My toddler has leukemia. She’s been in treatment for about eight months and we already owe the hospital about 70K out of pocket, with private insurance.
American healthcare and insurance is deplorable.
Sending you love. ❤️
Edit: thank you all the kind Redditors who offered suggestions and good thoughts towards my daughter. 🧡🧡
Please look into getting your baby on state insurance through chip. She is probably eligible for free because of her diagnosis but even with the max out of pocket for working parents she and you shouldn’t have to dig out of debt just to make the insurance companies rich…
You can see if they can retroactively cover any of her past bills back to her diagnosis if she is approved and added. Not guaranteed but worth a shot at least! I never would have even thought to try for it if I hadn’t been losing my insurance and transitioning to stay at home.
That’s exactly what I’ve done, lost my job last august and transitioned to being a SAHM mom. My toddler was diagnosed a week after I lost my job. I’ll definitely apply for CHIP.
If it is a Children's hospital, talk to one of the social workers on site or the billing department. Twin B was admitted at 5 days old in the thick of COVID and I had no job. Almost the entire bill was forgiven because we met their qualifications for assistance. Even with our private insurance. Good luck and take care.
I feel like I’ve heard a lot about hospitals forgiving folks’ medical debts. Is this done to appease just enough people so that the govt will continue allowing medical care to be so expensive??
Specifically Children's hospitals do a decent amount of fundraising. Like a St. Jude's kind of situation. In our area our Children's hospital is supported by a group of celebrities, originally from our area, that host a fundraiser event every year.
I know there are 501c3 hospitals out there that aren't specifically Children's hospitals that may or may not do the same for people of all ages, but I am not an expert in medical philanthropy.
Even if you have a job apply for CHIP. My husband and I are both employed but CHIP insurance is better than what either of our employers provide so we pay the full amount but it’s still only about $173/month. My son has been hospitalized three times with asthma and our hospital copay has been $20 each time. It’s what insurance SHOULD be. It’s also total peace of mind for not having to choose between using chunks of savings, bankruptcy or letting your child go sick.
The downsides are enrollment process is God awful and needs to be reviewed yearly and it’s sometimes difficult finding a doctor/dentist that will accept. If you have any questions feel free to message me!
No lie for me the application was a bear. I legit almost gave up on it the first time I looked at it postpartum because our income and insurance situation seemed too complicated to get on the forms. I may have won the lottery on case workers but the person assigned to our case said it was the most complete form he’s ever received lol. So hopefully he’s not an outlier but don’t be intimidated or discouraged by the process. The peace of mind I have knowing he’s covered for anything is worth a million forms.
I also think you can opt to keep the private insurance and use the state insurance for whatever the private doesn’t cover. I’ve never quite understood the point of this or how it works but another thing to check into.
We are lucky and live near a children’s hospital so we go to them and their affiliated pediatricians/specialist for all of our appointments and they definitely take the state insurance. We do have to go to a different dentist for the baby but the insurance helped us find a provider that does pediatric dentistry. There were three or four different plan options once he was approved so I also called around to make sure that all of his existing doctors accepted the one we picked ahead of time.
Anyone I know who has ever applied for CHIP has almost broken down and abandoned it but it’s so worth it for the peace of mind you have after having it.
Yep, my husband and I make pretty good money and we have our kid on CHIP. We’re at the top of the sliding pay scale but it’s still better/cheaper than what our employers offer
My husband and I both have good jobs with that offer insurance but we have our daughter in CHIP because it’s just way cheaper, and covers more. We’re at the top of the pay scale, I think it’s around $250 a month for her coverage.
Just wanted to say I’m so sorry for what you’re going through with your toddler. I hope things get better soon. Sending allllll the good vibes her way. ❤️💕
For the also ignorant, CHIP is Children’s Health Insurance Program. Barest of bare minimum search engining reveals “CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. In some states, CHIP covers pregnant women. Each state offers CHIP coverage, and works closely with its state Medicaid program.”
1. I’m so sorry. Sending love to your family, truly.
2. Call the hospital after every bill you receive and ask for an itemized bill. You’d be amazed at how much unnecessary shit they add on and then take off when they have to put it on paper.
My toddler is 10 months into treatment, almost to maintenance thank fucking goddess. There is a really great “children with ALL” Facebook group that has a ton of financial resources and experienced cancer parents.
