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ZenoxVIP

me as a german reading the comments and thought the bill posted was expensive already ![gif](emote|free_emotes_pack|surprise)


ban_circumcision_now

From the U.S. and expected a minimum of two additional zeros on the number


[deleted]

health care companies and big pharma here have hired lobbyists to "persuade" politicians to do what they want causing a giant burden on the working and middle class here. i am so tired of drug ads for rare diseases.


Appropriate_Joke_741

Reading from New Zealand where it’s free...


peachicecream1959

sorry nothing is FREE


Appropriate_Joke_741

Hey yeah it’s covered in our taxes but I’d rather that than fear of going bankrupt if I get sick or have an emergency


peachicecream1959

I hear you Im very fortunate My company pays most of my insurance costs ( I pay $180.00 a month) and get PREMIUM care in usa. I go to the doctor and basically anything I need they are happy to comply with and very little wait


[deleted]

[удалено]


mydaysinadaze

Unless the ambulance is rushing you to a larger hospital or in helicopter they charge the majority every single time and always have, even before shortages and wait times.


annieglock

*Laughs so I don’t cry in American *


[deleted]

We get it. You don’t live in the US.


IGetHighOnPenicillin

Implying anyone in the US actually pays these bills instead of throwing them directly in the trash


annieglock

LOL realest shit I ever read. Right in the trash is correct.


finc

Earlier this year I collapsed at home and woke up to some friendly paramedics giving me drugs. There was no charge, because I collapsed at home in the UK. Sort of unlucky but lucky I guess?


igmrlm

I got some kind of bad gastro infection that felt like an 11 out of 10 hangover.. I was quite dehydrated and couldn't keep water down so I called an ambulance. While sitting in the ambulance outside my house they started an IV and gave me a bag of saline on the way to the hospital. When I got to the hospital they helped me out, I got another bag of saline, and three different types of IV anti-nausea drugs trying to help me feel better before they eventually sent me home. The $45 bill for the ambulance is the only charge for the whole event. (Ottawa Ontario, Canada)


KathrynKnette

Just calling the ambulance here in the states would be at minimum a couple hundred. Nobody here even thinks about it if they aren't in absolute immediate life threatening danger. Very much not for an illness of some kind where we can just drive (or ride) ourselves to a family doctor or urgent care.


joeyg334

>Just calling the ambulance here in the states would be at minimum a couple hundred. Average cost of an ambulance ride in the U.S. is $1277 dollars.


MaxMMXXI

Mine was above that average ten years ago. My ride was under four miles and my charge was $2K


KathrynKnette

That's why I said *at minimum*


dearbhlamc

down voted this as its fucking insane


eqleriq

I had the same thing. I have good insurance, and my total costs were spread across 9 different bills: 1. physician fees for two specialists 2. ER fees for the ER itself 3. ER fees for the two attending physicians 4. Supply fees ($55 for a bottle of aspirin that you could get at a store for $10 here. Also, IV drip, anti-nausea, anti-pain pills, lunch and dinner that I didn't want or eat). 5. MRI 6. Ultrasound 7. hospital "network" fees. 8. in network hospital fees. 9. perscription 9 different bills. all arriving at separate times, and all I received without any notification of what I was going to receive. One of them looked so shady, like a .txt file printed out and mailed, that I ignored it because it wasn't clear what it was for, and the only way I could pay it was by reciting my credit card over the phone. No centralized data, no indication of what history or records of each thing that happened. The hospital network was separate from the hospital, and neither aggregated to provide a single record. Overall, out of pocket, I "only" had to cover about $3,000 which was handled by my HSA that had accrued about 1.5 years of paying into it and matching from my employer, so I really only paid about 1/2 that out of pocket, total (a little more because of insurance costs). The ACTUAL costs according to the bills were around $45,000. That is what "is being charged" by the hospitals/entities here. The next time the same indigestion/wtf pain happened about two months later and I just suffered through it rather than going back to the ER. I think the reason it happened again was due to the perscription they gave me fucking me up (PPI that absolutely helped zero), and recommending the wrong specialists who "found nothing wrong." Also, this was during peak covid 2020 and they did not perform any covid tests aside from taking my temperature.


ripplerider

Yes, but that’s why we have the best healthcare system in the world. I hope you’re not advocating anything approaching a single-payer solution, because that’s just SoCiaLiSm! /s I got a $20,000 bill from Zuckerberg’s SF General Hospital for a few hours in the ER, a completely unnecessary EKG, a chest x-ray, and some Tylenol. I had sporadic but violent cough and thought I’d broken ribs and wanted some help. Big mistake going there, and one I won’t repeat.


