Hey all, I’m British so I don’t really know the ins and outs of the US healthcare system. Apologies for asking what is probably a rather simple question.
So like most of you, I see many posts and gofundmes about people having astronomically high medical bills. Most recently, someone having a $27k bill even after his death.
However, I have an American friend who is quick to point out that apparently nobody actually pays those bills. They’re just some elaborate dance between insurance companies and hospitals. If you don’t have insurance, the cost is lower or removed entirely. Supposedly.
So I’m just asking… How accurate is that? Consider someone without insurance, a minor physical ailment, a neurodivergent mind and no interest in fighting off harassing people for the rest of their life.
How much would such a person expect to pay, out of their own pocket, for things like check ups, x rays, meds, counselling and so on?
Put it this way: like 70,000 people die in the US each year from lack of healthcare due to the cost.
Health insurance is a profit-driven industry, so denying claims for those that DO have health insurance is standard practice.
Most don’t see an actual physician. The average clinic visit takes about two hours after everything is said and done; you engage with a health professional a median of 12 minutes.
People drive themselves in serious medical distress or try to take an uber to the hospital instead of an ambulance.
Doctors themselves hate the medical system in the United States.
Nurses are fleeing the industry. Projected shortage of 80,000 nurses in 2025. “About 100,000 registered nurses left the workforce during the past two years due to stress, burnout and retirements, and another 610,388 reported an intent to leave by 2027.” This while baby boomers consume more and more medical resources as they age.
Medical bills are the #1 cause of bankruptcy.
So, it’s not great, no.