Current Events > Okay, so in America you need to pay for medical treatment, right?

(+) Yeah! (+)

...then what happens in an emergency?

Like you're out a walk, get hit by a car, knocked uconscious and someone calls an ambulance. You're obviously in no fit state to give consent to payment, so what happens?

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Bill in the mail
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Get screwed in the mail

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sktgamer_13dude posted...

Bill in the mail

Really?

That's fucking disgusting.

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They take one of your kidneys while you're unconscious instead.

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You get a bill in the mail for the ambulance ride, cost of treatment, and the stay in the hospital.

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You have to pay for everything here.

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Well you could just ignore the bill they send you

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I had an accident in 2008, fell asleep driving, hit a semi-truck and woke up in the hospital. No insurance, didn't work for nine months after it happened.

I got bills in the mail for years after my accident. I never paid a dime and eventually they stopped hounding me.

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The idea is that but-for the incapacity preventing consent, the person requiring the aid would consent to the aid because statistically speaking, the average person of reasonable prudence would likely consent to having medical treatment rendered to preserve their health and/or life. Further, where the benefit conferred is something that one would reasonably expect to have paid for/receive compensation for, the modern trend is to attach enforceability to that implied promise to pay.

Makes a lot of assumptions, obviously. But that's the modern justification under the common law.

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Okay and the reason they don't use taxpayer's money is...?

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DK9292 posted...

Okay and the reason they don't use taxpayer's money is...?

Generally speaking, there's a preference for private persons to bear the obligation rather than the public.

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DK9292 posted...

Really?

That's fucking disgusting.

even though our system is indeed disgusting and hospitals are corporations... most of the horror stories you hear are pretty extreme examples

most people have private health insurance that has a cap on how much you'll ever pay -- if you get cancer and need $5mil in treatment, you only pay your max cap (usually a few thousand dollars)

they still send you the giant bill, but insurance pays for it they just take a while to process. So then people post their giant bill on reddit for upvotes and sympathy.

On other occasions, some people opt to have their max payment much lower, but after that max payment you pay like 10% of the total cost, which is when people go into mega debt having to pay 10% of 5million dollars. I have the cheapest possible insurance and it covers 100%

so while American healthcare is idiotic, it's not soooo awful, most of the time

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ThePieReborn posted...

Generally speaking, there's a preference for private persons to bear the obligation rather than the public.

It's you're FUCKING HEALTH, though.

I'm British, we have an NHS. Why do Americans hate that idea so much? Every time I see people complaining it's only ever "fucking Obama" or anything, NOBODY gives a genuine fucking reason!

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https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/taken-ride-ambulances-stick-patients-surprise-bills-n824141
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Antifar posted...

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/taken-ride-ambulances-stick-patients-surprise-bills-n824141

Fuck America, man.

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DK9292 posted...

It's you're FUCKING HEALTH, though.

I'm British, we have an NHS. Why do Americans hate that idea so much? Every time I see people complaining it's only ever "fucking Obama" or anything, NOBODY gives a genuine fucking reason!

there's a strong culture in America of "I worked for what I have, fuck everyone else" so paying into a public healthcare system would mean using your tax dollars to support poor people's bad health choices

even though we already do, in a roundabout way. Since most poor people go to the ER and then run away without paying. The culture is still there

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Coloradough posted...

poor people's bad health choices

Getting hit by a car is a bad health choice? Shut the fuck up.

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DK9292 posted...

Getting hit by a car is a bad health choice? Shut the fuck up.

I'm not supporting them, I am pro-universal healthcare

that's just the way people think here. I agree with you, it's a cruel and unrealistic way to think

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Coloradough posted...

I'm not supporting them, I am pro-universal healthcare

that's just the way people think here. I agree with you, it's a cruel and unrealistic way to think

Oh, my apologies. I thought you were defending them.

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Healthcare is the most important thing in the world and yet we don't give it to everyone. We treat it like a luxury.

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Coloradough posted...

there's a strong culture in America of "I worked for what I have, fuck everyone else" so paying into a public healthcare system would mean using your tax dollars to support poor people's bad health choices

even though we already do, in a roundabout way. Since most poor people go to the ER and then run away without paying. The culture is still there

In addition to their being a coordinated effort to attach the label to Obama "Obamacare". So even if it's something people might like, "Affordable", they attach it to the big bad scary Muslim Obama that'll have death panels and eat your grandmother

I broke my ankle a few years ago and stayed in the hospital for 2 days and my bill was $62,000

at least I was in a nice hospital I guess?