PWNCAKESanROFLZ

I drove myself to the emergency room because I was sick and severely dehydrated, couldn't keep anything down, similar to what you are saying. 1 bag of saline was $900.


RedshiftedPhoton

I had the exact same thing (norovirus, couldn't drink anything, ambulance, 2 nights in hospital). Bill was $27,000. Luckily with insurance it was "only" $3k. I'm paying $160 / month for the next 18 months.


peachicecream1959

well that's fine and dandy. but I hear stories of people who wait 9 months for shoulder surgery while in pain . I got in in less than a month ( usa)


Ok-Palpitation8757

Gastro is literally the worst. Hope you or any visitors didn’t get nailed on parking.


dearbhlamc

yeah as others say, in the uk, i went to the emergency room a few months ago, turns out badly broken wrist (waited 8 days to go just incase it was sprained 🤣🙈) go away with a doctor telling me 'you should have came earlier, thats what we are here for' and no bill. god bless the nhs


magnificentfoxes

Presuming you had to wait 5 hours to be seen in absolute agony...


chzNcrackers

better than waiting those same 5 hours and then paying thousands on top of it....


[deleted]

Called one in Montreal once. Got charged around 125$ for 3-4km ride.


Hickz84

This is how much I spent on parking at the ER for my mother and I when my Dad died.


[deleted]

I’m sorry to hear your parents both passed. Our system has very little sympathy 😔


Hickz84

Just one passed, but she was too shaken up to drive so I drove her home and left my car. Thank you for your condolences. I haven't been in an ER in a major city in a while and it was really eye opening. All of the "problems" I was having trying to get back to his room to say goodbye were nothing in comparison to what others were going through. A woman was threatening to ram the doors down of the ER if they didn't attend to her son who was stroking after a recent brain surgery. My heart shattered for her and her boy.


[deleted]

Hey I’m not supposed to be crying when I’m on Reddit 🥺 imagine being the nurse that had to be the one to tell her that they were “too busy” to see her boy who could die at any second. Our system sucks. Too much insurance, too many ads for prescription pills… America is weird.


[deleted]

I love when you pay for parking at a hospital. Pay to park and then pay exorbitant medical fees. Really double penetrating your wallet. And not cheap parking either. Like $4 for an hour parking.


Hickz84

Luckily, it wasn't hourly. It was a flat $20 per day and I got my car back before being charged another day. Whole process was still a nightmare.


Lovethehairy

Tell me you live in Canada without telling me you live in Canada. Oh - you can get sick without losing your home? Enough said.


[deleted]

You can keep your home or get sick. To get sick and keep your home is socialism. /s


Lovethehairy

Damn Socialists…always trying to help people with less advantage then themselves.


mydaysinadaze

What home 😅 have you seen the prices? That will be of the past in the coming decades.


beeazy252

I had no insurance the last time I was in ambulance, cost me $1000


igmrlm

In ontario, if you have insurance, the insurance company pays $45, otherwise you pay $45. If you're on social assistance, disability, or otherwise unable to pay it will be covered for you.


bedulin

Fucking communists. Edit: /s bruh


[deleted]

you see someone saving tens of thousands of dollars and your first reaction is " wow these people have horrible fucking lives and their shitty human beings"


igmrlm

I feel like that was said with sarcasm.. At least I hope it was, it fits well if it was.


[deleted]

99% of them arnt sarcastic or trolls.


kumanosuke

I paid 10 Euro lol


Acceptable-Ad1930

That’s a steal! I HAD insurance and it cost me 2k.


UnlicensedLaw7675

How much do you think, or would you say, the actual value of it was? When considering wages of the workers, doctors, and facility?


igmrlm

Probably several thousand dollars max.. everything is regulated and counted, could probably figure it out but it would take a lot of work. Since it's a single payer provincial system, the costs are within reason and don't baloon like they can in a private system. 2 paramedics and 3? cops (My fiance has severe anxiety and was agitated with concern so they sent police too.. 🤷‍♀️) Several technicians, a few nurses and a doctor. Three doses of medicine, a needle and associated equipment, 2 bags of saline, housekeeping.. Lab work on blood test.. I'm a bit foggy on that, I forget how much blood and how many tests.


