15 Comments
User's avatar
Julie B 🇨🇦's avatar

So good to let people know how the system really works. A friend’s son in Florida developed colon cancer at age 21. It was a very scary time for them as he had no insurance as he was a month away from starting law school in September, where he would have insurance coverage and he wasn’t eligible under his parents insurance because he had finished university in May so wasn’t considered a student any longer. He required 2 surgeries and multiple rounds of chemo and was in hospital for 3 months. At discharge, they received their bill from the hospital. $1,240,000. You can imagine how they felt. When they examined their bill close up, they found charges exactly as you described. A hospital-sized box of Kleenex was $35.00. He went through a few in 3 months, you can imagine. At first the hospital said nothing they could do, but offered to put them on a payment plan. With that, their son would still be paying it off after they would be gone at age 80. Needless to say, they fought it, with lawyers and were able to get it reduced down to around $250,000. Big difference. Still hefty, but manageable over time. And the best part was, their son is still in remission 20 years later. Happy ending!

Kathy's avatar

I love this Julie. I'm glad he's ok ❤️

Julie B 🇨🇦's avatar

Perfect example of a corrupt healthcare system. So sad that a country as large and rich as the US doesn’t have universal healthcare.

Motaz Ibrahim's avatar

Great reporting..This has to be published everywhere for people to get informed. The system is truely designed to entrap and enslave normal folk

Kathy's avatar

Being informed is the first step to fight back.

Crevvie's avatar

It is not only america! Cancer fundraising in australia has become a zealous religion! I pray every day that I live to see the destruction of the entire western medical industrial complex! I will thank God if I am blessed to take an active role in that destruction!!

donna's avatar

There is ZERO justification for those horrendous charges. How can anyone be healthy under these circumstances? Shame on the whole system.

Aamir Razak's avatar

Thank you for this important work Kathy, and discussing in depth how the system disenfranchises people. It is truly disgusting and insidious how the healthcare system is designed to derive maximum profit from the sick, injured and suffering.

The people who need care and treatment the most often have to make really tough decisions just to be able to afford treatment. It's such a shame that the system is so predatory and exploitative, I hope that reform can happen in my lifetime. Informing people like this is a great first step, in my view

Kathy's avatar

This country is sick Aamir (no pun intended)

Aamir Razak's avatar

well said kathy, and the truly sad part is, people try to be well, but the system tries to ensure that when they get sick, they stay that way. It is so tragic that it is not focused on providing healthcare to improve people's lives and overall well-being, but rather focuses on maximizing profits at the behest of people's dignity

Velvet Dunn's avatar

Wholly fuck!!! WAKE THE FUCK UP AMERICANS

eleanor sanchez's avatar

🙏🏾

Matthew ngatai's avatar

American Healthcare is too privatized oligarchs getting rich off Healthcare

Right to freedom's avatar

exactly what i am saying, thank you for enlighting the people. In my ebook ,it explains what you can do to reduce ,hence remove atleast a big portion of all those scammy medical bills .DO NOT BE AFRAID TO CHECK MY PAGE

Trajan II Imperator's avatar

The US has a lot to learn from the UK regarding universal healthcare for its population. In the UKs National Health System (NHS) you pay £0 for GP services, diagnostics, hospital stays, operations, medicines, post-op treatment and rehabilitation. Mental healthcare is also included and expanding its services. Every worker in the UK pays around 8% of their income towards NIC National Insurance Contributions which covers a whole host of Social Security payments such as sickness, unemployment, housing, state pension to name but a few. Although its not utopia Britain does have a Social Security and National Health System to be proud of. That and toll free motorways 😉