A study by researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health found that avoidable mortality rose across all U.S. states from 2009 to 2021, while it declined in most other high-income countries.
I’m curious, how much is a typical doctor’s visit in the U.S. without insurance of any kind? Just a straight out of pocket sort of expense. $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000? I assume that it scales based on more complicated procedures or longer visits, but what about the basics, like going in for what you think is a bad cold or the flue, maybe a rash or something along those lines?
Pretty much the fastest way to be penniless in the US medical bills. Hence why we have such shit outcomes, we tend to wait until the last damn second for anything medical.
And frankly, the $1000 winning the lottery is with insurance as well.
Christ, not a good state of affairs. I’d say that the U.S. healthcare system should have been overhauled decades ago, but the resistance to improving it seems almost insurmountable when the way that money affects the setup is taken into account. It might not change for the better for a long time yet.
Oh it might change if the the GOP gets their way. They want to strip out out the ACA or “Obamacare.”
Then we get to go back to where insurance dropped parents insurance on kids at 18 instead of until 26, back to limits on lifetime and annual coverage, and where you could be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
This was a state of affairs within my lifetime. You think it’s bleak now, it can in fact get much much worse.
I don’t envy Americans this scenario. Hopefully the system can be restored to an acceptable, if not ideal, state of affairs once the Trump administration ends.
I hope so too. However between Trumps Executive Order on voting and the way the people of my state and surrounding states are acting on this (they’re loving it) I’m not holding my breath.
It’ll probably be a good idea to steer clear of the US for a while (decades). I’d say pray for those of us that are trapped and want the hell out, but with the GOP we’ve got plenty of “thoughts and prayers” already.
I’m in no rush, although routing options to go around a country so large are a bit of a pain in the ass to arrange. At least there’s the Caribbean for North-South travel, and Canada/Mexico for Pacific-Atlantic transfers…
I recently had a routine visit with my doctor. About ten minutes. The office sent me a bill. $179.00 Luckily for me it was sent to me in error and my ‘cadillac’ health insurance covered everything.
Well, that’s the problem, due to changes passed with the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), annual routine screenings are free including women wellness. A lot of people do not know this.
The problem is when they find something wrong. Going to a specialist can easily push from hundreds to thousands.
Interesting, it’s no wonder that so many Americans have a difficult time with medical bills. I was also under the impression that the Affordable Care Act had been dismantled, it’s a bit tough to catch all of the headlines with so much going on all the time.
It’s still counter-intuitive to me, the thought that any country/state would try to save money by rolling back coverage for immunizations. The total loss to GDP from chronic and acute health problems is nothing to shake a stick at, denying coverage for immunization is like a country shooting itself in the foot (assuming that they can cover the cost to begin with).
I’ve been hearing that for a while (and it was said for a long time before my time), but they’re still keeping afloat somehow, despite several generations of getting railed by the conservative politicians, lawmakers & industry that they love. The math just doesn’t check out, how long can people hang onto a ledge by their fingertips while cheering for someone who spits in their face?
Yeah, I don’t understand it either. Immunization has always been such a huge benefit, such a huge return on investment, such a huge positive, that I just don’t understand how even the most self-serving, manipulative liar with no morals would try to cut it
So far as I can gather, it all comes down to vaccine hesitancy. The (dis)information coming down the line has led to some people calling themselves “Pure Bloods” in recognition of their common unvaccinated status, with the belief that there’s some kind of high-handed conspiracy to monkey with people’s DNA via immunization shots. It’s a bit of a headfull, and makes for weird reading, but they’ve really dug their heels in about the issue, believing that their lives are on the line ironically enough. This is going to be one complicated ball of yarn to untangle…
I’m curious, how much is a typical doctor’s visit in the U.S. without insurance of any kind? Just a straight out of pocket sort of expense. $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000? I assume that it scales based on more complicated procedures or longer visits, but what about the basics, like going in for what you think is a bad cold or the flue, maybe a rash or something along those lines?
If you have to go to the Emergency Department, $1000 is you won the lottery.
