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50 Stories That Expose the Harsh Realities of American Healthcare
Interview With Expert
Our health is our most valuable treasure, so we trust the government to help protect it by ensuring access to quality services. When that trust is broken, we’re left feeling vulnerable, frustrated, and sometimes even helpless.
In the U.S., these emotions have reached a boiling point during the ongoing trial of Luigi Mangione, who is being accused of killing the CEO of the health insurance giant UnitedHealthcare.
Intrigued by the widespread public interest in the case, we delved into online discussions to understand why so many people are invested in it. What we found were entire threads of individuals sharing their disappointment in the system. Continue scrolling to check out the stories and our conversation with Dr. Iris Gorfinkel.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Had a precancerous lump growing in my chest, my health insurance said it wasn't developed enough to be covered and would be considered cosmetic unless it became larger.... so i had to pay for the entire procedure myself in order to prevent a possibly cancerous lump from growing.
F*****g jerkoffs.
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
I've been a medical scheduler for over 25 years and have never heard of this idiotic reason for denying surgery. It sounds like you have really crappy insurance. It really sucks that you had to pay for a surgery so that the mass wouldn't turn into cancer.
The Cute Cat 11 months ago
OMG.. I am a paramedic that handle insurance claim for several company. This reason is just EVIL..
Michael Largey 11 months ago
For-profit health care insurance is a cancerous lump on all Americans.
Nicole Weymann 11 months ago
"cosmetic surgery", so you can feel beautiful on the inside, show off your new scars, and get the problem resolved before anyone can even see it. Yeah, sound legit. /S
OnlyMe 11 months ago
That's insane. We have free checks for breast, cervical, lung and bowel cancers - if there is a result it's dealt with very quickly. Doctors know that cancers can be cured if they are caught in time. My aunt had stomach cancer, it was treated and she lived another 40 years. Treatment was free. We don't need insurance.
According to Iris Gorfinkel, M.D. who is a general practitioner, medical researcher, and the founder of PrimeHealth Family Practice and Clinical Research, a well-functioning healthcare system needs to have multiple features, namely, it has to be accessible and affordable.
"Healthcare needs to be placed where people actually live and it should also be affordable so that nobody is penalized for preventing tomorrow's problems right now," Dr. Gorfinkel told Bored Panda.
"So, the ideal system invests heavily into prevention, not just treatment," she explained. "The system should screen people for cancer, it should provide them with vaccines, test for diabetes and h**h blood pressure, not to mention addictions and mental health issues — these things should also be addressed early in their development to prevent patients from becoming suicidal, or even worse."
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#2
I work in healthcare, I see the worst things almost every day. The amount of wasted resources trying to get an insurance company to pay for a normal service for a patient is mind boggling. Knowing it doesn’t have to be this way, but because so many people have the attitude that business can do no wrong, I just shake my head.
We could spend so much less money and help so many more people, but the prevailing “I’ve got mine, f**k you!” Attitude continues to hold us back as a nation from being something great.
SCamp 11 months ago
As an outsider looking in, this lack of wanting to do things for the social good or because it’s the right thing to do for the collective good has resulted in this monstrous healthcare system that has lost its way as to what it’s primary purpose is - to help people. The problem is you now have a ‘leader’ who is going to make it worse by extending the ‘me me me’ philosophy to every facet of American life. Good luck.
Philly Bob 11 months ago
Elected by few to hurt so many. Wait until they see themselves, their friends and family die, become homeless and pay $6-7 more in gas. I shur do hope dem eggs iz good!
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StarCrossedFriday 11 months ago
I’m always baffled by the commonplace attitude where the idea of universal healthcare is linked to ‘nooooo! That road leads to communism!!’ by so many Americans.
RedMarbles 11 months ago
This American is also baffled. The OP really hit the nail on the head that the idea that business can do no wrong is firmly implanted in many American heads. It's been sold hard and somehow wrapped up with being patriotic. And of course those who own and/or heavily influence the information pathways have presented it as an either/or proposition - if you aren't pro-business, you're the extreme opposite that no Democrat or liberal I've ever known has ever advocated for. It honestly doesn't look to me like reason is going to prevail anymore. The bullies and the oligarchs have teamed up and they control the information pathways. There seemsvto be little help for us reasonable Americans and the world will gleefully watch our demise, pointing and laughing while remaining oblivious to how it may affect the futures of their own countries. Sorry - particularly pessimistic today.
Load More Replies... The Cute Cat 11 months ago
USA really could good use of that BILLIONS goes to IDF by giving free health care to his people.. Like, even many developing country has UHC in place.. You want people has options? That is fine.. But at least cover basic health care of your people first before using it to help other weaponize their military
Xenia Harley 11 months ago
But sure, we don't need socialized medicine! That is the stupidest thing ever in America. Healthcare should never be for profit!
Philly Bob 11 months ago (edited)
Geez! Instead of paying about 2-3K extra a year in ::shudders in American:: TAX! I'd rather pay 15K a year plus another 7K in co-pays because sOsHuLiSm!! Why should the ever-wonderful MEEE pay anything towards some rando? I'm like "what do you idiots think you're doing now? Only more expensive!! They got them brainwashed!
Onan Hag All 11 months ago
How could anyone with a conscience work in the USA "healthcare" system?
Multa Nocte 11 months ago
It's not the health CARE system that's the problem, it's the health INSURANCE industry that's the problem.
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#3
Went into an ER for a possible miscarriage. I told them I'd had losses before and that I'd like an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok. I'd had these cramps before with my loss before that one.
They refused to check and make sure everything was ok, only did a d******k pregnancy test, even though I told them I was pregnant. And then they wouldn't listen when I said I had no UTI, that I was going to lose my child. THEY TESTED FOR A UTI ANYWAY. (It came back negative like I said it would.)
They also decided to have the nurses press and squish my uterus to see if I was actually pregnant. I was roughly 8 weeks my uterus isn't even big enough to feel in my abdomen.
They sent me home said I was fine and there was nothing wrong with me even though I insisted.
Why did they not listen you ask??? I wasn't established with a doctor at that hospital, didn't look to be in pain, and was texting my husband and I's roommate.
I ended up in another ER on the fourth of July (two days later) from heavy heavy bleeding and lost my second child.
( I will forever be holding a grudge against that ER. V-day was my due date and my husband's birthday. I should have a child right now.).
Kabuki Kitsune 11 months ago
You wouldn't get far. OP's own statements tell us why they behaved the way they did. To put it simply, her not having pain, added into the apparent disinterest in what was going on by texting during the wait time (which you're being observed by the nurses and doctors), sent up all manner of red flags to the doctors. It's literally some of the red flags they're taught to look out for to recognize 'pain medication seeking behavior' which addicts use. Since OP couldn't deny that behavior in court, and the DEA requires doctors and nurses to actively watch for that specific behavior to help curtail the opioid epidemic in the states... then no fault would be found on the part of the ER. If anything, she'd be cautioned that her behavior in the ER visit, is what caused her to not be seen or treated.
Load More Replies... Robin Roper 11 months ago
Sad and infuriating, but it's also likely the pregnancy would have been lost. OP's assumption that had this hospital treated her properly a child would have been born is a huge leap without any evidence. Sadly about 1/3 of all pregnancies end in miscarriage (spontaneous abortion.)
Booster Booey 11 months ago
I know the OP can't see this, but I'm so sorry this happened. Change must happen. It simply must.
Xenia Harley 11 months ago
This is happening in many states in the US where they are banning abortions. Women are basically being turned away because doctors don't want any part of a potential abortion procedure or anything with a pregnancy ending for fear of getting prosecuted. Welcome to America where women cannot get basic healthcare, if it involves reproduction!
Kabuki Kitsune 11 months ago
Fun fact: Doctors and nurses are trained in 'pain med seeking behavior'. This behavior is something used to determine if a potential patient is falsifying symptoms in attempt to get various medications. Opioid types being the most common. Among the behaviors that doctors and nurses are trained to look for, is an overall lack of pain, and disinterest in what is being done. So, when OP said she quote "didn't look to be in pain, and was texting my husband and I's roommate"... she played right into the markers for medication seeking behavior. Had she been more interested in what was going on, not texting on the phone, and asking questions... then the doctors and nurses would be more inclined to believe something was actually wrong, and not that she was some addict there trying to seek a fix.
Sven Horlemann 11 months ago
I would make sure they hear of it. In every way possible. And name doctors.
Pavni 11 months ago
Brian, why are you telling her this? Its clearly unhelpful and will only make her feel worse. Dont insert yourself where you arent needed next time buddy
Load More Replies...Sadly, there's a gap between reality and the ideal—Americans' opinion of the quality of healthcare in the country is now at its lowest point since 2001, Gallup found.
Currently, 44% of U.S. adults say the quality of the system is excellent (11%) or good (33%). This figure has dropped by a total of 10 percentage points since 2020 after steadily declining each year.
Between 2001 and 2020, the share of people who viewed it positively ranged between 52% and 62%. However, the majority—54%—now describe it negatively as fair (38%) or poor (16%).
