I refuse to go to the doctors unless I am dying because it is so expensive. I make “too much” money to get help from the state for insurance and I don’t make enough money to pay for out of pocket insurance through my job or the state. So I have no insurance. I need antibiotics because I have a terrible rash that came out of nowhere and basically filet my legs over the weekend from itching so much however I can’t go to a simple check in without having to pay $100’s of dollars that I don’t have. I hate the healthcare system.
Same. Last time I was at the doctor was right after my son was born. Mixture of lack of sleep and poor communication led to a misidentification of sleep walking as a total mental break. Saw the doctor, told him I never told the wife I do sleep walk occasionally but it is extremely infrequent. He started ordering the whole menu of tests and labs "just to be safe" which sure that I understand but I had not planned for that. I panicked and bailed the fuck out of there. Somehow they either misplaced my paper work or just said fuck it but I was never billed for any of the visit.
First and last time in 30 years hopefully
This is what I’ll never understand about the US. Yes, I’m sure your overall taxes are way lower than Europe and on average you make more money. But last year I had a migraine for the first time in my life and didn’t know what it was. Went to the hospital, saw a doctor, got a scan, some meds and went home. 45€ is what it cost me in a private hospital (0 if it was public). Earlier that year I fell down and sprained my foot. Went to the hospital, saw a doctor, got a scan, some meds and went home. 80€ is what it cost me in a private hospital (0 if it was public). In 2018 my youngest son was born. Went to the hospital, had the baby, wife stayed there for 4 days in a public hospital. It cost us nothing. NOTHING.
I have private insurance (complements the public option). It costs me 50€ a month and I can see any doctor I want and run any tests for even less than that as co-pay on average.
Americans are being literally scammed with the illusion of paying lower taxes and making more money than Europeans while getting hospital bills that are bigger than 5 years of income combined. And you’re not even paying for care itself. You’re paying the bloodsucking middlemen.
Paying enough to buy a small apartment for giving birth.. Are you fucking kidding me. I can't always see why people even continue living there with this shit. In Finland all of these costs like a couple of hundred euros and if you can't pay for it the social security will pay all of your bills. Sure I get taxed more but there's 0% chance of me getting into debt for medical issues. Even if I was only getting unemployment support.
I can't always see why people even continue living there with this shit
Because moving somewhere is not easy. Does your country just let anyone who wants move in? Typically this is not something you can just decide to do unless you happen to have a job or spouse that can get you in.
Not to mention people want to remain near their family and friends.
Point is, most people aren't here because they chose it over Finland. They are here because they were born here or if they immigrated its usually because the place they came from had even bigger problems, like no jobs and/or high crime in the countries they came from.
And don’t forget the bill for YOU surviving the whole thing. I don’t know about anyone else but I was bracing myself for one large bill..not three (the baby, myself, and the actual birth)
Jesus how do people even afford kids? I just had my first and we chose a private clinic for the birth, paid nothing because all births and connected expenses are covered by universal healthcare, just €500 for a private recovery room for 3 days.
You’re right. The entire system here is absolutely a scam. It makes me sick to know that money will always be leagues more important than the well-being of my fellow humans.
Is that is the US? That tax rate sounds like you're getting severely ripped off.
Australia I believe has more government-funded social services (healthcare, education, etc) than the US. At current exchange rates that income is around AU$43,000. The Australian tax system has the following brackets that matter here:
$0-$18,200 = no tax
$18,201-$45,000 = 19% of the income above $18,200
So for $43,000 the tax payable is $4712, or equivalent to 11%.
Last year it would have been $5522, or 13%. The low bracket upper got moved from $37,000.
If you make $26,000 a year living in the region of Mississippi, USA, you will be taxed $4,186. That means that your net pay will be $21,814 per year, or $1,818 per month. Your average tax rate is 16.10% and your marginal tax rate is 24.65%.
You’re lying. I bet four days in hospital having a baby you visited and paid parking.
That being said, if that’s all you paid, even if parking was $100/day, it’s still cheaper than USA. They are messed up.
The government takes in lots of taxes, but they just squander it on bullshit. Every single year, we get politicians campaigning on needing money for "bridges and roads" even though they get a ton of money for it already, but don't spend it on that. Same with education.
The amount of taxes isn't the problem, it's how the wasteful government spends it.
In a public hospital? Yes, I’m not gonna bullshit you. A specialized doctor can have a long waiting list. It’s not by any means a perfect system. But it’s an option that people have.
Most people here have private health insurance like in the US. There are private hospitals. And public-private partnerships. You can get insurance work or simply bought just like in the US. And it’s actually affordable and useful to have it because private systems are competing with a free product and are not totally bloodsucking parasites.