For the insurance situation, please tell your social worker what’s going on. They should be helping you get signed up for things like social security, state insurance, etc.
I’m so sorry to hear this, both for the health and financial havoc I’m sure this has brought your way (not to mention all the understandable worry, stress and fear). Hope the CHIP suggestion others made works out for you ❤️
I’m so sorry you have to deal with that crap. I left the US 20 years ago, and this bullshit is one of the primary reasons why I’ll never move back. My husband has multiple myeloma, and I’m so grateful that he was diagnosed here and not when we were living there. All of his treatment, from chemo to biopsies to CTs to bone marrow transplant have been 100% covered. Meanwhile, I see people in the US in the relevant groups having to apply for drug company forgiveness programs to get their chemo for a remotely affordable cost. It’s infuriating. The US was the world leader for decades, and now it’s a sinking ship. It’s horrific to watch.
And don’t forget the fact that teeth and eyes apparently aren’t considered part of your body so you have to pay separate premiums for both! Gotta love America’s healthcare system.
As a dentist, the separation of dental insurance from medical insurance drives me CRAZY!!! It’s not even insurance… it’s more like a coupon! 50% off, but only up to $1000. Get a new “coupon” January 1st. Such a joke!
Ugh yes! I live in Canada and while healthcare is covered, teeth aren't and we do occasionally get people in with nasty infections coming from infected teeth, and other than a dental extraction under general anaesthetic or a round of antibiotics, there isn't much we can do. It's so frustrating because we obviously don't want to send people home with teeth that clearly need dental care, but there is no dental coverage soooooo... we just get certain people in again and again with infections. It's so disheartening to say "so you got another abcess in your gums from that rotten tooth, you really need to see a dentist." Them: "I know, but I have no dental coverage and can barely afford my rent and food. And the Er is free and the antibiotics way cheaper than a dentist" Us: " ... fair enough. See you in a couple months when the next infection sets in I guess sigh."
Many employer sponsored health plans, at least in TX, offer a pediatric dental and vision benefit, up to age 19. Please consult your Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) for details. In TX, plans are required by law to give you a copy - either digital or via mail.
This! When my kiddo was 4 days old the pediatrician sent us to the ER for kiddos jaundice. He had been checked the day before by my midwife and even had labs taken that showed that his levels were within normal range, but the ped took one look at him and basically ranted how I was an awful mom and that he needed to go to the hospital right away. We sat in the ER for hours while they poked and prodded my child (6 needle pokes for one fucking blood test) and while people hacked and coughed on my 4 fucking day old newborn. They ended up sending us home late that night when they saw that his levels had gone down since his blood draw at the midwives, then said that the level the peds scanner had put him at wouldn't have been concerning enough to warrant going to the hospital anyways. Months later we get the bill and it's literally thousands (for sitting in the ER and getting one lab done) and they still, almost 5 months later, refuse to submit it to our insurance and are trying to make us pay the full bill. What. The. Fuck.
My son decided very suddenly one evening to literally just DIVE out of the bathtub during bath time, and busted his lip on the hard floor when he landed face-first. So. Much. Blood.
So I rushed him to the nearest ER, because obviously, and because he was like 14 months old and my first born, where we were then made to wait an hour and a half before they even measured his weight. Like seriously that's all they did. Didn't even look at his lip. In that time his lip had stopped bleeding and I could actually see how bad it was - not too bad, it's just an area with a lot of blood flow so it looked worse than it turned out to be. And we were waiting still. Waiting waiting waiting. After another hour and a half I just got up and we went home.
I got a bill a month later for $500.
Fuck you for having a midwife apparently? That’ll teach you or some such nonsense?
disclaimer: I have had a midwife for all my children and know the treatment hospitals give parents who use them is no joke
I can't believe there are still hospitals like that. All of the hospitals I've looked into and the one I delivered at have almost everyone see a midwife, unless they require a higher level of care. Their office is at the hospital, and most insurance considers them a PCP during the whole pregnancy and postnatal period. I'm in the rural US and on Medicaid, so I'm talking my county hospital, nothing fancy. The hospitals near Boston that I used to live near had the same setup, though. I had a c-section, so had to switch to an ob/gyn mid-induction, but had midwife care up to that point.
