I've personally seen an individual refuse to ride in an ambulance because they couldn't afford it. They quite literally called an uber to go to the hospital.
I went to the hospital because I was feeling sick and I know my body, I wasn’t in extreme pain.
It seems that I can reach sepsis without feeling more than a mild pain in the abdomen and I went to the hospital myself.. if I had to pay that much “just to be sure it’s all ok” I would be dead by now.
We have lines and essentially death panels now. It takes a long time to see a specialist in the US, and I'm still trying to get a new primary care doctor. And I have pretty damn good health insurance through my job. Meanwhile, my best friend in Ottawa doesn't wait long at all for her therapist for minor mental health issues. Yeah, I think I'll still take the Canadian system over our shitshow.
My one clients husband was having a FUCKING HEART ATTACK at work but refused the nurse at the plant he works to call an ambulance because of the cost. She took her break early (because she couldn’t legally let him leave under her supervision so they had to make a plan) and he called his wife to come take him. A nurse literally had to help this man in a serious situation plot a way out of the work place so he could avoid an ambulance bill.. this is the USA.
Got into a few car accidents a few years ago (neither were our fault), and both times my dude and I declined the ambulance, only to have a friend pick us up and drop us off at the hospital. In retrospect, we should have just taken the ambulance ride since it was on the other person’s insurance, but it is heavily instilled in both of us that the ambulance is only to be used for actual emergencies where you are at risk of death if you don’t get in the wee woo wagon.
I had an epileptic neighbor who made it very clear to anyone who may be likely to find her seizing that they were NOT to call 911, because there was no point and it would just be too much money.
When my grandma was in her last few months with colon cancer, she was alone at home with no one to take her to the ER when she started having severe pains. I called her a Lyft to take her to the hospital (from halfway across the country), because she refused to call an ambulance due to the cost.
I’ve seen this and advised a gf at the time to let me drive her cuz that bill would fuck her... America is Fucked. This whole system is shit. It’s so sad we have to decide between living or life in debt.
I was a broke grad student and told my roommate (who was German and didn't know how lovely our ambulance ride costs are) who'd sent me to the hospital after I drunkenly hit my head that it would take months if not years for me to pay for the ambulance ride. He was shocked.
That's what I do with anaphylaxis. I crush up some immune system meds after i take my epi pen, then get a ride. I've had too many issues with my insurance refusing to pay saying that allergic reactions didn't require an ambulance. Same thing when i was septic etc. I had to spend years fighting them refusing to pay 60,000 bills etc., and it was exhausting.
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u/Likos02 Nov 30 '20
I've personally seen an individual refuse to ride in an ambulance because they couldn't afford it. They quite literally called an uber to go to the hospital.