#4
Going to the pharmacy (CVS) and being told my generic medication that I am paying cash for is $216. When I say I can get it at Costco for $7 (true), they say hold on, just a minute, then come back and tell me ok, it will be $9.99. Wait, so you're making more than $200 profit on this generic medication? That's sick.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
CVS is very profitable. They have the highest co-pays. I thought prescription co-pays were set, like doctor appointments. I was paying almost $1,000 / month co-pay. Had I gone to the CVS two miles away, it was much less. Yes, co-pays are set by location. Walgreens one block from my old CVS charged a fraction of that. Less than $300. 10 years ago, has the situation improved!
Pharmtechgurl 11 months ago
your insurance sets the copays, not the d**g store. if you are getting different prices, it's something the d**g store is not doing correctly in processing your claim. Call your insurance and parse it through with them
Sophia Athene 11 months ago
Look into GoodRx. I couldn't have two of my medications without it right now but have used it for *years* for meds on and off. Interestingly, CVS is cheaper for one of my meds on GoodRx within an hour of driving distance. The rest of meds copay sucks at CVS and I transfer them elsewhere. And one pharmacist is a raging b***h sent from the devil to torture patients for no damn reason except she can
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
The fact that it can cost a different price for the same generic medication is crazy to me! What is the point of them being generic if it's up to the pharmacy to decide the price?
#5
I was in a horrible place mentally. I was s**cidal and having anxiety attacks for the first time in my life.
Acting on the advice of my mother, I walked my broke a*s into the nearest hospital and checked myself in. Keep in mind I have no money and no health insurance.
2 hours laying in a hospital bed and a xanax or two later I was released. The next month I received a bill for over $7,000. I was in shock. How could a 2 hour stay at the hospital amount to that much? Especially when it felt like I could get better accommodations at a Motel 6. To this day, I am still in debt. It disgusts me.
Schnitzel 11 months ago
I forget how the system works in USA but can’t one respond to these bills in writing? Dispute the amount or something?
Bec 11 months ago
Yes. Hospital is charging what they would charge the insurance company, but would then drastically reduce. But it sucks that people, especially sick people, have to argue with the billing department to get the bill down
Load More Replies... StarCrossedFriday 11 months ago (edited)
I spent 4 hours in an ER in the US on holiday. Blood tests, one scan, and painkillers for what turned out to be pancreatitis. It cost just over $15,000, and this was over 15 years ago. I don’t even want to imagine what it would cost now. Thank God my mum insisted on extensive travel insurance…no, wait. Thank mum 😁
Kelly Scott 11 months ago
I just did this to find out I need my gall bladder taken out. It cost about $40,000. Minus the painkillers.
Load More Replies... Dusty's mom 11 months ago
I pay $35 a month for arthroscopic surgery done 10 years ago. That's all I will pay the collection agency.
ElfVibratorGlitter 11 months ago
I also checked myself into a hospital for depression a few years ago. Got a bill for 35k and just laughed. Never paid it, never will.
Xenia Harley 11 months ago
You can usually qualify to get healthcare and it is retroactive, the hospital should have told you this. Sick. Just sickening.
Tucker Cahooter 11 months ago
Send the bill to your mother since it was her asinine advice in the first place
whodunnitfan2013 11 months ago (edited)
My relatives tried to have me involuntarily committed under the guise of helping me, after I outed my abusive parents. I couldn't pay the bill I got. This was after even the hospital social worker told me the abuse was my fault and that I deserved it.
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Binky Melnik 11 months ago
ALWAYS ASK FOR AN ITEMIZED BILL. I’ve heard of the cost coming down as much as *** 85% *** once the charges are no longer hidden.
#6
Trying to afford Epi-pens. Nothing like a few hundred bucks for a one time use device that is necessary to stop anaphylaxis.
Dusty's mom 11 months ago
I keep my epis three years. They lose effectiveness, but I can't afford a new one yearly. I just hope it's enough until the EMTs arrive.
tee-lena 11 months ago
600. Times 2 for my mom. "Luckily" she's disabled and gets medi-medi so it's paid for with less than 5bucks copay for both. Now, we've been fighting for an electric wheelchair for well over 5years now. New Dr, new year, hopefully a new result.
Load More Replies... Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
Apparently kids needed to provide one to the school and one to each after school activity. @$600 each.
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
It's absolutely ridiculous how much the cost especially if insurance doesn't cover it or you don't have insurance.
As has been the case throughout the 24-year period, Americans rate healthcare coverage in the U.S. even more negatively than they rate quality. Nowadays, just 28% believe it is excellent or good, four points lower than the average since 2001 and well below the 41% h**h point in 2012.
Additionally, less than one in five Americans—19%—say they are satisfied with how much healthcare costs.
#7
Mine's small compared to others, but the uncertainty. Every time I go to the doctor, I never know what I'm going to pay.
I've had lab tests ordered by the doctor, done *in the same office* but it was technically a separate company, and then I turn around three months later and here's a bill for 45 dollars.
No big deal, I can afford it, but... why? Why can't I see up front what things will cost me? And it's constant. Every time I go to the doctor I'm never really sure what I'm going to end up paying.
I honestly get better up front estimations of cost when I take my cat to the vet.
Bec 11 months ago
I did the responsible thing and got a mammogram. Was told because one breast was dense, I needed additional ultrasound done. Ok. $500... But this was a Doctor ordered thing that is preventative, shouldn't it be covered. Nope, that service is not a covered provider.
joseph legatt 11 months ago
This one really baffels me. If you have a car accident you decide where your car will be fixed and insurance pays. If you have a claim on your home insurance you decide who the contractor is and insurance pays. How is it tha America allows insurance companies decide who will provide the service? Once the amount of the claim is determined why should it matter who provides the service?
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#8
One year, my insurer decided to stop covering my doctor.
Prior to this things were pretty seamless. The doctors office submitted all my forms; the instance paid them, and I just put the copay in when I left the office or when I got the bill.
That year, I paid more, filed the forms myself, had to fight to get a basic annual checkup covered, and my doctor was subtly encouraging me to find a new personal doctor if the situation persisted.
They kissed and made up by spitting the baby at some arcane level that only makes sense to the MBAs involved, but it was a pain in the a*s and *squarely* the fault of the insurer for trying to save a buck.
That year, they got smacked by a HHS regulation because they were spending *too little* on patient care and therefore dropped my premiums a bit the next year.
They made every medical task a pain for a year, then got caught spending *too little* and had to lower premiums.
Single-payer, yesterday, and tax the rich a******s for trapping us in this h**l for decades in the name of "consumer choice." I didn't have a f*****g choice in any of that, and paid a s**t-ton for the privilege.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
Members of Congress have the best health insurance in the country -- for life!! They don't understand how bad health insurance is here. Getting rid of the Affordable Care Act? Any replacements planned?
panther 11 months ago
Cheetolini say's he has the concept for a plan, which is to say no. Unless it will make more money for the for the billionaires, which is the only plan that they will like.
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Michael Largey 11 months ago (edited)
My wife got a letter from her health insurance company saying "Your personal physician is not longer part of our network. If you receive service from this physician, the charges will be out of pocket." My wife's doctor was no longer part of their network because the doctor had died. When my wife called them to inform them of that, they replied "Oh, we knew. That's just the letter we always send out when a doctor is no longer part of our network."
Dr. Gorfinkel said the healthcare system shouldn't look at a person's gender, race, or the contents of their wallet, either. "You can be rich or poor, it doesn't matter, you should still be guaranteed quality care."
The doctor added that we should also be able to access and share our medical records with others if we choose to do so. "That way, clinicians can always learn what has been done to the patient in the past and what's worked for them, and the potential mistakes to avoid, whether it's a drug intolerance, or, say, a life-threatening allergy."
Hopefully, with time, stories such as the ones we found within the thread will become more and more rare.
#9
Working in a s****y a*s pharmacy and having to witness people die inside when they discover the price of the their d***s.
Seriously, just two more years and I'm out of this.
MaryHadaLittleLamb 11 months ago
Not for diabetics who have to pay $900 for their insulin, unfortunately.
Load More Replies... #10
I've got gum recession on my molars. My dentist told me I'd need to get it fixed surgically or eventually my teeth would fall out (not to mention the pain of having the roots slowly expose themselves).
As this was a necessary procedure, the dentist and surgeon assumed my insurance would cover it. What actually happened was that, since my teeth weren't already falling out, the surgery was classified as elective. Aetna Dental and Aetna Medical passed the buck back and forth between them until eventually telling me to go f**k myself and pay the ~$1500 out of pocket. Good thing I opted to stay awake during the surgery! That would have cost me another two grand.
The thing that really grinds my gears about this is that my insurance company is basically saying that the correct thing to do would have been to spend another year or so in pain until my mouth was really f****d up, and then they would have considered the procedure necessary enough to help. How is it even in their best interest to discourage people from solving small problems before they turn into huge and more expensive problems?
StarCrossedFriday 11 months ago
I honestly don’t get this from a financial pov. Wouldn’t it better all round to have it fixed *before* it becomes a much more expensive catastrophe? Or are they hoping the patient will drop dead before then? It makes no sense whatsoever. Preventative measures are always better, surely?
