• dynamojoe@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fucking tired of people who suddenly see a problem when a) it happens to them or b) when they’re no longer relying on the problem for their income.

    • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It’s the republican way. They live in delusion land and when reality hits them in the face they get all pissy about it.

        • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Most Democrat politicians are conservatives by every international standard. They are often called neoliberals.

          The reason we have a corporatocracy and do not have a legitimate healthcare system is because of conservatives, many of whom are Democrat neoliberals, unfortunately. We don’t have a progressive party. We have a conservative party and a more conservative party.

          We need progressive minded non-politicians to say “fuck it” and run for office. If Boebert, Gomert, and Santos can do it, literally ANYONE can.

          Looking for work? Run for office. The less of a politician and more of an honest progressive you are, the more needed you are! Do it! Do it now!

        • Sami_Uso@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          We act like these politicians are not friendly with each other regardless of D or R. Like they aren’t getting together in DC bars just like we do after work and joking around about the bills they blocked today or the votes they were able to get. They don’t care. They’re all on the same side they just have to appease different groups of people at home.

          We have a long way to go, man.

      • Buffaloaf@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Sometimes, it still doesn’t hit them though. They’ll get a $20,000 bill and say “thank God I don’t live in Canada or this would be even worse!”

        • ripcord@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          “In shithole countries like Europe I’d just have died! Probably still waiting to see the doctor!”

    • EnderMB@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      To be fair to him, it seems to be a common thread with many in the medical profession, probably because they dedicate themselves to a system that is fundamentally broken. Even the likes of Doctor Mike (Medical YouTuber, whose content I really enjoy) have painted things like universal healthcare in a way that highlights the problems without painting the full picture of why (systemic underfunding to push privatisation).

      I don’t want to excuse it, but it’s a very common problem that few want to address in the field.

    • Dozzi92@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      They live on a different planet. Our representatives are completely out of touch and there’s no bringing them back. For the few good ones there are 99 career polticians out there carving out a niche for themselves and their families.

      • FontMasterFlex@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        99% agreed. I don’t believe there are currently any “good ones”. Everyone thinks “their guy” is going good and the rest suck and it’s why we never have change in the guard.

  • FReddit@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    If he thinks five grand is a big hospital bill, he’s not living in the real world.

    • systemglitch@lemmy.worldBanned from community
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      1 year ago

      I’m living in the real world, most I’ve ever had to pay was parking and I guess a few bucks for meds. I remember how $100 for meds a fe years ago made me cringe.

      But I also live in a first world country, with first world problems.

  • unphazed@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Oh look at that. The sky is blue. Oh, and water is… wet! It’s wet everyone! Oh, no, not water, it’s piss being thrown at us by our government’s lack of representation, ethical apathy, and greed.

  • 3volver@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Really, did you need to go to the ER to know that? Shit has been broken for a while now.

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Lots of people think it’s only the uninsured that get screwed, but it’s common to get a surprise 5,000 bill a few weeks after you’ve paid your copay.

      But here’s the trick:

      As of July 2022 the credit bureaus no longer report medical debt. So just don’t pay the greedy fuckers.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Dr. Jerome Adams, who was the nation’s top doctor from 2017 to 2021, said he was slammed with an almost $5,000 bill after being treated for dehydration at a Mayo Clinic emergency department, where he got labs and a few IV bags.

    Awesome. I’m going there at the end of March.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        No, but it’s the same hospital.

        If you’re curious why I’m going there, I wrote about it in Casual Conversation- https://lemmy.world/post/12194311

        Long story short: I haven’t been able to eat any solid food for over six months and no one knows why.

        (Please no medical advice, I am begging you. The general you, not you specifically.)

            • VaultBoyNewVegas@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Nothing is more frustrating than people giving unsolicited medical advice. I’ve IBD and I mentioned on a post about people buying cheap frozen food why some people do it. I explained that I literally can’t do prep, cook and watch the stuff cooking due to the symptoms when having a flare up. Wouldn’t you know I got the typical reply that I should learn to cook (I know how) and eat healthily and seek medical advice (I’ve a specialist nurse I can contact at any time and it’s difficult to eat anything when in constant pain and I feel nauseous after eating) so I feel you dude with not wanting to hear it at all no matter how well meaning some people are.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                And they really are well-meaning, I know that, but it’s so tiring to say “yes, we’ve been over that. It’s not that. I don’t fit those symptoms.” or whatever over and over.

                I hope you find a solution for your IBD that helps you, I’m sure that’s really awful.

      • STUPIDVIPGUY@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The Mayo Clinic specializes in a lot of niche stuff which means people often have to fly from all over the country to visit this specific hospital in Minnesota

        • Fosheze@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I know. I count myself lucky live less than an hour away from it. My grandma has actually gotten flown in on mayo one before for an emergency (speaking of expensive bills).

          My original comment was a joke because the top post was talking about the surgeon general going to one of their emergency rooms and op was talking about planning to go there by which they meant mayo clinic but it could also be read as them meaning the ER.

  • Rylyshar@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This isn’t news, it just underscores how out-of-touch some demographics are to what most of us deal with.

  • Pandawhiskers@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Did he even get the full bill. Last time I went to an ER, I paid off something and then two years later got sent another bill. I called and said, this is a mistake, right? First lady said probably, everyone else said nope. This is your physician’s bill. The other one was a hospital bill. I asked, why did I then get it for the first time after a visit from TWO years ago?? What was goin on in the mean time? “Oh we were transitioning companies, probably something to do with that?” I tried to fight it, I got a reduced price, but that was so insane to me

  • cogman@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Yeah… Because there’s no place for downward pressure on health expenses. Hospitals are incentivized to raise prices as much as possible, because they know insurance companies will negotiate downwards. Insurance companies pass all costs back down to the pool while working as hard as possible to deny everything. Drug companies know they have a captive market, nobody else is making that medicine you need for survival so “Cha-Ching!”. Employers are looking for the cheapest health plans possible which means the shittiest plans for their employees. And any company that sells medical equipment is looking at selling it for as much money as possible (or in a “package” that gets hospitals to overcharge on individually wrapped tylenol). Hospital Admins spend more time and money to make sure patients are charged $20 for a $0.10 pill than they trying to keep enough doctors and nurses on staff.

    Medicare for all, that’s the only way to start righting the ship here. Nationalizing the entire healthcare system would be the next step. It’s beyond stupid that we run healthcare for profit.

    • jeffw@lemmy.worldM
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      1 year ago

      So it’s actually more complicated than that (at least to your first point, the points about drug companies is accurate). First, I support M4A, especially plans like Bernie’s that improved reimbursement. One major issue is that the government (Medicaid in particular, Medicare also) pays below costs in some cases. So hospitals charge a shit ton to commercial insurance to make up for their loss on other patients.

      In terms of employers saving money, most large employers have moved to self-insurance (70-80%, depending on how you define “large”).

  • Captain Janeway@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Yeah but the market sets the price. This is capitalism. If you want to change the price, don’t go there. Pick a cheaper clinic. There are plenty of hospitals. It’s up to the consumer to price shop, emergency or not. I’m sure the Mayo clinic is making razor thin margins.

    ---- heavy sarcasm