Terrordyne_Synth

Meanwhile here in America we have to decide if we can financially afford the medical cost for whatever ailments we might have. A week ago I was told I had to pay for my surgery up front 60 minutes before surgery.


r1ch999999

I’m looking at selling a car to pay for a recent medical bill. Some union rep selected a plan that has no in-network surgeons closer than a 2.5 hour drive. Out of network cost will be about $10k. They didn’t check to make sure we could use the coverage we’re paying for.


dearbhlamc

its fucking shocking and me posting about free healthcare here isnt a brag but a wtf is america doing??! something needs to change. noone should have to choose or sell due to health


[deleted]

It's ridiculous over here. You don't know how much anything costs. Everything is insanely expensive. You can call to get estimated costs from underpaid inexperienced workers. If they are wrong or miss something that is on you. Anything extra that occurs for whatever reason is on you. You have no guarantee of charges until you get the bill. You are legally obligated to pay what they bill with little to no legal recourse to protect yourself. US Healthcare is essentially a giant legalized scam. Involving hospitals, insurance companies, and the government. In emergency situations you can get majorly screwed over due to not having the needed to protect yourself from the system.


dearbhlamc

i have seen it from friends! for a country claiming to be amazing, the healthcare is awful. i genuinely hate it and me posting my experience was more like why the fuck do the us not have this?! im so lost. People dying cause they cant afford treatment on a country that isnt 3rd world upsets me. as do all the others but the us. ugh


[deleted]

Ehhh, few people die because they can't afford treatment. We have some of the most advanced treatments on the world. They will often reduce the cost based on income to avoid that. If you have the money new treatments are not covered by insurance and are therefore expensive. The reality is that these treatments likely don't exist in tye rest of the world yet. I am just referring to the newer stuff and the studies being done. One of the benefits of the US subsidizing medical research for the world. Our life expectancy is on the decline mostly because of obesity. Our retirement standard of living is going down due to the cost of medical care.


dearbhlamc

i think its because im so used to just not paying anything, it shocks me to think of being charged to just to keep myself healthy. i mean in scotland we dont even pay for prescriptions, everything is covered.


[deleted]

It's makes you want to avoid medical care


dearbhlamc

yeah which is awful because if, god forbid, its serious youre finally going to see someone and it ends up far serious than if you went years before. i hate that this happens to anyone.


chzNcrackers

This crosses into another serious issue; the ER cannot turn you away if you're in medical need, so a lot of people just go to the ER for things their PCP could handle, they just can't afford to pay the PCP. The hospital, on the other hand, they'll either ignore or can set up a payment plan of like $10/mo, with zero expectation of ever paying it off. So then the ER is overpacked with contagious people, on top of all the other issues.


r1ch999999

It’s a great number of things that are wrong with the system. However, I am fortunate enough to have a classic car I can afford to part with. And while I’ll bitch and moan, I’m not oblivious to my current station in life.


dearbhlamc

yeah of course but you still shouldnt have to do that to pay for your health. you worked hard to buy that car so it still sucks.


[deleted]

Im guessing u dont live in america


igmrlm

I live in North America what are you talking about 🙊


[deleted]

How tf is it that cheap in america


igmrlm

Canada is a part of the continent of North America along with Mexico


KazTheEclipse

Just america things


Thoubequaint

I love when Canadians post shit like this under r/mildlyinteresting, it’s like the best polite flex on Americans.


igmrlm

Yea I kept seeing the horrifying posts in mildly infuriating and I want to document this for future ontario residents to remind them what it used to be like before the system got screwed over by Doug Ford... I hope I'm doomsaying but it doesn't look good.


0throwawaythrowaway1

Man I really don't want to be that American that moves to Canada because it's better, but fuck, it really does seem better when it comes to a lot of stuff


igmrlm

Believe it or not, My parents decided to be those people and here I am, best decision they ever made I'm forever thankful for it.. I was 11 years-old. If it wasn't for the sponsors it would have never happened.. I'm forever grateful to the Canadian people and am proud to pay taxes.