Holy shit, yeah, that’s not good. With so many just barely squeaking by month to month, even that could be ruinous…
Pretty much the fastest way to be penniless in the US medical bills. Hence why we have such shit outcomes, we tend to wait until the last damn second for anything medical.
And frankly, the $1000 winning the lottery is with insurance as well.
Christ, not a good state of affairs. I’d say that the U.S. healthcare system should have been overhauled decades ago, but the resistance to improving it seems almost insurmountable when the way that money affects the setup is taken into account. It might not change for the better for a long time yet.
Oh it might change if the the GOP gets their way. They want to strip out out the ACA or “Obamacare.”
Then we get to go back to where insurance dropped parents insurance on kids at 18 instead of until 26, back to limits on lifetime and annual coverage, and where you could be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
This was a state of affairs within my lifetime. You think it’s bleak now, it can in fact get much much worse.
I don’t envy Americans this scenario. Hopefully the system can be restored to an acceptable, if not ideal, state of affairs once the Trump administration ends.
I hope so too. However between Trumps Executive Order on voting and the way the people of my state and surrounding states are acting on this (they’re loving it) I’m not holding my breath.
It’ll probably be a good idea to steer clear of the US for a while (decades). I’d say pray for those of us that are trapped and want the hell out, but with the GOP we’ve got plenty of “thoughts and prayers” already.
I’m in no rush, although routing options to go around a country so large are a bit of a pain in the ass to arrange. At least there’s the Caribbean for North-South travel, and Canada/Mexico for Pacific-Atlantic transfers…
I recently had a routine visit with my doctor. About ten minutes. The office sent me a bill. $179.00 Luckily for me it was sent to me in error and my ‘cadillac’ health insurance covered everything.
Well, that’s something at least. How much does a “Cadillac” health plan’s coverage cost you though?
I got it through my job/union. I pay about $20.00 for a doctor’s visit out of pocket. Pretty much everything else is covered.
I wish everyone had coverage like mine.
That’s cheap AF compared to what I’ve been hearing so far. All day long, Union strong.
What kind of Doctor? What kind of Visit?
Let’s say the family type, and a checkup for any of the more mundane things above.
Well, that’s the problem, due to changes passed with the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), annual routine screenings are free including women wellness. A lot of people do not know this.
The problem is when they find something wrong. Going to a specialist can easily push from hundreds to thousands.
Interesting, it’s no wonder that so many Americans have a difficult time with medical bills. I was also under the impression that the Affordable Care Act had been dismantled, it’s a bit tough to catch all of the headlines with so much going on all the time.
Affordable Care Act is mostly still there, but
Also the current administration is trying to
It’s still counter-intuitive to me, the thought that any country/state would try to save money by rolling back coverage for immunizations. The total loss to GDP from chronic and acute health problems is nothing to shake a stick at, denying coverage for immunization is like a country shooting itself in the foot (assuming that they can cover the cost to begin with).
Have you met Republicans? They like shooting themselves in the foot. They love guns.
And it is mostly the red states doing these counterintuitive measures. Unintended consequences going to catch up real fast.
I’ve been hearing that for a while (and it was said for a long time before my time), but they’re still keeping afloat somehow, despite several generations of getting railed by the conservative politicians, lawmakers & industry that they love. The math just doesn’t check out, how long can people hang onto a ledge by their fingertips while cheering for someone who spits in their face?
Yeah, I don’t understand it either. Immunization has always been such a huge benefit, such a huge return on investment, such a huge positive, that I just don’t understand how even the most self-serving, manipulative liar with no morals would try to cut it
So far as I can gather, it all comes down to vaccine hesitancy. The (dis)information coming down the line has led to some people calling themselves “Pure Bloods” in recognition of their common unvaccinated status, with the belief that there’s some kind of high-handed conspiracy to monkey with people’s DNA via immunization shots. It’s a bit of a headfull, and makes for weird reading, but they’ve really dug their heels in about the issue, believing that their lives are on the line ironically enough. This is going to be one complicated ball of yarn to untangle…