I’m just baffled why people still think health insurance is a scam these days. Two weeks ago, I had a bad bicycle accident, and while I’m recovering, the bills are just starting to roll in. Insurance has been billed $78,500 so far for everything.
I was only in the hospital for 30 hours. They did a few CT scans, I had a concussion, a minor brain bleed that resolved in a few hours, and a fracture in one of the occipital condyles.
How can anyone think they can afford not to have insurance when an ambulance ride alone can cost $78,000?
That’s not exactly what drives the cost. You had scans and access to multiple specialists in a secure, clean facility with staff ranging from cleaners to CT techs and radiologists, all contributing to your care. I understand your point, but whether the cost is $50 or $500, if people can’t afford it, they simply can’t pay. After working in healthcare for nearly 25 years, I’ve seen people surrender their babies to the state because they couldn’t cover the costs of caring for a premature infant. It’s a terrible system for many and world-class for others.
It’s a scam because prices are arbitrary, and insurance companies frequently deny claims without cause or alter rules to benefit themselves. Insurance rates go up by 7% to 20% every year without any added benefits. If the insurance companies decide not to pay, you’re left with few options, go bankrupt, die, or sometimes both.
It’s misnamed. It’s not really health insurance; it’s more like insurance for catastrophic diseases or serious accidents.
If people think they don’t need it in the USA, they’re not realizing that most of us are just one accident away from facing financial ruin for the rest of our lives.
The system itself is a scam, but unfortunately, it’s become a necessity. There’s no reason an ambulance ride should cost $78,000, and it’s predatory since you can’t refuse it in an emergency because it’s life-saving.
I think you mean $78,500 so far.
You might keep getting bills for up to a year. Weird things can happen, like your insurance retroactively deciding not to cover something and then the provider bills you, or the hospital charging you twice for the same thing. Keep proof of payment. Print out insurance documents and hospital charges, or save them on your computer. Don’t throw anything away. I’ve learned this the hard way.