Hospitals ripping you off

medicalhumor said:
You're an idiot.
Do you think doctors don't have costs that they have to cover?

The cost for medical malpractice insurance in Illinois for an OB/GYN that was insured by Medical Protective in 2008 cost the physician $127,083 if they practiced in Cook County (where Chicago is located).
Click to expand...

Is that because the cost for medical malpractice is justified, or because somehow, somewhere the system is fucked up?

And should all the patients have to foot the cost for medical malpractice insurance?

I appreciate that you're a valiant advocate for the poor, suffering doctors out there who are crying out for help, but there's no way you're going to justify ripping patients off. It's ridiculous.
 


mikecarquote said:
Health care reform is definitely a good thing. I have health insurance through my employer but I realize if I lose my job I and my family are at risk. Health insurance is very expensive and one catastrophic illness with no insurance will cost most people everything they have worked for their entire life. Not wanting to start another debate on current reform plans, but things have been out of control for years.

(Reuters) - Americans spend twice as much as residents of other developed countries on healthcare, but get lower quality, less efficiency and have the least equitable system, according to a report released on Wednesday.

U.S. scores dead last again in healthcare study | Reuters
Click to expand...

The problem is not insurance but the cost of the care... fucking A

Healthcare is NOT a right. Just as any other service people provide..
 
The fact that hospitals don't give you an invoice of some sort beforehand is what gets me. Went into an ER last year due to an "ear infection" and received a $10k+ medical bill a month later. That's bullshit.


Edit: Oh and forgot, $1k was for the 1 minute doctor evaluation.
 
dieze said:
The big thing is in europe, in most of the country, health care is run by non profit org/gov, so even if everyone is paying the price, its still wayy cheaper than US medical service since the margins are low, only enough to sustain growth of the system, not to fund some investissor pocket.

The vast majority of the europeans who migrated/created america where the retarded/minority/excluded ones.

Your point is ?
Click to expand...

You don't even fucking know that Europe is a continent and not a country and are spewing shit around here?

As someone that immigrated to the U.S. from Germany and is proud to say, that he recently became a citizen of this great nation, I'm more then happy to say FUCK YOU!

Most people immigrated to the U.S. because they were prosecuted because due their religion or couldn't find jobs in their home countries. The one's that left looking for new opportunities and hope for their families, were the ones with big brass one's.

Even today Europe's best and brightest come to the United States. Didn't know that there is a huge brain drain going on in the medical community did ya?

And dude honestly... I've hardly EVER heard anyone from the U.S. talk about moving to Europe on a permanent basis. Vacation etc. etc.?? Sure... but move and immigrate??? Hardly ever... Talking to Europeans... have heard TONS of folks want to come over here. Sorry dude... you are full of shit!!! But then again ... Europe is a country...

My wife is a nurse and next door neighbor is a Doctor. Want to know why their rates are so fracking outrageous? He pays around $175,000 in medical insurance just to cover his ass from frivolous law suits. Which means - til March/April he is working to pay insurance... Then he had to work til July/August to cover his taxes. Only then he is actually starting to be 'in the money'.


Want to know why the anesthesiologist charges so much? You do realize that the RISK to mom and baby right? You do realize how many people sue their doctors when things are wrong with the baby? Cause you didn't CARE enough to get pre-natal care or to stop shooting heroin but if something is wrong, the NURSE or DOCTOR must have fucked up your baby. Of course their is an ambulance chasing s.o.b. lawyer going balls to the wall after EVERYONE, so they can settle out of court only to make this shit go away.

Then there are those assholes to lazy to pay for fucking insurance but if they have a minor cough run to the E.R. since they can NOT be turned away. Oh yeah, you stupid assholes forgot to mention that ANYONE will get treated in the E.R. and will receive the SAME treatment no matter if they have insurance or not. And oh yeah.. the folks that are actually PAYING for their services will pay inflated prices in order to cover those folks.

Having said all of that - one of the best healthcare systems in the world is in Germany due to the foresight of a Otto von Bismarck back in the 1870's or so that setup non-profit pools for health care. Due to THAT it's half way working but heavily substituted by the Federal Government. Why do you think they are all screaming they are out of money? Why do you think the doctors and nurses in Germany are bitching that they work to many hours for to little pay?

BOTH systems have HUGE positives ... as well as HUGE drawbacks.

Here is a tip for anyone without insurance that had to go to the hospital. Call the hospital and get an itemized bill. Check it very closely and fight any and all charges that don't look right. Then call again and fight out the price the HMO/PPO would get... most of the time if you will ASK they will lower your bill.

You can also explain that this would be a CASH transaction and be NICE and ask what they can do for you. Sometimes you'll be AMAZED how they can help you, provided you are NICE when talking to them. (Sometimes they can't do shit due to their rules).

In the end it comes down to this - get yourself a good health insurance or you are fucked!

Then there is a huge opportunity in medical tourism to countries such as India that have incredibly modern facilities, U.S. educated doctors that can do awesome things for 20% of the U.S. pricing. Oh yeah.. Good Luck trying to sue their asses either when shit goes wrong...

/rant off

Sorry, this shit is just plain pissing me off!
 
Gertex i'm agree that US are the best , and for sure i will move to vegas soon or later but i have a big block

20101016europe.vs.america.jpg
 
medicalhumor said:
They sacrifice ALL of their time going through 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school, and 3-4 years of residency, and 3-4 more if they do a fellowship. Who's going to do that for $150k a year?
Click to expand...
i didn't even go to college and can make $150k a year in nyc as a programmer...
 
Ar Scion said:
Is that because the cost for medical malpractice is justified, or because somehow, somewhere the system is fucked up?

