"Even if you have health insurance, you might expect to be charged a copayment for some routine care, like office-based exams and consultations. But you probably don’t expect to receive a bill a few weeks later charging you an extra $100 or more...In most states, a 'hospital facility fee' can legally appear on your bill if your doctor is affiliated with a large hospital system — even if you never set foot on the hospital’s campus."
In Doctors for America, we've launched a campaign against greed in healthcare. Sign on here and share with your friends: https://doctorsforamerica.org/action/.
@thepoliticalcat@Runyan50@bicmay People coming from those countries would have to be very wealthy and/or suffer from rare diseases or conditions. Given the many hundreds of thousands of dollars that are even being charged for relatively routine procedures (and I had one of these), this would only be an option for very few people.
@thepoliticalcat@Runyan50@bicmay presumably because you had insurance or Medicare. My heart surgery, before insurance, was more than $150,000. European or Canadian insurance companies would not consider covering surgery in the US, unless there was some exceptional reason. Beside that, Healthcare in Europe or Canada would be much lower cost and typically of good quality (and I have worked with surgeons around the world).
Sure, we have EMTALA, but that only guarantees access to emergency care. It doesn't guarantee affordable care for all.
I am a primary care physician in Texas who cares for patients with mental health conditions and intellectual disability disorders. Currently, I have 3 patients who need diagnostic testing for abnormal cervical cancer screenings and 1 patient with an abnormal colon cancer screen. Their options are cost-prohibitive.
It's definitely a state issue. Texas Medicaid is limited essentially to children, people who are disabled, and pregnancy-related.
Hospital mergers, along with private equity, is worsening disparities. If you follow KHN/NPR Bill of the Month stories, there are lots of outrageous costs and fees disputed by hospitals and insurance.
Overall, the U.S. healthcare system is leaving a lot of people behind especially in states that haven't expanded Medicaid.
Add comment