Bonesko 11 months ago
I'm guessing they hope the patient gets desperate enough to find a way to pay for it out of pocket, or hope milk the person for as much money as they can paying monthly for medical insurance. It's disgusting.
Load More Replies... Pencil 11 months ago
My friend needed dentures. Insurance said they'd cover 100%. But only for one set. Sounds reasonable, right? Here's the catch: when you get all your teeth pulled for dentures, your gums will significantly shrink over the following weeks so if they have a set of dentures to give you that day, in a few weeks, they'll no longer fit. The insurance company's policy is that you get your teeth pulled, walk around COMPLETELY TOOTHLESS for SIX WEEKS (while eating an entirely liquid diet, of course) and then get your dentures. Poor guy had to pay $2000 out of pocket for a temporary set. They couldn't come up with a better way to traumatize people if they tried.
Philly Bob 11 months ago
Go with the eyes. $2500 for a procedure that would allow you to not have to wear glasses or contacts again. But NOOO... they want to pay tens of thousands over the years in glasses and what not. Silly right?
Jeweled Dragon (She/They) 10 months ago
Dental insurance is a joke. I cracked my tooth in half, but since it isn't painful, insurance won't cover the procedure to get it fixed, for the same reason as OP.
#11
Paying $550 / month at age 31 for healthcare that literally covers nothing until I hit my $8500 deductible.
Kenneth Barns 11 months ago
I pay ~$200/mth at age 49 for myself, my wife, and 4 kids. ~$40 copay for primary care doctor, no copay for emergency department, chronic disease management, or inpatient care. Medication costs limited to $25 per month per medicine. My insurer? Medicare Australia. (The premiums are a % of income.). The only downside is the totalitarian socialist oppression that I am forced to live under as an Australian.
OnlyMe 11 months ago (edited)
I pay nothing except for accident insurance. Which covers EVERYBODY who visits or lives in my country. You come here and break your leg? FREE treatment for you. And me too, of course. Since I have actually broken my leg, a week in hospital and outpatient visits after that. All free. Well - the accident insurance comes out of my taxes. It's not money that I see, and it's very minimal, like about $300 per year.
Cindy Brick 11 months ago
It was $12,000 for us -- Husband worked for one of the big school systems in Colorado. We tried very, very hard not to get sick -- or use a doctor.
Carly Krumins 11 months ago
I'm in Australia and I have private health insurance and we pay the same amount for our family of 4. Of course, it's subsidised by the Australian government. And this is optional. We don't have to have this insurance as we could use the public system for an extremely low cost.
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
You would be better off as self pay. Everywhere will give you a self pay discount. My cousin used to have a really crappy insurance that she had to pay the bill and file it with them herself for reimbursement. They hardly paid anything back to her. It took 3 or 4 mins for me to talk her into dropping the almost $500 a month cost. She was shocked at how much cheaper it is for her being self pay.
Clarissa 11 months ago
Better as self pay only if nothing really bad happens. Accident, surgery, cancer....you'll never be able to pay even the self pay amount.
Load More Replies... #12
I'm tired of being a womam and having everything being blamed on my v****a or reproductive system. Both female and male doctors like to brush off pain as being normal, when we know our bodies and we know it's anything but normal. And then you end up with bills for UTIs when you go in for intense acid reflux and food blockages. "We don't know what's going on but you have a UTI, bye." And I have to pay for that s**t because my insurance won't cover it for whatever f****d up reason.
So aggravating. Luckily I was finally diagnosed, but then insurance won't cover the medication because it's "experimental.".
Kelly Scott 11 months ago
I had a doctor deny over and over I had a UTI. I ended up at Planned Parenthood with their sliding fee scale and I was diagnosed with...a UTI! Got antibiotics and that was it. It cost me $60 at Planned Parenthood then. I shudder to think how much all those repeat visits cost at the doctor's office (I had insurance then and a small deductible).
#13
Aetna, in a word. They low-balled on all bills, refused to pay ambulance and ER Doc bills, and told me “well, we don’t think you owe the hospital anything”. Plus the hospital had a very aggressive collections policy (not for profit, my a*s), threatened to turn it over to collection agency, etc. I wrote 4 complaints to the state department of insurance that year, Aetna had to pay bills on 3 of them. F**k them.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
They were the worst. I was in a car accident, not my fault -- the woman who hit me was uninsured. State Farm refused to pay the full $50,000 medical expenses I paid for, Aetna refused to pay anything. I was stunned, I paid for full coverage with State Farm and Aetna was one of the biggest health insurance companies at the time. We had one of their "better plans." - This was 1993, sounds like nothing has changed.
Warren Peece 11 months ago
"Non-profit" just means that a company has gotten really good at manipulating the tax system.
Josh Kottlovski 11 months ago
No kidding. The hospital/clinic I go to has a "Not for Profit" all over the walls but yet, if you owe them anything even the receptionists checking you in always ask not so politely "Do you know how much you balance is? Can you make a payment today?" Even though I'd submitted a payment on my payment plan that morning. It's a disgusting world when even the people who just make sure the right patient is there are like "Where's my money huh? HUH!!"
Load More Replies... #14
My mom got cataracts at age 50 and insurance said she was too young to have them so didn't want to cover them.
SCamp 11 months ago (edited)
🫨 Me no understand American healthcare, it’s a bizzarro anti-world
Bookworm 11 months ago
If you really want to dig into bizarro-world, check out some of these. This article series digs into all the tricks and traps of the healthcare system, based on crazy bills people submit. https://kffhealthnews.org/news/tag/bill-of-the-month/
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Verfin22 11 months ago
I got cataracts at 43. Because of a history of wearing glasses, insurance didn't pay so I could have "unnecessary cosmetic surgery". Thanks for $10k in debt.
Remi (He/Him) 11 months ago
I have cataracts now at 50 although the symptoms started a few years back. The surgery will cost 0€, but now I gotta wait until the eyesight gets bad enough and then it's gonna be waiting in the surgery line for something like six months to a year. Still better than going into crippling debt
Load More Replies... Philly Bob 11 months ago (edited)
"My 5 year old has cancer." :( WHAT? 5 is too young to have cancer. No coverage for you! Or they called it a "pre-existing condition say the child was born with it or sone shït like that. well, look for that to come back as rumpus gives that back to big insurance.
Colleen Glim 11 months ago
I had cataract surgery at 41 because of a badly detached retina. Cost me nothing. Had surgery to replace the lens 10 years later because it dislocated. Total cost, $110 for the replacement lens. Canada may have its own problems but thankfully healthcare isn’t one of them
SlightlyTarnished 11 months ago
I don't understand this one. I, as well as several people I know, have had cataracts at various ages and all were covered by insurance.
Bookworm 11 months ago
It doesn't have to make sense. They just come up with some dumb reason to deny you, and then see if you're the kind of person who gets discouraged and gives up without appealing. Saves them lots of money.
Load More Replies... #15
Getting a bill from a hospital for a procedure that I never had, for several thousand dollars. Call the hospital, talk to the billing department, they realize it of course could not have been me having this procedure because the person who had it was 30 years older than me, and they will correct the bill. Only to get another notice the next month. Call the hospital again, problem will be corrected. Then a late noticed the following month. Call the hospital again, told the problem will be corrected. Then get another bill the next month, rinse, repeat for 18 months.
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
After the third time you call patient relations and file a complaint and also say you're getting a lawyer because of their mix-up it's affecting your credit rating.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
I was on an endless loop of my insurance company paying the bill, then the hospital returning the payment -- while sending collection notices to me. After over a year of phone calls and letters, i looked up the head of the emergency room and called her. She was shocked! She did figure out who I needed to talk to. What a complete waste of an MD's time. It was over $10,000.
Robin DJW 11 months ago
I was getting dinged in my credit score for an outstanding bill - for hospital services in a state I have never been to. I could prove I was hundreds of miles away on the date of service. I was lucky that the phone calls I made took care of the problem, 'cause I was working up to a red-mist rage.
Pencil 11 months ago
I paid $250 cash at a hospital facility for physical therapy for a slipped disc in my neck. The payment has to be made before you see the therapist. I, of course, kept the receipt. I got a bill stating: Cost of service: $250 Payments made: $200 Balance Due: $450. This went on for weeks with every bill saying not just that I'd only made a partial payment (again, they physically won't allow you into the facility without full payment) and then adding the amount of that payment to the cost instead of subtracting it. But the time I was done getting it all straightened out, I needed a whole different kind of therapy.
#16
I had back issues and it was radiating down my arm even. So I had to get an MRI. Turns out they ordered the MRI for my middle back (where I felt the pain) but in reality it was coming from my neck. So I had to get another one. I’m fully insured but found out each of those scans cost $800. Oh also the results were I have some minor slipped disks. Rest and stretching is really all I can do. So yea I had to pay $1600 for them to confirm I have a reason that my back hurts... well no s**t.
Bonus:
Last year I dislocated my arm. couldn’t get it back in so I went to the ER. It was pretty busy so I had to wait a while. I went outside and layed on a bench and popped it back in myself. I went back in and told them I no longer needed a doctor. I received a $170 bill...
Lee Banks 11 months ago
The bar I frequent is practically an urgent care. The MMA folk deal with dislocations, the kitchen folk deal with cuts and burns, stoners deal with anxiety, all actual medical (emt, rn, etc.) help with questions, and some folk have access to antibiotics. I cannot imagine how much money weve saved eachother over the years.
Sophia Athene 11 months ago (edited)
I had bad hip pain and went for an MRI, thinking it would be inflammation or maybe an old sports injury. Nope, broken back. I had such good muscle definition around the area break that my muscles held me together. So we complain about tests that end up with negative results and get mad at the cost but $2000 or paralysis. Any simple move or minor injury and I could have been paralyzed. I may get frustrated with tests but I can't complain because of what that one saved me from. The system is still broken beyond repair and I had to fight the hospital over another $1000 for sending the test to a doctor who was not covered by my insurance to be analyzed. Eventually they relented because they knew my insurance demands and someone didn't pay close enough attention.
cryssH 11 months ago
Granted hospitals and doctors are expensive. Hospital is open 24/7. Requires heating, cooling, cleaning. Then there's staff; nurses, cleaners, maintenance, food service, pharmacy, stocking, etc, etc. The biggest expense - CEO/CFO pay. Needing an an $11 IV requires someone who knows how to put it in correctly. MEDICARE for all.
Kelly Scott 11 months ago
The hospital administrators are getting a one million dollar a year salary and new cars every year to boot. They're the ones causing a lot of the problems.
Load More Replies... Kelly Scott 11 months ago (edited)
I checked into an ER once and waited 8 hours. My pain went away so I left and told them, too. First they threatened me with calling the police on me for a welfare check at home if I left. I said go ahead, the cops will be at my place before I am and maybe I won't go home right away anyway. A week later they sent me a bill. I sent it right back to them and told them I would be billing them for my time if they sent another one for no reason. I didn't get any other bills.
#17
I paid $800 for two bags of saline, after insurance, when I was hospitalized for dehydration.
Warren Peece 11 months ago
Hospitals pay about $2.50 to $3.00 per one-liter bag. And anybody can order it from online sellers starting at about $10.00.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
@Warren Peece. Bring your own saline to the hospital? Does that work?
Load More Replies... zovjraar me 11 months ago
i didn't even get a saline bag. i paid $3k for them to tell me i was dehydrated, go home and drink some water. all i got was a blood and pee test.
#18
Went to the hospital when I thought I broke my ankle a few months ago. I’m in that fun income gap where I make too much for assistance but not enough to afford insurance through my employer or on my own. They checked my ankle, made sure it wasn’t broken, put an ace bandage on it, and sent me home. Got the bill a few weeks later and it was $4500. No idea how I’m going to pay it.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
Negotiate. I have heard you can get hospitals to lower bills. Health insurance companies don't pay $4500. Why should you pay more? Not sure if this is still possible -- anyone try to negotiate?
SCamp 11 months ago
The fact that this even has to be considered as an option 🤦♂️
Load More Replies... Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
Apply for charity care at that hospital. If they have the EPIC System that has My Chart for patients you can apply through My Chart for it. Do it online don't print the application to mail in. If you do it online you don't have to list your income. I have helped a lot of people do this. If approved it will take care of any current balance.
Maggie Fulton 11 months ago
Sometimes if you tell doctors you have no insurance they can find ways to lower bills or find other treatment options.
Fiona Bell 11 months ago
Reading this thread makes me sick to the stomach. How can they justify that cost ? The whole system is cropked
Fiona Bell 11 months ago
Whoops, it's crooked, designed to make the obscenely rich more so.
Load More Replies...
Winter 11 months ago
Australian asking here - what happens if you don't pay it? Do they sue you? You can't get blood out of a stone! If you don't have the money, how are they going to *make* you pay?!
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
@Winter Aggressive collection tactics. They can garnish your wages -- have money taken out of your paycheck automatically -- they can sue you, attach leans to your property and destroy your credit rating. People can lose their homes! t is the most common reason for personal bankruptcy.
Load More Replies... Bookworm 11 months ago
Facility fee. Charged as soon as you walk in the door. Injuries like this, where you need an immediate doctor's appointment but aren't bleeding heavily, dying or expecting to need major care like an MRI, should go to urgent care first (make sure it's an actual urgent care, not a 'freestanding emergency room' https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/20/g-s1-5075/urgent-care-emergency-room-medical-billing-confusion) to avoid those fees unless the urgent care people tell you that you need the hospital.
tee-lena 11 months ago
We tried that. Doctor was out of network even though the facility was in. Now we just go to the er. It's completely covered
Load More Replies... Tucker Cahooter 11 months ago
If I in the USA and was in the situation where I didn't have health insurance, I would be tempted not even to get up out of bed. And if I did need to go to the hospital I wouldn't go unless I was spurting blood from a severed artery (and even then I might consider self-medicating).
#19
The fact that half the country or more is in debt because they went to the hospital and either they don’t have insurance or their insurance won’t pay the bill.
One big giant joke of a system if you ask me. They charge you 300 dollars for an ibuprofen and even for Using the TV at some hospitals.
Lee Banks 11 months ago
I had such bad medical debt (for very necessary surgeries) that I could only ignore it. Thankfully, I needed yet another surgery that would push me to the declaring bankruptcy point. Now I'm saving up to file bankruptcy. It's so messed up.
Colleen Glim 11 months ago
Saving up to file bankruptcy? How does that even work? If you have no money, you have no money
Load More Replies... StarCrossedFriday 11 months ago (edited)
Apparently if you ask for the an itemised bill and go through it bit by bit they’ll concede a lot of the costs. Which just highlights how big a scam most of it is - they’re just banking on people not bothering to challenge them a lot of the time.
#20
Dad wasn't on blood pressure meds because of no insurance and couldn't afford the doctor and meds. Wound up having a stroke. Hospital pressured me for a couple weeks to get him out of the hospital and into a nursing home, but a couple of them wanted $10k-15k up front which we didn't have. Most nursing homes didn't even know how much they charged uninsured patients or just wouldn't even talk to us. Eventually the blood clot in his brain broke up enough that he was able to do a little bit on his own so he could just stay with a friend who was a nurse until he had enough rehab to live on his own.
Eventually got a bill from the hospital for several hundred thousand dollars for his 3 week stay. When he told them he had no insurance and couldn't afford it, they dropped it to about $65k as if the first bill was just a wild guess seeing if we'd pay it. He'll be paying it out of his retirement savings until he goes broke or dies.
StarCrossedFriday 11 months ago
It’s still disgusting that very sick people, who likely don’t have the energy to do so, have to challenge shite like this. I’m lucky that I have a very involved mother, but I would have been seriously screwed otherwise.
Load More Replies... Kelly Scott 11 months ago
Does he have anything large and valuable to lose, like a house? If not, take all his money out of checking and savings accounts, cash in any 401Ks, bring him to live with you and tell the hospital what they can do with their bill. What are they gonna do? Put a lien on his life?
#21
I've had type one diabetes since I was 7 years old. When I was 13 I elected to start using an insulin pump instead of injections with hopes of better control. My endocrinologist was happy with where my numbers were, but it was a huge pain to keep them there. My a1c was around 7 at the time, and my insurance company decided that unless my a1c was over 8 I didn't need a pump. So we actually backed off on my care and let my blood sugars run higher for a few months until I hit an acceptable a1c for insurance.
#22
I have known two separate people who both refused to marry the loves of their lives, not because of an aversion to commitment or anything like that, but because they knew they'd die first and they didn't want their loves to inherit their crushing medical debts. (One had terminal cancer, the other chronic heart problems.).
Justme 11 months ago
I’ve known loving couples divorce - still in love and still living together - just divorced so the spouse doesn’t inherit crippling debt.
Lailu 11 months ago
Oh my goodness; that’s disgusting. On the list of reasons why one should divorce, inheriting the partner’s medical bills is not one of them.
Load More Replies... Pencil 11 months ago
For anyone in this situation, please consider getting a medical durable power of attorney. If your partner has a medical crisis and doctors need someone to make their medical decisions, it won't be you. They'll have to go to a parent or sibling or some other person with legal standing. A PoA will give that to you that standing. Carry it with you at all times and give a copy to every doctor who provides their care.
Michael Largey 11 months ago (edited)
The same people who will tell you that government heath care is socialism are the same ones who bleat about the sanctity of marriage.
OnlyMe 11 months ago (edited)
"Inherit debt" WTAF??? Where I"m from, all debt is wiped if you die. Except for mortgages, because that's the banks equity in the house. Edited to add - if there is anything in the deceased's estate that will go towards debt. But it isn't passed on to family members.
#23
I worked for one of the top four largest insurance companies in the US for a number of years. My department was outsourced and my team was let go. I was eventually hired back as a contracted worker and was denied health coverage by the same company I devoted so much time to. So yeah, our system is total s**t.
#24
Got an absurd bill from our pediatrician. We have pretty good insurance so I called to see what was up. Turns out, or pediatrician was covered under our plan 100%, but the office where we saw him was not—so all the vaccines and materials from that visit (from the pharmacy of said office) were “out of network” so we were responsible for 100% of those.
The biggest kicker? Our pediatrician also practices out of a different clinic ACROSS THE STREET that would have been fully covered under our insurance plan. We just didn’t know at the time, and because there was a delay in billing we made another visit to the non-covered office before we found out.
Bookworm 11 months ago
I believe this is now banned under the No Surprises Act. I know it's banned the other way around (in-network facility and out-of-network provider).
OnlyMe 11 months ago
"No Surprises Act"?? WTF would that be necessary? How f**ked up.
Load More Replies... 
#25
My boyfriend (36) needed an amputation because he had a blood and bone infection, the bone was softening up like a marshmallow. The doctor stressed how time sensitive it was to have it removed but in the next breath told us she wouldn't be able to perform the surgery if we didn't have 25% down. We spent 2 months of our rent money trying to get his surgery taken care of. She tried to reschedule when we were $100 short. Our insurance doesn't cover preexisting conditions, which they claimed his condition was.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
Meanwhile the people who make our healthcare decisions don't face any of these problems. They don't see the problem.
tee-lena 11 months ago
They see. This is a feature, not a bug. I am permanently disabled and terrified of what's going to happen with trump.
Load More Replies... #26
Going without a fairly important medication for over a year because my insurance company wouldn’t. Several appeals and back and forth between me, the doctor and the insurance company. Aetna’s customer support bureaucracy is more byzantine than anything I’ve ever seen. It was an unbelievably degrading and frustrating process.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
Worse, when the advertisements say the company is here to help people who can't afford their medication, they mean only those getting no money from the government -- including Social Security. I didn't listen further, there are probably more requirements. There are much better medications than what I take, I can't afford them
Tropical Tarot 11 months ago
Yep. I can't get 2 meds my doctor wants because Medicaid refused them.
Load More Replies... StarCrossedFriday 11 months ago
‘Byzinatine’ is possibly the best word to describe healthcare insurance nowadays. I wonder if these companies even ever had good intentions when they started up.
Pharmtechgurl 11 months ago
Don't know what medication it was, but look into the manufacturer. Many companies have prescription assistance programs where they will give you the medicine for free. It can be convoluted as you have to get the application, fill it out, have your MD fill in their part, send it off, wait for approval, etc. But it can be worth it. I have been able to source Ozempic, Eliquis and Jardiance through the manufacturers.
#27
Had been to the doctor once in a 15 year span and for a check up. Go to an urgent care because I was in week 3 of nervous breakdown, had lost 20 pounds in 9 days and could no longer drink water without vomiting. The doctor told me "anxiety doesn't affect your stomach" and treated me like a rx seeking j****e and sent me on my way without so much as advising I call a crisis hotline. It took everything in me just to leave the house and make it there so I couldn't even express my shock. My insurance expired that day and I didn't know I'd be rejected by another nine doctors and psychiatrists or I might have just killed myself to make it stop. A friend with depression who was prescribed xanax she had no use for saved me and I self medicated for 6 weeks and carefully weaned off it to recover. Thanks US healthcare.
Maggie Fulton 11 months ago
Anxiety doesn’t affect your stomach? Are sure you saw a doctor and not some confused person who walked in by mistake?
Crissy Newbury 11 months ago
I have had IBS for 25 years. Anxiety and stress are the worst. I end up in agony with pain in my stomach until I get everything under some kind of control.
Binky Melnik 11 months ago (edited)
In the US, hospitals MUST care for you even if you have no way to pay. It’s never occur to me to go to urgent care unless I have a high fever or am bleeding a lot. I can’t see what an UC center can do for mental problems. Poor guy. 🤕 So glad it worked out in the end.
#28
Had to have a mass removed from my breast. I did all the leg work to be absolutely sure that the procedure, hospital, and surgeon were all covered. Personally called all these same places to verify copay and deductible amounts and began making payments before day of procedure. So basically doing all the right s**t. Three months after surgery I get a bill for $2500 for an out of network surgical tech. No I don’t think so. Started with the hospital by telling them they needed to resubmit to my insurance as I had no control over who was in the surgical suite once I was unconscious and they were nah you don’t want to pay it you figure it out. Same issue with my insurance, you need to talk to the hospital about the bill because this was out of network. Took over a year of back and forth with both to finally get it sorted and cleared. They also sent tissue from my mass to a pathology lab in NY (I’m in TX) and then tried to stick me with the bill.
My oldest child’s medical bills for the whole of his short life were 1.3m. At the time I had amazing employer insurance that had no lifetime cap so we never had to worry, unlike some of the other families that were in the hospital at the same time we were who had million dollar lifetime caps. Meaning their helpless children would lose their coverage and then be saddled with a ‘pre-existing condition’ that would then make them ineligible for coverage anywhere else (this was before they got rid of pre-existing condition exclusions).
#29
The bill.
SCamp 11 months ago
This seems to be the most frequently reoccurring issue with US healthcare - absolutely ridiculous out-of-proportion bills to the care given. I simply don’t understand how a ‘care industry’ has evolved this way. It’s greed, I know, but it seems so grossly disproportionate as to be immoral
Marilyn Holt 11 months ago
I'm feeling scare and shocked by all of these posts. I live in Canada. Had two cataracts done last year. Paid $11 for parking. Our system has many flaws, but honestly these stories are so frightening and sad. You need someone who can make America great again.
#30
Skin cancer runs in my family so I have to go in for full body checks at the dermatologist every six months. My insurance considers it cosmetic and will pay nothing towards biopsies when my dermatologist needs to shave a mole off. As if I’m going to get my lips Botoxed or something. When in reality all I’m trying to do is prevent my death.
#31
Lost my insurance because I couldn't afford the premium anymore. Later on had to get my appendix removed, it ruptures during emergency surgery, more complications ensue. Wake up much later and told that due to the complications they had to ditch the laparoscopic procedure and do a traditional open procedure. They said they were successful but some air was left in me and that it would settle in my joints for a bit then go away. Was given giant pain killer pills that came in handy because that s**t f*****g hurt soon after leaving the hospital.
Long story short, I managed to catch up on my insurance payments by selling a bunch of things but they said my procedure was a few days outside of being retroactively covered, or something like that.
50k+ added to the s**t pile of medical debt I already had. That was the beginning of a downward spiral into depression and anxiety problems that also contributed to my medical debt.
F**k America's medical system.
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
Always tell them you're self pay if you don't have insurance, you will get a big discount. You can also apply for charity care at that hospital.
Geoffrey Scott 11 months ago
Yes, I was hospitalized for several days. Received a bill of $12k and immediately got with the billing department to negotiate. They took my information and income, bill was written off which I did NOT expect. By all means, explore ALL avenues, letting them know you will pay, but need grace.
Load More Replies... cerinamroth 11 months ago
The first paragraph happened to me, word for word, when I was 10. I stayed two weeks in hospital (further complications from sepsis). Cost: zero English pounds.
#32
$700 bill for a doctor to tell me that blood in my urine ”isn’t an infection, might be bladder cancer - but don’t worry-it’s very treatable“ and see a urologist if it happens again.
Crissy Newbury 11 months ago
I just paid that in sterling for my senior cat to have dental treatment. Vet bills are also extortionate.
#33
I needed some dental work done after breaking my jaw and my insurance company refused to pay for any of it because "the damage wasn't extensive enough" to need the work done. I had two teeth that were out of place, and half a molar missing.
Luckily, I have an awesome dentist who wrote letters to, and called my insurance company telling them that the dental work was most definitely needed. Insurance company ended up covering only $300, but it's better than nothing, right?
I've also been dealing with some chronic pain issues for the last 4 years, but won't get it checked out because I'm worried about the cost. It's sad that this is something people have to worry about.
#34
I was sick with the flu and feeling dehydrated so I went to the grocery store for Gatorade and soup. Well I worse off then I thought and overheated and passed out in the checkout line.
I woke to paramedics checking me out. Paramedics advise me even though I am sick someone of my age shouldn’t passed out in public. So I should go to the hospital for tests. I took the ambulance to the nearest hospital.
Arriving by ambulance it took 1 1/2 hours till I was checked in a got a bed. Now I just want something to drink and go to sleep. The nurse says I can’t have anything to drink till the doctor sees me but you can lay down to go to sleep. 30 mins later a lady rudely wakes me up asking for my insurance. I give her my insurance card and she leaves. She comes back 20 mins later demanding my $325 co pay. I explain I am not very coherent so please call my wife or send me a bill because you can’t refuse service. She got extremely mad and starts going off on how my insurance demands my co pay immediately. At this point I tell her to leave me alone and mail me a bill.
About 20 mins later doctor comes in and orders a slew of tests. I am take for cat scan, X-ray, and an ekg. While waiting for the results I was kicked from my bed to the waiting room. I spent 4 hours in this waiting room feeling like I was gonna die because I was still told no water or food.
