When you don't have free education, should be vital for anyone to know which schools are worthing to pay for.

Please take care of your chompers!

Unpopular opinion. Not saying smoking is good or bad BUT all these calculations don't work the way you think. Reminds of this joke. There’s an old story about a guy taking a smoke break with his non-smoking colleague. “How long have you been smoking for?” the colleague asks. “Thirty years,” says the smoker. “Thirty years!” marvels the co-worker. “That costs so much money. At a pack a day, you’re spending $1,900 a year. Had you instead invested that money at an 8% return for the last 30 years, you’d have $250,000 in the bank today. That’s enough to buy a Ferrari.” The smoker looked puzzled. “Do you smoke?” he asked his co-worker. “No.” “So where is your fückin Ferrari?

That's so USA-like specific, my european mind can't totally comprehend. I'm free to switch jobs, and that never will affect my retirement plan or my healthcare. The only thing is, people here have 1 "free" month between jobs. If you are between jobs, you have 1 month covered, than -even if you got a new one-, you have to cover the expenses. Sure, you won't let down, if something happens.

The vision in my right eye is hanging by a thread already and I’m not diabetic

Healthcare the American way. $$$

Do American docs just invent these fees on the spot? Why do Americans put up with it?

January 2023, I went in for a cervical smear and just generally talking about my health and how I was feeling to the practice nurse, she took my blood pressure (was extremely high), a finger prick (diabetic type 2) and high cholesterol. Amount I paid on the spot? £0. My meds (5 different types, including birth control pills) £0. I pay thru national insurance. You guys need to stop voting for ppl that don't have your best interests in mind.

That sounds like maybe some wrong codes were used or the Dr. was ripping you off. You shouldn't have been charged that much for a GYN visit and asking about your birth control. I have worked in Dr offices and hospital clinics for 25 years and this is wrong. The only time I know of that this CAN happen is when people on Medicare go in for the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (what Medicare calls a physical), if you talk about anything else you get charged for it.

That's not how it works

Get a new doctor! I live in the US, and this is not how any of my doctors are.

That is actual under US Law, medical fraud. Doctors must inform you of any services outside your scope that would cost extra. And questions do not count, only actual procedures. Your doctor did medical fraud

Think you have the wrong doctor then - or it’s medical fraud / over billing - anything that has to do with woman health is not out of their scope I would fight the charges

Yep, this happens and it's so ridiculous. I knew before going to my first appointment with my new doctor what I shouldn't bring up :(

WTF

Hahahahahahaha. I wonder which country was that :DDDDD

This does not ring true. I and my wife can ask any question and have never been billed for asking "outside."

This happened to me, too. When I called Dr.'s office and I was told the reason for the increase, I was speechless! How in the world did it come to this?! Why do we accept it?

that's disgraceful!

You may want a new doc. Jesus. My gyno is awesome. I ask whatever and she even prescribed some eye stuff. All totally normal and cheap. Usa born and raised

This is why the appointment coordinator always asks what issue you'd like to discuss with the doctor during the appointment.

If you live in America, don't ask questions about problems you are currently having at a preventive visit! Stress that you are there for your annual physical, NOT a problem visit. Most insurance plans cover preventive care, but the second a non-preventive issue comes up, you're getting charged. It's NOT the doctor's decision; if the billing doesn't match their notes, they can be fined and potentially lose their agreement with your insurance company.

Ontario Canada. Pap and questions are free. They always ask if you have any questions. Sometimes, you can completely turn the convo around (eg. hormone therapy, kids, etc.) with still no extra cost.

I doubt if you were charged for the questions. $400 is about what an office visit costs in Southern California. You get to ask all the questions you want.

Small example: Our son was sick last week;and we called his doctor to see if he could take anything besides children's motrin. They forgot to call us back; (over an hour later)when we call them, they say just keep doing what your doing. Not even 5 minutes later, I get a ding in my patient portal. They changed $5 just for that. Oh and put that he had a cough in the notes. We told them twice, no cough. Thank for letting me rant about five dollars. 😀

Whatttttt??!!! That's so messed up. I hate how healthcare is here.

So scummy

I had to go to the hospital when I was in-between jobs, so no insurance. 16 hour stay, $2000. 5 minute conversation with a doctor, $5000.

Health Care the British way--My sister had to schedule two appointments because she had two issues she wanted to talk to the doctor about. She was not allowed to bring up a second issue in the same appointment. She also does not have the ability to switch her doctor.

Jesus rollerskating christ, switch to Kaiser. NONE of this stuff happens with Kaiser. I got a hip replacement this year and the rest of my health care for the year is FREE. Everything. We used up the deductible. They don't charge for questions, I've never heard of anything like that.

It's way worse now with influencers and people claiming to be "beauty gurus". Just a thought that ran in my head today, all those people online showing off how they live, what products they use, how they apply their make up and what they wear, have all got to be the same mean girls in school sitting in groups judging others and telling girls they don't know how to apply makeup.

I used my grandparent's 10k inheritance to cover me while I finished high school. It came at the right time, as I didn't have the inheritance when I started, and going back was a last minute decision. But the way my dad expected me to use it, investing in stocks and bonds, etc, I felt like I blown it in less than a year and never mentioned it again. But I think he knew.

I made once a somehow alike mistake. I went low contact, but a few years later an emergency occured. My last thing doing for my "family" was paying for that emergency, but directly me. Never gave them money again, never contacted them again since than.

Ouch

So sorry that happened.

I hope you post this on reddit. A lot of women are falling for the "trad wife" scheme. (Traditional housewife)

If you don't know what you're doing, the stock market is just a casino (and a lot of times even if you do know what you're doing).

Sue him. He obviously doesn’t think your family