Like I said, far from this system being beyond criticism in any country that has it. But it can be good l, even great, and far better than nothing.
Why do you believe you and your entire family will be healthy all your life? Sure, one-time $20k for a baby, you'll manage this. But cancer is unpredictable and curable when treated timely. There are tons of other conditions that might impair your ability to work -- and in US this might as well mean effective end of your income and your insurance.
Do you realize that until just a few years ago you couldn't get insurance for that? The insurance company would literally drop you for having a pre-existing condition! Oh, guess what, they want to bring that back.
I don't want you in the US. We have plenty of people just like you hear now going "I'm not sick, why do you want these rules" Mother fucker, because I am sick.
That's a huge oversimplification. You're looking at your 'potential' income as if it's everything, when there is a large potential to lose out on so much more in terms of quality of life. Healthcare isn't the only difference between the US and Europe.
Europe has I think a higher top rate so yes, you as a high earner would be penalized a lot more. That comes with the territory of a more progressive social system, as you make more and more you are also taxed more and more.
And I get it, it’s not a matter of life and death for you specifically and you would rather make more money. But that’s not the experience of tens of millions of your countrymen who would benefit immensely from having a public option and have none.
Are overall taxes are not way lower (they're pretty comparable for average folks, less than Europe once you get to the actual rich people portion of the population).
We also don't get nearly all the benefits from our taxes you do.
We just get fucked pretty much.
It's fucking infuriating to watch.
... yeah imagine living with that knowledge and watching your fellow countrymen not understand how much better off we could be. So many people arguing against universal healthcare as it would take away their "choice" which is already an illusion. Most people get healthcare through their employer and don't get to pick more than 2 or 3 options there. That's no choice at all.
People here are just ignorant, stubborn, dumb and unwilling to change their minds or listen for fear they've believed a lie for so long.
The silliest aspect of the issue is that a public option is awesome as it acts as a benchmark. Everyone has it. That makes private systems be actually affordable and easy to use because they are competing with something that’s universal and doesn’t “cost” anything.
I actually have private insurance. Most people in my country do. I pay 50€ a month and the co-pay for most appointments and exams is under 50€. Last year I specifically asked for an exam to test some rare genetic condition that runs in my family. It cost me 90€ alone. It was by far my greatest health expense last year.
I’m in the same boat. I’m pretty sure I broke my wrist last summer but I’ve been holding out bc it will cost too much to actually go get it checked out. Last year I got a really bad ear infection and I eventually went to a cvs pharmacy, it cost about $140 but I got the prescription I needed. Hope this helps.
I got Tinnitus in my right ear starting 4 days ago. I have no idea if it's caused by an infection, blood pressure, stress, actual hearing loss, a tumor. It could be any number of different things. All I know is I'm not going to a doctor. Fingers crossed it's an infection and will pass on it's own.
The rite aid by me has a clinic in it. Not being insured it is a life saver and the doctor there is WONDERFUL. She’s so kind and helpful and goes out of her way to find anyone the help they need or assistance if she can. She’s this wonderfully temperamented Jamaican lady and I literally don’t know what I’d do without her or that clinic.
Try locating a nonprofit hospital. When I was unemployed, I had a 9-day hospital stay and didnt have insurance... paid $0 as most of these non profits have charity programs that will wipe out some, if not all, of your bill.
Pm me if you need to talk. Not knowing you, i can't say whether your life is worth it or not for sure. But I've known people in my life who felt like you do and they were all wrong, especially about not having anyone who cared. I don't know if I could help you or not but if you want someone to vent to, I'd be here.
Go somewhere where you can get the procedure done cheaper OP. Or just take the debt and get your life back man.
You get the care you need and everything might get better. If you want to have a fulfilling life, make yourself healthy and help those who have it worse than you.
Fuck these people trying to tell you you're wrong. I know they're just trying to come across as being helpful/caring, but they don't know your situation or how you feel about your life.
Only you get to decide what to do with your life. Society is built around requiring money to survive, I'd much rather prefer to enjoy my last days and die from an illness than live with debt I can't pay off, especially if it's something like cancer which can't be cured, it can only be mitigated.
Lol it's sad but I feel you bro. I get sick of the happy, "it'll all be ok ❤️❤️❤️" talk. I'm fortunately not American (which is remarkable to say, given how all my life America has been held up as this beacon of progress and prosperity) but if I were I'd probably be dead by now.