And should all the patients have to foot the cost for medical malpractice insurance?

I appreciate that you're a valiant advocate for the poor, suffering doctors out there who are crying out for help, but there's no way you're going to justify ripping patients off. It's ridiculous.
Click to expand...

hell yeah the system is fucked up. No way should a physician have to pay that much to cover his ass from bloodsucking attorneys? But the way it is now, should the physician not pass on the costs? Why should he or she have to pay for it all and not recoup their costs?
Retail stores are hit hard by shoplifters all the time. What does that do for retail prices? It drives them up. We all pay the higher costs?

I'm not arguing that the prices aren't high, or that the system is not fucked up, but just because you don't like them doesn't mean the doctor should get stuck with it instead. You are going to them for treatment.

Most people wouldn't think twice about dropping $1200 on a weekend trip to Vegas, but God forbid you break your finger playing football with your buddies and you have to pay $1200 to get x-ray's and get it fixed. Your just pissed because you don't have any alternative other than getting it fixed. You can choose to not have a fun weekend in Vegas, but you probably won't. But you can't just not go get your finger fixed, or get your kid treated for an asthma attack. Get your priorities straight.
 
taktikz said:
The fact that hospitals don't give you an invoice of some sort beforehand is what gets me. Went into an ER last year due to an "ear infection" and received a $10k+ medical bill a month later. That's bullshit.


Edit: Oh and forgot, $1k was for the 1 minute doctor evaluation.
Click to expand...

Agreed, the ER's and hospital stays are way over priced and they are taking complete advantage. And that $1000 charge for the 1 minute doctor eval was billed by the hospital, because that doctor works for the hospital.

I took my daughter to the ER last year after she slammed her thumb in the car door and they put a plastic measuring cup and put it over her thumb, supported it with 2 tongue depressors and tape and then tried to bill me $180 for an 'aluminum splint' - That is bullshit, and I fought it. it took me several attempts and I got turned down several times, but in the end I was persistent and I got the bill reduced.

The bill was $2000 in all. We saw the physician for 2 minutes tops, and got supbar supplies. We had insurance and the insurance company only paid $500 and they stuck us with the balance of $1500. So, even having insurance doesn't mean dick in this country most of the time. The system is broken.
 
CallOnMe said:
Gertex i'm agree that US are the best , and for sure i will move to vegas soon or later but i have a big block

20101016europe.vs.america.jpg
Click to expand...

You are so right... that's why most porn is made in the U.S. of A....

Then again... most scat comes out of Europe... not that there is anything wrong with that!

At least the fat chick shaves her leg's and armpit's...

I didn't say the U.S. is the best - read my post again. My statement was that there are pro's and con's for BOTH systems!
 
jenzkc said:
fat people wanking it to sub-par chicks. quality porn comes from eastern europe. the USA just produces a large quantity of bad porn.
Click to expand...

Gotta agree that there are a lot of hot eastern european chicks... No matter where you go - there are incredibly beautiful women everywhere.

However, may I humbly suggest to come down to Texas? Go out bar hopping in Dallas one night and report back to me if there are beautiful women around here...
 
medicalhumor said:
hell yeah the system is fucked up. No way should a physician have to pay that much to cover his ass from bloodsucking attorneys? But the way it is now, should the physician not pass on the costs? Why should he or she have to pay for it all and not recoup their costs?
Retail stores are hit hard by shoplifters all the time. What does that do for retail prices? It drives them up. We all pay the higher costs?

I'm not arguing that the prices aren't high, or that the system is not fucked up, but just because you don't like them doesn't mean the doctor should get stuck with it instead. You are going to them for treatment.

Most people wouldn't think twice about dropping $1200 on a weekend trip to Vegas, but God forbid you break your finger playing football with your buddies and you have to pay $1200 to get x-ray's and get it fixed. Your just pissed because you don't have any alternative other than getting it fixed. You can choose to not have a fun weekend in Vegas, but you probably won't. But you can't just not go get your finger fixed, or get your kid treated for an asthma attack. Get your priorities straight.
Click to expand...

There's something fucked up about overcharging people who are sick and out of work while they are in pain and desperate to get treated.

It's not like the patient gets notified of what the bill is going to be beforehand so they can get into it knowing the cost, they are jumped by surprise, only being notified after the fact.

If you talk to the doctor, they say billing is none of their business, and that this sick (or dying) patient needs to be wheeled on over to the billing department before finding out how much they are going to be (over)charged, have to negotiate with billing and then head to the doctor, only to find out you have to reschedule.

Something's gotta give, bro. Either that, or we gotta open up the medical industry to the free market and let people compete for performing non-vital medical services like x-rays and blood pressure checks.

Sure as hell would be nice not to send people to school for 12 years and pay 130k to check blood pressure.
 
Ar Scion: Serious question, why did you go to the E.R. to get your blood pressure checked? Why not go to a doc in a box or a local GP?
 
Ar Scion said:
I recently went in to get my blood pressure checked and got charged 95 dollars.

Hospitals are scams, bros.

I did some research and found out they been scamming the fuck out of people. Charging 10 bucks for those pill cups, 12 bucks for tissues, and people don't know because the bill wasn't itemized.

People be fighting back though.
Click to expand...

no control means they charge whatever the fuck they feel like it...

i say we follow the japanese system...


saving a life is not the same as selling a refrigerator and profit SHOULD NOT BE THE OBJECTIVE
 
rockstar45177 said:
I got a letter in the mail today saying I owed 450 dollars for some doctors appointment I had a year ago. I was like WTF I am not paying this shit.

Fuck this country and it's health care
Click to expand...

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

not the country though, but the politicians and the corrupt health system
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom