Merry Freaking Christmas. What to expect for ONE night in the hospital when you don't have health i

Friend of mine had to spend ONE night in a Hospital

This is his bill for just under 24hrs.


Can anyone see why this country's health care system is completely broken? What person here who isn't a millionaire already (if thats the case they would have premium health insurance already) can afford something like this?

He will be forced to file for bankruptcy now.

Merry Christmas America....

just a heads up, i had a friend with a bill like this, he applied for a grant and they paid the whole thing off. It's worth a shot checking into

what was your friend in the hospital for, what happened to him?

need 2 be a bit more specific?

It's bad, I know.
When my husband was in for retinal surgery, it was high like that. It was an emergency, his retinas just literally started falling off his eyes. One came detached and the other was loosening. The doctor thought it was from childhood abuse. He was a very battered child, who is the best father I've ever seen.
Anyway, we got the bill and insurance paid most of it- like I said AT THE TIME we had it- we don't now. But they even charged us for an OR LIGHT that was hundreds. He had a 12.00 charge for mylanta, which he never had that I know of, unless he got it in surgery. Tylenol was about 15.00.

It was outrageous, everything was. However, he can see today. Even the eye that came detached was saved with a schleral buckle.

I guess these days he'd probably be blind. I doubt they'd even see him in ER with an eye complaint that 'a curtain fell down on his vision' without good insurance. It is terrifying to think about.

He's a skilled and talented housing designer who was laid off after nearly 26 years. He's loading and unloading trucks now. It's all he could find but there's no benefits.

reply to post by Alaskan Man


Wow!

Glad I live in the UK.....Free premium health care for all, you could be a tramp on the streets or a multi millionaire.....the NHS will look after you, and treat you just the same regardless of your social standing.

OMG, that had to be one major surgery to be that high of a bill.

I won't be going to the hospital anytime soon.

Not after seeing that bill.

If he is now disabled after the
time spent in the hospital he
could apply for Medicaid and they
would pay this bill if he qualifies.
Also he can make arrangements
for payments, they will work with
him on the amount that he can
afford. Okay this is the way it
was a few years ago and I hope it
still is.

$104,000. WTH! did they turn him into the bionic man?

reply to post by Alaskan Man


Tell your friend to ask the hospital for the paper work to sign, stating he can't pay the bill. The hospital then gets the government to pay it. All hospitals have this paper work on file. They just don't advertise it. It doesn't matter if he owns his home either. When it is billed to the government, it's for a lot less than was billed to your friend.

I'll look for the document name, and add it here....

I saw on CNN a story the other day about a family that lives fairly well on 20k a year. However, it said that they had state sponsored health insurance.

We live so simply- we COULD live well on less- we have- but insurance is the real nasty kicker.

Also, my aunt works driving a school bus. She does it for the insurance because her husband is a now a multimillionare but he's had a heart attack so no one will insure him.

IF there was some way to afford healthcare, DO IT YOURSELF, or get health care insurance that's affordable without having a job, I bet a LOT of these people would quit and let people that NEED work have the jobs. My mom did the same thing- my dad was well off but she worked as a health care aid for the insurance. They were actually told that they'd be better off if she did NOT work by dad's lawyer who did his taxes. BUT they had to have insurance, and mom had a prior condition so she had to keep working.

reply to post by Alaskan Man


OHMIGODS!!! My kid spent a week in Tampa General and had neurology tests and his wasn't even that much it was $19,000!!! Where ever he lives he needs to move out of that state!!!!

reply to post by Alaskan Man


And yet you still support R.Paul? He's made it abundantly clear he has no problem letting those without money die. Strange bedfellow ya got there.

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by Alaskan Man

 

Tell your friend to ask the hospital for the paper work to sign, stating he can't pay the bill. The hospital then gets the government to pay it. All hospitals have this paper work on file. They just don't advertise it. It doesn't matter if he owns his home either. When it is billed to the government, it's for a lot less than was billed to your friend.

I'll look for the document name, and add it here....

We signed that same thing for my child's bill we didn't have a pot to you know what in and they denied me... guess we weren't "Dark" enough to qualify.
It's good for the OP though if his friend looks dark enough just tell them to mark "hispanic or mixed" under ethnicity.

One day and a life is ruined. Most can't pay this and will spend a life time paying it off.

Extortion, Highway Robbery, Theft...too many ways to label this type of crime IMO.

Sorry to hear it but I hope your friend is ok...

Peace

If only he were an illegal alien he would have had it all done for FREE.

Tax payers get nothing but the bill for everything, while illegals get a free-ride ON OUR TAXES.

What a country.

Originally posted by angeldoll
reply to post by Alaskan Man

 

And yet you still support R.Paul? He's made it abundantly clear he has no problem letting those without money die. Strange bedfellow ya got there.

If you've ever listened further to Ron Paul, then you know that he is at least for letting people care for themselves- he doesn't think you should have to have a prescription to get a medicine that you need for yourself. But he lets the states do as they will.

Really I think if we could get insurance AND government out of it, the price would come down. Charities would help more people. States might individually go to a more socialized system.

I don't think though much of anything can be done though because big money IS big insurance and they have a death grip on congress.

I think insurance should be illegal. All of it. It's all just a gambling game and the odds are stacked too much in favor of the house. If I had my way, there wouldn't be a doggone bit of insurance allowed for anything- homes, insurance, cars. None of it. People might save more money, be more cautious, and buy less fluff.

reply to post by angeldoll


And yet you still slur BS?

Ron Paul wants to revamp the healthcare system to where it is no longer a complete scam, to where you can go to the hospital without insurance and actually be able to pay a reasonable bill not one that is astronomical. One to where you dont have to pay thousands a year for healthcare you more then likely won't even use. (at least as much as you pay)

Proof (unlike you who just talks without backing up claims)

reply to post by Chefspicy


Tonsills & adenoids, and nasal polyps removed, and a single night in the hospital - 11/9/2011. Left at 8am the next morning.

reply to post by Alaskan Man


There is no question that medical costs are rediculous, and it's gone afoul from the insurance companies, and big hospitals who rip them off. Time to have health care covered like the rest of the civilized world. Letting people die because they can't afford health care is not the answer.

Oh, I just noticed your last comment. I apologize. I thought someone who strongly supported a candidate would know more about their policies.

Originally posted by angeldoll
reply to post by Alaskan Man

 

And yet you still support R.Paul? He's made it abundantly clear he has no problem letting those without money die. Strange bedfellow ya got there.

Lol no he didn't. He said he doesn't believe healthcare is a right but when he was a doctor that no one was ever turned away...