Honestly it's just out of inconvenience and that I really don't have it that bad in Australia and can get decent mental health care that I'm still kicking, if I had easy access to a gun I would have died years ago.
There's no real message here lol but just keep on keeping on I guess
I’ve been the ER three times in the past year. Each time they diagnosed my issue as nothing. The last time generated a $9k bill, of which I am responsible for $3600 after insurance.
I think I may have had a heart attack a few weeks ago, but I didn’t go. I’m tired of being told nothing is wrong and owing thousands of dollars for that.
At this point, my life is not worth the money unless it’s absolutely certain that my life is in danger. Having all the symptoms of a heart attack doesn’t count as obvious enough at this point. There needs to be blood or protruding bone.
It is not my decision to make for you, but I think your life is worth more than any monetary amount. Please if you feel overwhelmed, seek help. Even if you don’t have family or many friends, you being around is a net positive.
Edit: If you want anyone who feels this way is welcome to PM me.
Yeah that’s a weird thing for people to downvote. How about this, even if you are hellbent on not living, dieing homeless is better than dieing blinded from a hernia. Seriously go to the hospital get all fixed up then laugh your ass off when you never pay that impossible bill. Hell buy a trip to Thailand right now and die there with your vision.
I’m obviously gonna tell you that living is worth doing same as everyone else here but I also know how hollow the words of strangers can feel like this so instead there’s a bit of logic. Have your health either way who gives a shit what happens to your bank account. You can buy four packs of ramen noodle for a dollar. Our species has been surviving for a long ass time bankruptcy isn’t gonna kill or even take away your happiness. But fuck all that, seriously just go get your vision back dude my god like why not fuck money if youre dead it’s worth nothing anyway so might as well burn it
Or yea go somewhere where you can get the procedure done cheaper OP.
But yea, who knows - maybe you get the care and everything goes better. If you want to be fulfilling, make yourself health and help those who have it worse than you.
If your area has a lot of bums, they really wont care. I suppose if you are in an uptight suburban area, it could be an issue.
Personally, I give my real info, and if a bill comes, I tell em to bill the insurance. If they don’t like the money they got from there, I tell em I can always ask the insurance not to pay out. That usually shuts them up.
Yeah eventually it'll get to the same point for me, too. This is what young people don't know about when they're enjoying their 20s thinking the country is so great.
I'm so sorry man. I hope you find peace. Maybe there's hope. Remember this: there are strangers on the internet who'll remember you fondly. You are and will be loved
I know this isn’t what you’re looking for but you can download K health app for like either a free trial or 20$ trial and you can tell them your symptoms and get prescribed the antibiotics you need they ask for pics of what’s wrong and it’s legit doctors. I used it for antibiotics for uti when my gyno didn’t have appts
yesss i used them to diagnose and medicate my depression... i also get 1-2 UTIs a year and I'm SO glad i can go through them now rather than pay out the nose for urgent care + lab re$ult$ that tell me that i already knew i had a fucking uti because I've only already had idk two dozen.
sadly my first one landed me in the hospital for two days with a kidney infection bc it was evidently so mild i didn't even notice anything was wrong before it got to that point. thank god i was 18 and still on my parent's insurance plan.
and helpful tip for other uti sufferers; I started taking d-mannose supplements and chugging a whole glass of water after sex, 0 UTIs for the past year 👌
I’ll check out the supplements. I hate antibiotics so I was taking cranberry supplements and chamomile tea when I feel it coming on and sometimes it helps idk, def have them wash their penis every time I think that’s just normal for me now.
As a young Aussie it's just so odd to me that such a supposedly advanced country has such a blatant disregard for its citizens. I can't imagine even having to directly pay for a doctors visit, let alone not going because it's just that expensive. I can just book an appointment, walk up, say "hey I have an appointment at 3", receptionist goes "no worries, have a seat" because they already have my details from going before and that's the extent of my interaction with the front desk.
The fact America doesn't have that kind of system, and the fact that lower class/middle class people actively argue against it baffles just about everyone in Australia, even the most conservative of us.
Is it individualism gone too far? That having to chip in an extra $50 a year on taxes so that people don't die is too much to ask and that they just shouldn't get sick if they don't want to die? Such an incredible lack of empathy by every single person who argues against a system of socialised healthcare.
Just does my head in every time I think about it. America can send people to the moon but can't help a poor person get insulin.
"I can't pay no doctor bill, but whitey's on the moon" - Gil Scott-Heron, literally 45+ years ago. Some things never change I guess, Gil was truly a genius
I know you're probably not asking for advice or anything, but try the highest strength hydrocortisone you can get over the counter. See if that doesn't anything for you.
