I’d like to know other non-US citizen’s opinions on your health care system are when you read a story like this. I know there are worse places in the world to receive health care, and better. What runs through your heads when you have a medical emergency?

A little background on my question:

My son was having trouble breathing after having a cold for a couple of days and we needed to stop and take the time to see if our insurance would be accepted at the closest emergency room so we didn’t end up with a huge bill (like 2000$-5000$). This was a pretty involved ~10 minute process of logging into our insurance carrier, and unsuccessfully finding the answer there. Then calling the hospital and having them tell us to look it up by scrolling through some links using the local search tool on their website. This gave me some serious pause, what if it was a real emergency, like the kind where you have no time to call and see if the closest hospital takes your insurance.

  • PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    30
    ·
    9 months ago

    That’s so fucking crazy sounding. It also sounds wonderful. My parents almost lost our house due to medical expenses, and yes they had insurance (here’s the best part - my dad was a disabled veteran). So support the troops, yay!

    Because of that experience, I’ve developed a lifelong almost PTSD about insurance and medical bills - afraid that it will happen again to me now that I’m an adult. I obsess over it. It’s terrible.

    I’m so jealous of those who never have to give it a second thought.

    • Mr_Blott@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      40
      ·
      9 months ago

      That’s so fucking crazy sounding

      And there’s the problem

      It’s so fucking normal sounding. Your system is the crazy, horrifying human rights abuse 😅

      • PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        9 months ago

        No, you’re absolutely right. I didn’t mean crazy to sound negative - it’s just something I cannot even imagine…to never have to think about this thing that I constantly think about. It’s wild. And I really do wish it could become a reality.

    • Snekeyes@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      9 months ago

      1 in 4 bankruptcies are military due to medical cost. We only support troops with thoughts and prayers