Finally they get all the results and determined I passed out from dehydration. I was discharged immediately no fluids, nothing just instructions to drink water and some Gatorade. By the time I left I bought a Gatorade from the vending machine. I was so dehydrated I couldn’t even drink it. I spent about 8 hours being denied water to be told I was dehydrated the exact reason I went to the grocery store.
On top of that I got two $325 bills. The only plus is my daughter was premie and hospitalized and maxed out our insurance, I just didn’t know that yet. So I didn’t have to pay either bill. But it took a lot of phone calls to clear those bills. Now the $10,000 bill for her is another story.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
We took an ambulance in, immediately seen in the ER, then we waited six hours for tests so he could be admitted to the hospital. During those six hours, all the hospital rooms were filled. They sent him home! No room, bummer.
#35
I cut open my finger. Bled profusely. Wrapped it up hoping it would stop. Checked it a few hours later and still bleeding. Decided to sleep on it. Woke up and still bleeding when the bandage came off. Went to the ER and was told they dont treat a cut if it's over 12hrs untreated because of possible infection that would fall on them if they were to touch it. So they gave me a bandaid. Month later got a bill for $500. For a fucken bandaid!
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
Ohhhhh I am so biting my tongue right now for that hospitals BS on that.
#36
I have had (nearly) daily headaches and overall health issues (nerve pain, fogs, dissociative episodes, panic attacks, bowel issues, trouble sleeping) for 15 years and so far, no answer. I have been to tons of doctors and most of them seem to think I'm faking for pills. Even when I say I can't take narcotics with my heart condition.
Sue User 11 months ago
Fodmap diet for two weeks, then slowly introduce new foods. Cheaper than allergery test. This persons body is ringing alarm bells trying to warn them.
Sophia Athene 11 months ago
I had similar problems and foodmap was worthless. Because it wasn't an allergy!
Load More Replies... #37
Went into the emergency room with chest pain and shortness of breath after having a c section 4 days prior. I was having horrible chest pain and high blood pressure and a fever of 103.8. The nurse and doctor I had kept acting like I was faking everything but, did a urine test and ct scan. The urine test came back first so the doctor came in told me I had a bladder infection and laughed saying I’d be sent home with antibiotics. As she walked away I looked to my boyfriend and said “I’m no doctor but, my bladder isn’t in my chest” she then came back 5 mins later and said the ct scan showed I had a blood clot in my lung and said the nurse would be by with pain medicine and I’d be admitted. I waited for 2 hours for pain medicine then the nurse ask where my pain was and I told her and she laughed at me and said “that’s funny because, your blood clot is on this side” again... acting like I was making up the pain. I finally got admitted and moved to my room where I had a wonderful nurse who understood everything. I almost ended up in icu and was on oxygen and morphine the entire night and my temperature kept jumping to 103. Thankfully the nurses I had were great but, the emergency room nurses and doctors were complete trash and kept acting as if I was faking everything even after seeing what was wrong. Basically almost got sent home with a blood clot in my lung and no treatment for it. (Now on blood thinners for the next three months after spending 4 days in the hospital getting injections of blood thinners in my belly).
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
File complaints with the hospital, call patient relations and let them know everything. Hospitals really do want honest answers when they send you a visit survey.
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago
@Beth Wheeler Those surveys help? With the number of surveys Bank of America sends you would think they care about consumers. Their rules say otherwise.
Load More Replies... Sue User 11 months ago
Ex had neck surgery, just below head ( c6 ?) . We had the painkillers but they werent working. Go to emergency. Doc comes in and he lying on floor. Doc: well i can treat you down there you have to get up. Ex: i cant i am in too much pain. Doc: well telling you right now i am not giving you anything for pain Ex starts to have a full blown oanic attack and crying. Finally convinced them to give him something to calm his nerves. Then we went home. At no point would anyone help me get him off the floor. We were there for two hours.
cerinamroth 11 months ago
My friend died of a blood clot on the lung. This level of callousness demonstrates they are not suitable for this career. By career, I mean being human beings.
#38
Went to the ER for an infection in my neck, they put me on antibiotics which in turn starting affecting my kidneys. 4 days later the bill for $84000 shows up and is quickly deposited into the trash for filling.
Pavni 11 months ago
84000?? Are you sure this isnt a typo for 8400??? Because 8400 is wild but 84000 is absolutely outrageous.
Philly Bob 11 months ago
The 8400 would be what it would cost you for a 4 mile abulance ride. So 84K would check out! /s
Load More Replies... #39
I used to have public health insurance, then i cancelled it in favor of my workplace insurance when i got a job. Three years later, i get a referral to see a surgeon using my private insurance and the surgeon won't see me because the state never bothered deleting me from their system, and the surgeon only accepts private insurance. So, i call the state and allegedly have it resolved. I get another referral, this time marked urgent. The issue had not been resolved. I call the state again and actually go into the office of public health to have it resolved. Still didn't work, when the surgeon looks up my social it shows I have public insurance. Three months had elapsed. I asked my doctor for a referral to someone who takes the public insurance, but they won't accept me because my public insurance is inactive and i have private insurance. In the time it took me to deal with insurance issues, my workplace stopped approving my disability because "there were no new notes on my case" because i hadn't been able to take the next step of my care plan. They fired me, thanks to my social worker from three years ago not completing their paperwork. Ironically, since i got fired for my illness I'm back on state insurance now. I moved back to my parents to for support with surgery and the state takes two months to process my change in county. It's now been 7 months since my doctor and physical therapist told me I need to see a surgeon, and not a single surgeon has accepted my appointment.
#40
I was in ER waiting room for hours with a massive kidney stone, writhing with pain, because multiple people were ahead of me with sprains.
They finally fast tracked me when I threw up in front of them from the pain.
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
If at all possible don't go to the ER until late night or very early morning. I went to the ER Monday morning at about 5:30 because the pain woke me up about 4:30. I let the dogs out, fed them, gave them some sedation meds because 1 has. Separation anxiety, took a quick shower and woke my son up at 5:00. The CT showed a large obstructing stone and UTI caused by it. The ER Dr asked me if I had a Urologist because he was going to admit me if I didn't. He talked to Dr Kim who told him he would take care of it as outpatient this week. As I was getting IV antibiotics and fluids Dr Kim's nurse called asking if I could be in the office at 1:00. I had lithotripsy yesterday (Friday) and feel so much better today. I didn't have a day all week without some level of pain. I can't take anything with codeine in it so doctors figured out a few years ago the only pain med script they can give me and I never end up taking all of it. Like last year I had hand surgery I only took half of it
Uncommon Boston 11 months ago (edited)
@Beth Wheeler. Pain medication relaxes muscles so they heal correctly after injuries and surgery. Skipping it isn't always wise, talk to your doctor when it is prescribed. Not all ERs are that good. Ours isn't. After waiting 6+ hours, we have left with no progress. Pain medications help some people more than others. For some, the side effects are worse. Best time to go to local emergency rooms here, 6:00 am. Ask their staff. You can call the ER to find out the wait time or perhaps check online. There is a site that lists the wait times at all local hospitals and urgent care. Some urgent care places are amazing, they accept walk-ins or appointments made online. Your situation sounds ideal.
Load More Replies... SlightlyTarnished 11 months ago
Hate to say it but kidney stones are one of those things, they are painful, very painful, and not much outside of morphine is going to make that pain subside. Yes, you puked, as one does with kidney stones, until you pass it/them, you will continue to puke. Painful as all get out.
Philly Bob 11 months ago
I'll second that! Right little bastards they are. Fever, pain so bad you want to puke, whizzing blood... it's like hell on earth/
Load More Replies... Crissy Newbury 11 months ago
🔼 That exact same thing happened to me. I had already passed the stone but was bleeding badly. Four hours later they gave me morphine which I promptly threw up. So no more pain relief for another four hours. Fortunately I’m in England so it cost me nothing monetarily.
#41
I have a 6 year autistic son. It originally took about 8 months to get him into see a doctor to diagnose him officially. After that it has been a constant battle between me and the insurance company to get him the hours he needs at his ABA center after school, which they don’t want to cover as it is out of network but the closest one for at least 40 miles. Had to file paperwork for an exemption due to hardship for him to be able to go to the center, that included a phone interview where they tried to convince me it would be easy for him to be driven an hour away every day after school instead of 15 minutes. Ended up saying that it is ridiculous to think any of us including my son could handle that, it would be wasting valuable time and resources and the center we wanted has a staff of amazing people. We argued for 3 months until it was finally settled and he started going there.
He’s been there for just over 2 years and his progress is astounding, and I still have to fight with the insurance company who are looking for any reason to say he does not need to ABA therapy anymore. It’s completely insane and I f*****g hate it, but I will always endure any s*******m for my kid. My son was able to tell me exactly what he wanted to do today using full sentences, was vocal about how he wanted to do things, made idle conversation, played with his brother, is fully potty trained, just able to sleep on his own in his own bed, and is currently working hard learning to read and write. It’s extremely hard to teach him things as he learns in a very different way than most children, but once you make the connections he keeps learning until he’s perfected everything about it.