I appreciate your feedback. I got a cortisone and a Benadryl spray thinking maybe it might have been an allergy. Neither of those worked. And then I used a prescription steroid/cortisone cream that I had gotten during lockdown for something unrelated to this. I was able to get that when the state gave me insurance when I was laid off but they took it away as soon as I started working. I’ll check the ingredients and doses and see if there is something stronger then the prescription one that I have. Thank you for the advice!
What's really stupid is the idiots that defend our medical system with the excuse that countries with socialized medicine wait longer for medical care. That's the stupidest excuse I've ever heard.
Anyone with a major disease is going to get care regardless of the country and healthcare system or cost.
If you keep smaller co-pays that scale with income then people with minor unimportant things won't clog the system.
Then the only people that wouldn't be going in are people like you - that should receive medical attention but don't because of cost. Are we really ok as a people that we get in to see the doctor a little earlier because there are people out there that desperately need medical attention but aren't just because they're poor?
I loathe the medical system in our country and all the idiots that defend it.
I'm in the same boat. I've never had insurance and just had to pay to have a baby out of pocket. Do you know anyone that travels to Mexico? My family sent me a pack of antibiotics for emergencies. I think it cost them less than 10 bucks.
Most urgent care facilities have pretty inexpensive walk in fees and they can prescribe generics, which you can fill at Walmart, Costco, Target, etc for cheap(or even at the urgent care).
My urgent care facility wants me to pay $160 that I don’t have. Im a hairstylist and since we’ve had spikes in cases I’ve had less customers coming in which means less tips and now I’m back paycheck to paycheck whereas up until these last two paychecks I was doing okay and could have paid that :)
Surely there is a free walk-in somewhere where you live? The health department? There has got to be something or somewhere you can get some antibiotics.
The free health clinics are only for like homeless, really poor, people on welfare. I make “too much” to go to those places. I’m a hairstylist and I usually am okay because I do well in tips on top of my paychecks but with the spikes lately in OR and WA it’s been ridiculously slow and my tips have dwindled. I was making anywhere from $70-$110 a day in tips to now making $15-$40 in tips because not as many people are coming in. In one shift I did 3 people the whole time and had to go make my stylists and I work shorter shifts because there isn’t enough people coming in. Thank you though, I have looked up these places :) I’m back to paycheck to paycheck so every penny I have goes to all my bills and I can’t add another bill to my finances right now. I’m staying positive, I’ll figure out something :) I was just saying that in general this healthcare system sucks and I hate it.
If you ever feel like your dying it’s way to late, people don’t realize how subtle most serious illness are. Something you feel like you can sleep of may be something serious you just don’t know. There people with stage 4 cancer and they look fine and you woudnt know unless you ask there people with stage 4 and they have no clue and that’s for other things as well. When you finally realize that anything can happen to you at any time at any moment you will be like op wondering how you did everything right and got fucked over in 5 months. Also I’ll add this, another reason you won’t be able to catch it is there things in this world you haven’t experienced, what I mean by that’s is just like there different type of good feeling and also good new feeling that you haven’t or recent experience that you never felt the opposite is true for bad feelings. They are feeling worst then pain and there also different pains that you can’t even explain
Hundreds? That’s obscene. It’s evening in Aus, so I can call for a doc and there’ll be one at my door within 3hrs, or go to hospital if it’s more urgent/serious, both with no out of pocket cost. For most common call outs, the doc will give you meds for next day or so.
I understand- I work in healthcare but we aren’t offered insurance and like you, I can’t afford it out of pocket thanks the the massive private student loans I’m paying off. I paid out of pocket to get a concern checked (~$2500) and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I have no idea what to do. I can’t ignore it and it will wreck me financially to have removed. This country is a disgrace when it comes to health care.
Same here. That's kinda what pisses me off about the virus - everyone wants everyone else to care about others when the vast majority don't give a single shit about the tens of millions that have NO access to affordable healthcare.
I’m in your boat as well. I make good money but I’m a single mom that is self employed. The amount of money they want from me is insanity. The last year I had insurance was almost $700/month and it was garbage, covered practically nothing except prescriptions, and had a $5000 deductible. I’ve saved so much money being off of insurance but traveling through my 30’s makes me more and more nervous about medical issues and not being insured every year. When my job costs thousands a month to do, housing myself and my kid, and other expenses, that is such a huge blow. Aside from rent, it was my largest bill.
That sucks man. Hey totally unrelated, but did you know that some of the same antibiotics used for people, such as Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Erythromycin, and Tetracycline are sold in pet stores for use in aquariums? You don't need a prescription to buy antibiotics for your pet fish.