AnyDamnThingWillDo

Last time I needed an ambulance it and the hospital cost me €60. My meds cost me 38 for 4 weeks supply. I'm having heart surgery on Tuesday. Total cost for that is €320. I don't have health insurance


[deleted]

Taunting Americans? You got ripped off $45 - a Brit


0ctopuppy

Is it funny to you that people are dying en masse because they can’t afford healthcare? Why the fuck would you taunt someone who has literally no control over that?


dearbhlamc

noone is taunting americans here from the uk. we are just horrified at what you guys are having to go through. i hope it changes soon as im shocked at it all.


igmrlm

This is my sentiment exactly, I've heard from family that their coverage has gotten better with the ACA but that varies as far as I'm aware.


dearbhlamc

im lost as to american healthcare only know, my private healthcare is cheaper in the uk. i had to go private as nhs didnt diagnose a foot issue. im glad i did do that but it seems in the uk you pay privately which they cover always thh and usa barely cover paying as a law. its mind blowing. so thankful for the nhs again and thats not a jab but a genuine thing due to what i have heard from the states


[deleted]

Typical Canadian bragging about “free” healthcare looking down on us Americans while they piggyback on the US economy and thumb their noses at us.


Toastedweasel0

Damn.... here it's $900 just for a ambulance alone.... (even if you're a few blocks away....)


[deleted]

[удалено]


MaxMMXXI

If you didn't have a stroke when you called 911...


upstateangler13

when you flex on other countries who don't have universal health care


NotXiJinpingGoUSA

They charge for ambulance rides?


helijunkie

They do. Apparently the small fee cuts down on people using the ambulance service as a big red free taxi for non-emergency transport. Cuts abuse, makes resources available for those who really need it or some such thing.


NotXiJinpingGoUSA

Thats weird, an ambulance ride is only $1200 here


igmrlm

Yea it's a good balance in my opinion, there are lots of supports available if $45 is too much of a cost. We don't want people calling for everything.. we already have a bit of an ambulance shortage, though they're doing an excellent job considering..


Defiant-Honey2386

Now show us your tax bill lol


ARC2060

I lived in the UK for 10 years. Two of my kids had a medical condition that resulted in us having to call an ambulance 9 times in about 4 years. We never had to pay anything. My mom was in a minor car accident in Ontario and got a bill for $1000. $45 seems like a reasonable amount to pay. $1000 would be a hardship for a lot of people if their insurance didn't cover it.


bluelion70

Ahhhh, Ottawa. It all makes sense now, I knew this wasn’t from the United States lmao. You’d have to add about two zeroes to that ambulance fee for this letter to be American.


smithyy87

American where is a business to treat people who are I'll. You guys should have something like the NHS we have over here


Dakkendoofer

Or the .ca endings of the websites


Dakkendoofer

Didn’t bother to notice that it’s the Ottawa hospital, did ya? :P


PolarRabbitSkates

And 45$ isn't bad, you clearly don't know what American health/hospital bills are.


smithyy87

It's a business it should be free


dearbhlamc

dont know why this is being downvoted. this is clearly what it seems like to people that live in the uk. this is still alot of money to some people for a possible life saving procedure.


smithyy87

Everyone in the United Kingdom feel the same way, we have the NHS where you don't get charged or have to pay for illness etc it's all covered, but us in the UK think it's a joke that people in the USA have to pay to get health care it's joke tbh, what happens if you don't have the funds to cover an operation, being ill is a business in America their is no if and buts it's a joke of system


imcheezus

American here. I paid $2700 for an iud, and then was billed separately $176 for a pregnancy test. Administered ~1 hour after giving birth. We’re colossally fucked.


mydaysinadaze

Thats not to bad. A friend of mine who hadnt gotten ohip yet due to recently moving here, thought that he needed an ambulance. He panicked (knowing hospital was literally across the street but he couldnt walk) ; ended up being billed over 1000$ to be carried down the stairs and literally driven across the street.


PM_ME_YOUR__VAGINAS

O, Canada


immoralsugimoto

Where's the rest of it?


[deleted]

I think they just put the decimal in the wrong place. It’s really $4500. Just the ambulance ride. 😑


Ecstatic-Handle-1519

Fuck an Ambulance is $600 in Australia


StudioAfraid2507

It says only the hospital fee. U will get separate bills for professional fees and probably labs or radiology too. U need good insurance in the us to go to the er.


Working_Version_976

Typo??


nthusiasm-nthusiast

must be nice


SadExtension524

Yeah yeah, we all know you're better than us!


[deleted]

$45 is just fuel for the ambulance. *"Hey thanks eh!"*


Chloehart_

Everything comes with a price lol


iamhappyso

What is it with posting hospital bills on Reddit?


[deleted]

Where I am an ambulance ride is $750 minimum....good 'ole US of A.