Amazing kid, I love him, but f**k the American health system, it sucks and if it were not for the ineptitude of the system he would be much further along. One of the things that really saved him mentally during the whole mess with getting him diagnosed and fighting the insurance company was raising him to be bilingual because it taught him to multitask and have critical thinking skills inherited from being able to think and speak in 2 different languages.
Edit: before he started to go to ABA therapy, he was going to a learning disabled district school for preschool and to a daycare. He had severe confidence issues and had learned to stop trying and would have constant meltdowns out of pure frustration from not being able to understand things but also from being almost nonverbal. Once he started his ABA therapy we started noticing vast improvements. So he started from a nonverbal screaming child not wanting to try new things to a kid who accepts new things and ideas all the time that is trying his best every day. Also, his learning day starts when he gets on the bus at 7:30 a.m. when he leaves for the district school until 7 p.m when he gets out of his ABA center along with 4 hours at the ABA center on Saturdays. Before anyone says that is too much, he is super happy every day, unlike the few times we have had to drive past his old daycare which makes him scared and panicked saying things like “I want to learn at the ABA center, please take me there, don’t go to the daycare”.
Binky Melnik 11 months ago
She lists only SOME of the “astounding” improvements she’s seen yet you claim they’re useless and she’s “brainwashed.” Someone’s in the wrong here and I appears not to be the delighted mom or her happily functioning autistic son.
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#42
Where to even start... I suppose my worse experience (aside from the bill) was when I went in to a doctor complaining about my wrist hurting after I fell off an ATV. He said it was just sprained and to give it a couple weeks. About a month went by and nothing was done even though I still told him. Finally I ask for him to get a second opinion. He does and turns out, a bone in my wrist is broken and I need surgery to fix it. All that time him saying "Nah, you're fine." and it was f*****g broken.
TL;DR: My doctor basically said "Nah fam, it's a sprain" to my broken wrist.
Geoffrey Scott 11 months ago (edited)
Daughter had recurring ear infections. Pediatrician refers us to an ENT, who literally had 2 quick looks and said "yup, she needs tubes" when they were all the rage. "Mind if I get a second opinion?" "Get a third or fourth, it's your money"..subsequently had ear surgery for a stapes fixation(didn't vibrate as it should). Yup, it's my money, and I took it to nearly collection phase before i paid you...quack! Actually the acute infections were eased by, of all people a chiropractor, who showed us how to drain the ears through massage.
#43
+3000 USD from urgent care to get ear wax out of my ear. No surgery. Just had a build up of ear wax that they took out of my ear. And yes I had insurance. When I called to ask the clinic why the facility and doctor billed me separate huge bills they dropped it down to about 1/2.
The US healthcare system is an embarrassment to humanity showing how evil and corrupt unchecked capitalism can be. The most sickening part is how many Americans are ok with it as long as they are doing ok. The justice system and politics suffer from the same stupid, arrogant, short sighted greed. Hope the younger generation does something better. Hope they vote.
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
If you got 2 bills it means they are hospital based and they have to pay rent to the hospital for using their facility which is where those damn facility fees come from.
Wendy Hamilton 11 months ago
Yep. Cedar Sinai did the same to me. I fought the charges for 3 years and I won in the end.
Load More Replies... SlightlyTarnished 11 months ago
US health care is an embarrassment, that is a given, so is lack of personal hygiene.
#44
Not having it. Had to take an emergency trip to the e.r. Where they did one x ray, gave me ibuprofen and 1 Gatorade. Now I’m over six thousand dollars in debt.
#45
My son recently got braces. I have three dental insurance plans on him... The left over was still four grand.
Let me add, same son thought he broke his tail bone last year. Spent an hour in clinic room by ourselves, get xrayed real quick, sooke to doctor for a couple minutes. Bill is six thousand.
#46
Took myself to a psych ER.
Was sent to a ward.
Intake manager lady asked me various incredibly insulting questions. "Do you have friends?" "How?" She also tried to convert me to a religion, saying "it helps with mental health you know." She threw a box of icebreakers at me. There was other f****d up s**t she said, but I don't remember it. It was a while ago. I just remember I attacked her credibility and professionalism for the "do I have friends" question and she claimed it was "a legitimate line of questioning often used to determine if a person might have Borderline Personality Disorder."
She got fired for how she treated me, btw. None of these other people did, though...
Eventually I got dispatched to the corresponding unit in the ward for me.
My assigned psychiatrist again tried to convert me to a religion, with the same claim. He further completely disregarded the diagnoses my years-long psychiatrist had assigned to me "because she's a woman" and proceeded to misdiagnose me. Advocating for myself by resisting him for disregarding my Bipolar diagnosis nabbed me a "Narcissistic Personality Disorder" diagnosis. Somehow, he also was convinced I had ADD, so he put me on amphetamines. For those who don't know, people with Bipolar mix *especially* poorly with amphetamines. I spent 3 days completely unable to even keep a thought in my brain long enough to write it down before forgetting it.
In that same psych ward, a code was once called on another unit, and all our staff members minus one were dispatched there, because this was a severely understaffed hospital. This left ~20 patients with one staff member, who had just returned from a week off b/c broken ribs. That was the precise moment our unit's "local" sexual harrasser chose to try and r**e that one staff member. Same dude had shoved his a*s in my face several times, rubbed his d**k everywhere, and had been restrained & drugged so many times that one time the on-call doctor just looked down at him writhing in resistance to the straps he'd been placed in and said "I don't know what to do, I can't give him any more sedatives without potentially killing him." Anyways, the near-r**e got so bad that us patients had to restrain the guy ourselves until that one staff got the chance to get behind the desk and call a second code on our unit.
In that same psych ward, many nights, I couldn't sleep, and would stay up talking to one of the frequent night staff. He was an MMA fighter and took great pride in it. He also had a sick fascination and itch really for conflict, violence, and restraining patients. One night, he told me it was the 5 year anniversary or so of a patient killing themselves at the hospital. He proceeded to tell me in vivid detail how the patient would manage it. Being in there for suicidal ideation I was bewildered, and couldn't help but ask the guy what the f**k he thought he was doing by telling me that. He openly admitted to wanting me to attempt it, so that he could be the guy to catch me, and then went on a second long monologue in vivid detail of all the various points throughout the hospital in which he could catch me, and how, on my way up to the roof (that patient had jumped off).
Other miscellaneous nightmare stories from this unit:
* Also getting sexually assaulted by another fellow patient, this one female and twice my age. "I hear Italians have especially big c***s" she said, while groping me.
* A staff member there, supposedly a professional mental health care worker with a bachelor's in psychology, told me I "have nothing to be depressed about," "other people have it way worse," and then went on for 10 minutes telling me about how s****y his life had been growing up in a g**g-infested neighborhood "and yet [he isn't] depressed."
* Almost got HIV/AIDS due to staff carelessness and an HIV/AIDS positive roommate who was also a sociopath.
* Patient advocacy office stopped responding to my complaints because " I can't just f*****g fire half the staff in this place."
Got discharged after ~3 weeks maybe, because the doctors and mental health workers said "I don't think psych wards help you, I think you're one of those people who just get worse from being in a place like this." They weren't wrong, at least not regarding that particular psych ward. I had went in with suicidal ideation, somehow managed to come out feeling worse, and that whole ordeal cost my folks... several thousand dollars.
Sara Frazer 11 months ago
The one time I ended up in a psychiatric institution (also for suicidal ideation, don't worry I'm in a good place now!) a staff member was also trying to push christianity bullshít on me. Very annoying. I've been atheist since I was a kid
Helena 11 months ago
The religion pushing was one of the main reasons I stopped even trying to go to therapy. Not until I switch states.
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Midoribird Aoi 11 months ago
All I know is that I will never ever ask for help for an emotional crisis. The trauma they put you through and the risk to my living (can't miss work) will NOT help my mental state.
#47
Paying so much for physical therapy. You can literally look up these exercises on the internet and do them at home.
Bookworm 11 months ago
In a lot of cases, yeah, but my physical therapist was the one who noticed that the 'early knee arthritis' the orthopedic doctor was completely uninterested in exploring further (I'm in my 20s), was actually a secondary issue caused by congenital hip dysplasia.
Sue User 11 months ago
If they are watching you, yes they can see your form and help you. Last time i went, he had two patients and would give me excercises, then go to other patient.
Load More Replies... Lee Banks 11 months ago
THIS! I've got arthritis in my knees and ankles from ballet. Aside from shaving my bone spurs, every pt/ortho has just printed off instructions from the internet. The upside of in person sessions is the encouragement ànd knowing you're doing it right. Personally, teven the cost of transit isn't worth it.
#48
I went to a hospital because I had bronchitis and didnt have a primary care. I told them it was bronchitis (because I've had it before.) And just asked for a quick diagnosis and the antibiotics. They said they needed an x-ray, several swabs for flu, bloodwork, and 5 minutes of listening to me breathing.
I offered to give them my insurance card, they said no need and gave me the prescriptions.
2 months later I have a $5,000 bill for f*****g bronchitis and my insurance lapsed because I lost my job. I still get calls from debt collectors because they immediately sold it off, before I even got the bill.
