Some 92 percent have delayed or abandoned medical care because of costs, according to a survey of 1,507 U.S.adults by financial services firm JG Wentworth.
High prices at the doctor’s office, urgent care, emergency room and more have led to 85 percent of Americans having medical debt. Collectively, American consumers have $220 billion in medical debt, according to a February poll from KFF - that’s around $958.61 per adult with medical debt.
Nearly one in five adults said their health got worse because they skipped a doctor’s visit. That problem is more acute for those 64 and younger - 42 percent say their health got worse after putting off a medical visit.
Yep, the insurance companies want us dead. They are trying to thin our those who are “weak” when it was thier fault that we are physically weak in the first place. They just want to kill people as far as I can tell. Helping is secondary.
Doesn’t sound all that shocking in a system that would rather you just die cheaply somewhere.
I mean I’m working at a fortune 500 company and with my stupid high deductible plan even I don’t want to go unless it’s something that pretty urgent. I mean I already pay 10K+ a year for my family and then it’s another 10K to meet the deductible and every doctor’s appointment that’s not the annual checkup is two to three hundred dollars and urgent care is even more expensive so yeah, it’s basically unless there’s something absolutely wrong, it’s avoid the doctor and only go when things are basically unbearable even knowing I could afford to go.
US heathcare is a joke and unpopular opinion but the ACA, aka, Federal Romneycare, needs to be ripped out and actual universal healthcare needs to be enacted.
Also annoying I got a bill from urgent care with a dude date of sept 26. I get texts or emails every few days. Bitch I see it’s due the 26th, I know how to pay my bills stop reminding me every 3 days.
Its too expensive and most of the time you don’t get any help.
The last few times I have gone to a doctor, its basically been shrugged shoulders and a bunch of surprise bills for the next few months.
most of the time you don’t get any help.
That hasn’t been my experience at all. Actually getting in to see a doctor has been a big deal for me, personally, over the last few years.
Just last month, I had a really painful chronic cough going on weeks. Went in, got diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia, handed a prescription for antibiotics, and was feeling significantly better within hours after taking it.
A year before that, had a days long debilitating back spasm. Dragged myself to an urgent care, got an injection and some oral anti-inflammatories, and was back on my feet before the end of the week.
My son was born premature, two years ago. The NICU in Houston took him from death’s door to on track for normal development over an intensive 18 weeks of care.
Mother-in-law got diagnosed with breast cancer six months ago. Was in treatment inside two weeks. Surgery at MD Anderson. Pronounced cancer clear a month later.
And then there’s COVID. At least three different instances where a visit to the doctor radically improved the condition of myself and my family.
Health Care in this country is borderline miraculous when you can actually get it.
But then the bills come rolling in, and it feels significantly less magical.
I have health insurance through work and I stopped visiting the doctor because I never get any help. It’s like pulling teeth to get a medication I want and any concerns I have are dismissed entirely. If not for the fact it pays for emergency care I wouldn’t have it at all. If I get a serious injury I would absolutely need it, but for the past few years all it’s done is decrease my income.
What is a doctor? You mean the people who work at the ER? Why would you go there if you aren’t seriously injured or dying? They have real patients to attend to. Quit being a baby, take three Advil and walk it off.
No you should go to the ER and it shouldn’t even be a tough decision. They can triage just fine. You’re not a burden to a properly run hospital.
Americans are choosing to stay home and let their brain swell up after getting knocked in the head because ER trip means falling deeper into the abyss rather than being pulled from it.
And here I am going to the doctor the other day to have a lipoma removed.
I have like 3 dozen lipomas. They are so annoying.
I just (last year) got a fantastic new job with great pay and benefits. Which means I am only responsible for the first 5000. It’s been 12 years since I have seen a doctor. I’m in one of the worst health care states in the union. Just lucky so far. This is the state of healthcare in the usa.
I’ve had “good” insurance for almost a decade now, but I could never find a doctor that was in-network, taking new patients, and less than 50 miles away. I was calling around locally every three months, like clockwork, for years.
I finally got lucky this week, so I’ve got an appointment in October. The receptionist asked me when my last physical was, and I said 2004. She said, “Oh, so not in the last year then?”
Just read the stories about how things were in Britain when the National Health Service was created.