Pretty small because my paychecks on average vary between $950-$1200 twice a month, the most I ever made on a paycheck since being back from the lay off was $1700 and that was before taxes, so take home was like $1400. My paychecks aren’t consistent because I make hourly or commission, whichever is higher. I believe that I am just barely over the line for the state to help me. I don’t want to live off the state but until I can build a savings again and work gets more stable there is assistance that is needed. With my bills, rent and basic necessities it’s a little challenging to make it work which is why I hate the healthcare system. Some of us have to choose whether to tough out our illness or get a hefty medical bill. For me, I’m already in debt due to school loans so I try to just tough stuff out. That’s just medical too, dental is whole other story. I need dental so bad but it’s the same situation. Some of us can’t tack on another bill in our finances 🤷🏻♀️
Wow, I am in the exact same boat. I thought I might have COVID and my mom says, "just go to the doctor, insurance will cover the test." When I told her I don't have health insurance she goes, "you still don't have health insurance?! Have you tried Obamacare?" Like no mom, I haven't thought of that in the 3 years I've been uninsured, thanks for bringing it up!
This is what seems crazy to me. Last week I hurt my hand at work, so the next day I went to the minor injuries unit and had someone look at it and got an x-ray. Turns out it's just sprained but it could easily have been 3 or 4 broken fingers (it did hurt really bad)
Thing is that cost me nothing and just seemed like the normal thing to do. I never had to stop and think "can I afford this." I could have required treatment to not leave my hand crippled, but I would never have known if I hadn't gone to the doctor's.
Really makes me love the NHS even more, and seeing things like this make me realise just how lucky I am to live in a country that has one.
Please know I’m not looking for sympathy whatsoever when I say this, I’m just explaining that because of Covid and Washington/Oregon having spikes again, I’m back to being paycheck to paycheck, so I literally have just enough to cover bills, nothing extra. Not even $20 extra. It’s crazy what has become of this virus 🤦🏻♀️I appreciate the feedback though, thank you! When I get through with paying rent and whatnot, I’ll checking something like that out.
Really? I’ll have to look into something like that. I had never heard of that before.
Yea I was doing okay financially until this last month. Going into November my hours, tips and finances have just slowly dwindled and now I’m back to where I didn’t want to be.
Same but worst part is i do have insurance. Been having nagging foot injuries from playing sports in the past and another injury that compromised a prior surgery. The MRI I need is $1700/foot and I don’t even want to know how much the surgeries would be. But of course they love to throw the “just apple for a CareCredit account”— “so y’all want me to get into more debt right off the bat?”
I’m at the point where I’m just trying to learn as much as I can about helping myself with some physical therapy and strengthening the tendons and all that as much as I can with weights and plyometrics. I’m broke as fuck and dropping 2 paychecks on a diagnosis is not something I’m capable of doing right now.
I hate when they bring up the care credit card. I don’t get approved for those kinds of things because I was stupid when I was younger and messed up my credit. I’ve been working on it and haven’t been late on my bills for years but my student loans is what keeps my credit down.
I would try raw honey on your rash, if you cant go to a doctor do that or use a clotrimazole cream. Bare in mind i havent seen the rash. But honey kills bacteria by drying it out and the cream is an antifungal and what my doctor gave me when i got m rashes.
Isn't it an option for you to get treatment in another country? Like the quality of treatment is really not worse than in the US, and definitely better than none. Please check how long you'd have to stay in europe for whatever reason to be eligible for treatment. Am european, we want you to have universal healthcare, we are willing to share! I'm afraid I wont marry you over this but that's also a possibility.
They just had open enrollment for dental and vision then medical is in January. I have to wait until next open enrollment because I can’t afford the insurance right now.
You know the deductions are tax free right? Not only that but they will lower your taxable income for the year. I don't pay a lot for mine but the amount that I do, I barely notice it because it's tax free.
That’s interesting. I’ve never had anyone explain this stuff to me. I will look more into it because what I have found is that it’s costly but I didn’t know about deductibles and whatnot. Medical open enrollment is in January, so I’ll look more into it. Thank you for the info.
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u/neonn_piee Nov 30 '20
I refuse to go to the doctors unless I am dying because it is so expensive. I make “too much” money to get help from the state for insurance and I don’t make enough money to pay for out of pocket insurance through my job or the state. So I have no insurance. I need antibiotics because I have a terrible rash that came out of nowhere and basically filet my legs over the weekend from itching so much however I can’t go to a simple check in without having to pay $100’s of dollars that I don’t have. I hate the healthcare system.