Geoffrey Scott 11 months ago
Here's one, felt crappy at the end of my vacay. Went to what has ALWAYS been an urgent care (80/20 billing). Unknown to me, and i suspect everyone else treated there, it had been re-classified as a 'Redicare' (offsite ER). The ER is 4 blocks away. Long story short I offered to pay my 20% in the interim until this was resolved. They refused. By the time I got my Congressmen involved, as well as MY Doc, who sits on the hospital board, it was an 80/20 affair. A^^HOLES!
Orange Panda 11 months ago
I had a bill sold off by a hospital when they had never sent it to me to begin with. They told me that they don't have to send me a bill. That was years ago, before the ACA, but I was flabberghasted.
Maggie Fulton 11 months ago
These days, I think the common wisdom is that antibiotics don’t do much for bronchitis (they never did for me when I was a kid and had it all the time). They give you a bronchodilator.
Binky Melnik 11 months ago
There a specific abx for bronchitis; just using the “regular” ones seldom help, hence the development of one specifically for bronchitis. It’s always worked well for me.
Load More Replies... #49
Before kids, I found out I was a carrier for cystic fibrosis. We went to get my husband tested so we could be appropriately worried if he was also a carrier and potentially affect our kids.
He went and got the simple blood test. Our insurance was billed over $7,000. We ended up having to pay about $1,200, I think.
I feel like I'm definitely missing something about how that test is done, but that seemed utterly insane to me and we since stopped using that hospital system.
His insurance is paid for by his company, and due to other things like that happening, the company has since taken that hospital system off of their network.
Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
It's all in the dang contracts. United Healthcare was playing long hard game with UNC and finally reached a contract 4 mos after it was supposed to end. They still had to cover people during the negotiations and a lot of people left UNC and went to Duke and Wake Med or other places because they got different insurance. Last year The did the same stupid c**p with Duke and really played hardball, the contract ends 10-31-24. My sister works at Duke and they didn't know on the 31st what kind of hell they would be in the next day. They got a msg from their boss about 9:00 that a contract had been signed the night before. My sister almost called in sick that day because she dreaded it so much!
#50
I was 2. Literally dying because I could hardly breathe at 2 AM but the whole ER was held up because some Karen decided to take her kid to the ER at 2 AM because they had a sore throat. Their diagnosis was they cried too hard that night.
Leigh 11 months ago (edited)
I'm asthmatic and ended up in the er with bronchitis. My oxygen saturation levels were low and I was struggling to breathe. I had to wait for 8 hours!
tee-lena 11 months ago
The er staff missed a f*****g stroke. That was happening as I was laying in the MRI machine. For 2years it wasn't even noticed till I went to a headache specialist. Then it was ignored by neurology for another year. Till I yelled at my Dr. Suddenly I'm being referred to even more special specialist and put on blood thinners. Clarissa is talking out her a*s. ER departments make mistakes all the damn time. 25 yrs disabled with more visits to the er than 90% of the population.
Load More Replies... Clarissa 11 months ago (edited)
Hmm , not likely. We can tell a real emergency from a sore throat, we know how to triage. Perhaps something bad like epiglottitis was going on with the other kid, or perhaps you weren't as sick as your mother thought. (25 yrs ER nurse)
Sue User 11 months ago
I was hemorraging so bad i ruined a chair ( who puts cloth chairs in er ) .I waited 3 hours. I felt like i was going to pass out. When i finalky got into a room, nurse took one look at me ( soaked pants, soaked towel ) she pushed two liters in me.
Load More Replies...Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Justme 11 months ago (edited)
My critically ill newborn had to be transferred from one hospital to the Children’s Hospital about a mile away. He was on life support and obviously could only go by ambulance. The insurance company denied the ambulance transport and I got a $1,000 bill on the 1st anniversary of his death.
Jo 11 months ago
Yet taxpayers in the US spend significantly more on healthcare than countries with universal healthcare
Lee Gilliland 11 months ago
Whoever thought the average American was good at math?
Load More Replies... Booster Booey 11 months ago
Most depressing stuff I've ever read. America just sucks. And it'll never change.
Robert Beveridge 11 months ago
I don't know, it's starting to seem like there's a groundswell of support for the idea that Luigi showed us the way.
Load More Replies...
Random User 11 months ago
4 years ago my BIL was diagnosed with a clot forming in his heart and was quoted 300k to get it removed. His insurance refused to cover it as it was "non-life-threatening", and would be an "elective procedure". This year he had a heart attack *from the same clot*, and needed life-saving emergency surgery. Insurance refused to cover the 580k bill, because essentially, "it had been diagnosed beforehand and taking preventative measures earlier would have been cheaper". Now instead of recovering stress-free, he has to remind his insurance provider about how THEY denied the preventative care in the first place.
Sky Render 11 months ago
I've had a lifelong battle with healthcare. I was born intersex with doubled genitals that developed male for one and female for the other. To this day they continue to try to deny it, brushing off my concerns and declaring that they see nothing abnormal down there (while also refusing to let me see any scan results). A child could tell that what I have isn't normal and needs attention due to the completely irresponsible and dangerous skin graft they put over my vulva as an infant. But since I would be a "difficult case" if they acknowledged it, that continue to try to gaslight me. Even knowing that it's not working any longer and hasn't for years now.
PeriMeNope 11 months ago
Stories like these are the reasons why health insurance CEOs get shot down. I'm not advocating murder; just saying I can understand why someone would "snap" and do it.
Brian Droste 11 months ago
I read down through no.13 and couldn't read anymore, but as I was scrolling down to here I decided to read couple more. These were getting me very upset.
Tobias Reaper 11 months ago
and despite all this there are still Americans that defend the system and think universal health care is bad.
Philly Bob 11 months ago
Because "sOsHuLiSm!" I got mine so Fk you! It's sick. Oh wait, can't mention sick here. I'll get billed 5K!
Load More Replies... Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
It's a horrible mess! It sounded like they really wanted to give us what Canada has and all the stupid lawyers in politics screwed it up!!!
Robert Beveridge 11 months ago
Politicians were the end part of it, yes, but the real people continually behind the derailing of universal single payer health care in America are the C-level execs and top accounting personnel of the health insurance companies, and the lobbyists they give hundreds of millions of dollars to every year.
Load More Replies... Justme 11 months ago (edited)
My critically ill newborn had to be transferred from one hospital to the Children’s Hospital about a mile away. He was on life support and obviously could only go by ambulance. The insurance company denied the ambulance transport and I got a $1,000 bill on the 1st anniversary of his death.
Jo 11 months ago
Yet taxpayers in the US spend significantly more on healthcare than countries with universal healthcare
Lee Gilliland 11 months ago
Whoever thought the average American was good at math?
Load More Replies... Booster Booey 11 months ago
Most depressing stuff I've ever read. America just sucks. And it'll never change.
Robert Beveridge 11 months ago
I don't know, it's starting to seem like there's a groundswell of support for the idea that Luigi showed us the way.
Load More Replies... Random User 11 months ago
4 years ago my BIL was diagnosed with a clot forming in his heart and was quoted 300k to get it removed. His insurance refused to cover it as it was "non-life-threatening", and would be an "elective procedure". This year he had a heart attack *from the same clot*, and needed life-saving emergency surgery. Insurance refused to cover the 580k bill, because essentially, "it had been diagnosed beforehand and taking preventative measures earlier would have been cheaper". Now instead of recovering stress-free, he has to remind his insurance provider about how THEY denied the preventative care in the first place.
Sky Render 11 months ago
I've had a lifelong battle with healthcare. I was born intersex with doubled genitals that developed male for one and female for the other. To this day they continue to try to deny it, brushing off my concerns and declaring that they see nothing abnormal down there (while also refusing to let me see any scan results). A child could tell that what I have isn't normal and needs attention due to the completely irresponsible and dangerous skin graft they put over my vulva as an infant. But since I would be a "difficult case" if they acknowledged it, that continue to try to gaslight me. Even knowing that it's not working any longer and hasn't for years now.
PeriMeNope 11 months ago
Stories like these are the reasons why health insurance CEOs get shot down. I'm not advocating murder; just saying I can understand why someone would "snap" and do it.
Brian Droste 11 months ago
I read down through no.13 and couldn't read anymore, but as I was scrolling down to here I decided to read couple more. These were getting me very upset.
Tobias Reaper 11 months ago
and despite all this there are still Americans that defend the system and think universal health care is bad.
Philly Bob 11 months ago
Because "sOsHuLiSm!" I got mine so Fk you! It's sick. Oh wait, can't mention sick here. I'll get billed 5K!
Load More Replies... Beth Wheeler 11 months ago
It's a horrible mess! It sounded like they really wanted to give us what Canada has and all the stupid lawyers in politics screwed it up!!!
Robert Beveridge 11 months ago
Politicians were the end part of it, yes, but the real people continually behind the derailing of universal single payer health care in America are the C-level execs and top accounting personnel of the health insurance companies, and the lobbyists they give hundreds of millions of dollars to every year.
Load More Replies...
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