One of the things which was pretty common before the NHS was created was this kind of thing - most people would only ever go to the doctor when they were already very sick for a while and their health just kept getting worse.
After the National Health Service was created overall healthcare costs actually went down because people were actually going to the doctor much earlier and less sick, plus under Universal Healthcare “Preventive Medicine” makes sense even just from an economic point of view because it reduces the costs of the whole system.
This is true, better health and lower costs, but all the proof in the world won’t change the maga team to support it. Some of them have what they think is “good insurance” and think they’re special and don’t want it for all. Lots of selfishness rather than raise all boats, it’s part of the cowboy lore they like to pretend they are lol.
It’s not shocking when you have no universal health care and even if you do have insurance it doesn’t cover crap. I just paid $200 for labs because “insurance” only covered half the cost. The entire system is a racket.
Yeah but we can’t change it because republicans love dying
They love other people dying. They’re just willing to guarantee their own death to make that a reality.
They’re just willing to guarantee their own death to make that a reality.
It’s better for my credit rating if I just die.
Good news alert! Your debt was cancelled, your available credit and rating just went up, congratulations!
The shocking thing is the propaganda in the headline saying this is “shocking”.
Where is the call for violent overthrow of the regime?
Well, this is from a British newspaper and Britain has the National Health Service, so it makes sense that for them this is “shocking”.
Further, given the image that America has projected to the World in the last half-century, the news about Public Health in that country being basically what you see in the 3rd World would be “shocking” for those who believed that image of America.
I mean, plenty of people outside America still believe ridiculous shit like Americans being wealthy (most are not: the mean level of wealth of Americans is less than those of Portuguese, one of the poorest nations in the EU), their Military being very powerful (*cough* Iran *cough*) or the Justice System in the US being fair.
We are exhausting the same option over and over and over. I think its probably gonna happen the next time democrats run a hope and change candidate in 2108.
Where? 1/6/2021.
Oh, reasonable and justified calls. Sorry, no,all out those. We’ll be doing the 24th No Kings protest instead.
I find it so interesting when the centrists claim that universal healthcare is unaffordable. Cuz, uh, you know what’s even less affordable? Whatever yalls have right now. And you know it, but fuck the facts.
It’s because in the current system our healthcare is tied to our employment. And that’s how they want it. It leaves you beholden to your employer.
I also love the claim that it will take so much longer to receive care. I’m trying to find a new therapist, and even with my amazing health insurance I’m looking at October 28th at the earliest with any therapist, or January for one that seems more aligned with my issues.
Had suicidal ideation a few days ago. Tried to check into a local crisis center. They declined admission and basically told me get a new therapist, try yoga and meditation. One of the therapists the suggested isn’t taking new clients, the other doesn’t accept my insurance.
I’m holding on as best as I can, but the system failing me like this isn’t making life any easier. I do still have a therapist that I will see by the end of this week, but he basically just listens and says “wow that’s sounds incredibly painful”.
Had suicidal ideation a few days ago.
Just the normal amount or was it really bad?
It was quite intense. I sobbed uncontrollably after changing my mind.
I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve also been there for quite a while, and I found something that really helped me: parachuting! It’s a bit expensive, but if you can afford it, I’d highly recommend it! It’s helped me a ton!!
i think they are complacent, because some of them are well off enough to have “insurance” through thier employers that the insurance is willing to pay for most of the cost. when they see copays of 15-40$, they dont actually see its really 300-420$ actual cost per visit.
dental is even worst, they think tooth extraction is only a couple hundred when its actual 500-700$ on average as Out of pocket, and 400$ for root canal instead of 1200-2000$/tooth(not including crowns. and some dental pratices will upcharge. i had to go to an emergency dentist recently, and they charge an arm and leg for most things, even when compared to other dentists around them, they are like 50-100% more expensive. they are fine for emergency dental appts but not for general care. luckily i was able to find cheaper dentists around to take care of a severe tooth issue.
also dental isnt covered if you buy insurance from your states ACA exchange, you have to buy separately, So any major dental procedures like root canals, extractins, crowns,etc have a 6month waiting period and only covers less than 2000 a year. excluding orthodontics, and jaw surgery.
So any major dental procedures
Straight to mexico
