchairs and treatments. They're beyond screwed. This country sucks if you have medical problems weather you have insurance or not.

[maladaptive]

I'm like, wait, why am I paying into this at all if I'm getting tons and tons of medical bills anyway?

I'm having this feeling right now and I'm looking for new insurance. I pay for "dental" and had about $1,500 worth of work done... and my insurance covered $28.

$28.

That's less than I'd paid into the dental plan! Not to mention the rest of the medical plan at about $400/month... fortunately I haven't needed anything, though, because I don't want to know what happens when I get "we don't cover that."

[blackpuddle]

That is absolutely ridiculous. $28 fucking dollars??? That's such BS!!!

I haven't even used my dental yet. Mostly because I cant' afford to because of all my other bills. It's probably going to be scary when I finally do.

[idemandjustice]

Dental is terrible. Vision isn't much better, too. I had one appointment, arranged for new reading glasses, etc, and discovered my insurance's coverage was $5. After that I decided to just clip coupons and go out of network, because that cost's less than using my ridiculous excuse for insurance.