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Just ignore the bill and the government will pick up the check somewhere down the line after some harassment. Or just one harassment if you tell them to stop bugging you

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DK9292 posted...

It's you're FUCKING HEALTH, though.

I'm British, we have an NHS. Why do Americans hate that idea so much? Every time I see people complaining it's only ever "fucking Obama" or anything, NOBODY gives a genuine fucking reason!

*Shrug* Animus doesn't usually need genuine reasons. Only scary stories of soshulizm.

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DK9292 posted...

Getting hit by a car is a bad health choice? Shut the fuck up.

Technically, the car insurance is supposed to pick that bill up.

If they drive off, then it gets funny

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DK9292 posted...

It's you're FUCKING HEALTH, though.

I'm British, we have an NHS. Why do Americans hate that idea so much?

A lot of people are very well paid to make them hate it. Advertising works!
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you get the worst treatment, and they ship you out early to make room for a "paying customer". then they stick you with an inflated bill that is only so high because they had to balloon the prices to appease the insurance companies that'll follow you until the day you die.

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I just learned recently it cost over 10k to have a child in the states that's fucking crazy

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apocalyptic_4 posted...

I just learned recently it cost over 10k to have a child in the states that's fucking crazy

We paid $5k out of pocket. But if we were poor, it'd be free or if we afforded better coverage it'd be free. I guess technically you still pay for it on the better coverage

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apocalyptic_4 posted...

I just learned recently it cost over 10k to have a child in the states that's fucking crazy

It's just a game, they bill your insurance that much

But yes it costs a few grand for most people

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Health care is the most corrupt industry in America.

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DK9292 posted...

Why do Americans hate that idea so much?

It's not about how many Americans hate the idea. It's about which Americans hate it. The ones that hate it are in the highest tier of money and don't want to see their precious resources stolen.

And sadly, money speaks louder than humanity in America.

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Lord_Shadow posted...

Well you could just ignore the bill they send you

Then they and yes I mean they will all sell your debt to bill collectors who will sue you and charge you interest on top of it. Which might leave you with the only option to file for bankruptcy.

Squall28 posted...

Get screwed in the mail

this

ass cheeks clap and ripple in rhythm from the bill

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Abiz_ posted...

Then they and yes I mean they will all sell your debt to bill collectors who will sue you and charge you interest on top of it. Which might leave you with the only option to file for bankruptcy.

Depends, the government picks up a lot of unpaid bills

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thronedfire2 posted...

I broke my ankle a few years ago and stayed in the hospital for 2 days and my bill was $62,000

at least I was in a nice hospital I guess?

I was in the hospital for 2 weeks for my pneumothorax and pleurodesis and my statement was around $50K. My bill was under $2K though.

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Unsugarized_Foo posted...

Depends, the government picks up a lot of unpaid bills

You have to go through paper work for that and then you can still be dirt poor and get stuck with a big bill after that. Atleast in NY they don't just pay the bill 100% unless you fit in super poverty level. He just said ignore it.

I wonder if I can be a bill collector and collect my own bill

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YugiNoob posted...

I was in the hospital for 2 weeks for my pneumothorax and pleurodesis and my statement was around $50K. My bill was under $2K though.

My stays over the last two years due to either psychiatric holds or voluntary commitals have been in the tens of thousands range each. Only recall talking to psychiatrists once each visit. I can only assume the lion's share of the costs was room and board.

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Unsugarized_Foo posted...

I wonder if I can be a bill collector and collect my own bill

As someone who has been a bill collector, no you can't.

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Can we both be bill collectors and "agree " to collect and cheaply sell each other's debt?

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Unsugarized_Foo posted...

I wonder if I can be a bill collector and collect my own bill

No. Conflict of interest laws prevent this. You cant collect on family either.

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The US is never going to have a public option. Even in the middle of this corona shit people are willing to toss it off to the side and ignore it even though it's more important now than it's ever been

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I have Medicaid so I dont pay for shit

CableZL posted...

You get a bill in the mail for the ambulance ride, cost of treatment, and the stay in the hospital.

Lab free, etc too

so in europe if you have a job the government takes your money and uses it to pay for healthcare for people who haven't earned it?
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Philoktetes posted...

so in europe if you have a job the government takes your money and uses it to pay for healthcare for people who haven't earned it?

Healthcare isn't something you should have to earn, dipshit. It's as much a right as education, free speech and everything else we value as a society.

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the constitution doesnt say you have the right to education or health care
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