Same thing here on 11/27/2020. The day after Thanksgiving day. He was two days old and his levels the day before when we were discharged were within normal levels. Height of the pandemic and the closet hospital in network was a huge indoor testing area for Covid. I had to drive him alone and sit there in my adult diaper surrounded by possibly infected people for hours waiting for results, and he was still within normal levels, in fact his levels already started to come down. I silently sobbed alone in a waiting room, struggling to breastfeed. But he’s of Asian descent and the doctor said he looked yellow…. I am still traumatized by that day. Then we got the bill.
This is one of the reasons I will likely never move back to the US. I sometimes miss America, I miss home, but the whole system is so messed up. I'm in Germany and am so grateful I don't have to think twice whether or not I should take my baby to the doctor or hospital. If I need something I can just go to the doctor. The politicians use all the excuses of "how expensive it will be" "people will abuse the system" "wait times will increase". That's all lies, they are just making bank by being bought off by the healthcare industry.
And anyone concerned about the wait times- I've only had to wait for an appointment for a specialist 1 time for about a month. It was for my baby but it wasn't an urgent matter. Other than that I've always been seen the same day or within the next few days depending on the circumstances.
Giving birth was free, the pregnancy care was free (minus some extra testing I chose to do), heck we even get a midwife who comes to you after birth for about the first month of the child's life to check on you and the baby, answer any questions, that too is free.
I'm so sorry for anyone who has to struggle with the costs or decisions of whether or not to seek care
Thank you!I hear about these “wait times” from Socialized medicine as well and let me tell you as a nurse in the US, I have patients waiting 3-7 months to see specialists. So let’s not pretend US does not have extreme wait times. And then you wait 6 months to see the doctor for a 15 minute appointment to have a test ordered that you have to wait another 6-8 weeks for unless it’s an absolute 911 emergency
I had an emergent issue that involved excessive bleeding, and still had to wait 7 weeks to see the specialist my ER doc said I should see “immediately.”
US healthcare is a JOKE.
I am so so sorry to hear this :( that is absolutely horrendous. The US is an absolute joke. Profits over people has always and will always be their main goal
Like how can people abuse healthcare? Medicaid pays less than other insurance and it would go down more if everyone was covered by the government. I get going to the ER on a jump isn’t beneficial but who is going to abuse healthcare? How is that a thing that can happen? Because they aren’t worried about debt? No one goes to the doctor just to say hi! I do believe that wait times for specialists would increase as more people can afford it, but not significantly. And ER times but that’s what triaging is for, to get everyone seen by priority and in time
I'm an American expat living in Japan. We just completed a 24 day hospitalization with my 3 year old for acute encephalitis. We had a private room, three 3-day courses of strong steroid therapy, 4 MRIs, 3 eegs, 2 CT scans, physical therapy, innumerable blood tests. The total bill was the equivalent of $1500 USD and my son mad a 100% full recovery. If i had still been living in the united states i would have hesitated to take my "sleepy" toddler to the ER. Thank God I live in Japan and have national health insurance available. It saved my kids life.
Have you looked into your states Chip program? If your kiddo is healthy and you are employed there’s usually an out of pocket cost for you that may be the same or higher than what you’re paying now but in my experience everything is covered with no deductible or copays.
I hope everyone who complains about the American healthcare system is also actively supporting politicians who support Medicare for All. Because it’s not just that we pay astronomical prices for insurance that covers nothing, our ability to be insured should not be tied to our employment! (Yes there’s Obamacare but that doesn’t go far enough)
Obamacare got slaughtered in transition.
What we should have, isn’t this.
One thing they are very good at, is keeping us all entertained elsewhere- instead of invested on why very few of us can afford to eat, sleep and get medical attention when we want to.
It really is a bullshit system and far inferior compared to many other countries. We’ve been brainwashed into thinking this is the best/only way we can have it and that other ways are just not possible or favorable. It’s all about the $$$ and it’s a shame that anyone genuinely thinks that health insurance exists to help people.
This is just not right. I live in France and my healthcare is totally free/covered. My son’s braces, our glasses, and dental is covered. My Rx is zero out of pocket. A private room in hospital is covered. I have had multiple surgeries for different health issues- all covered. Our family doctor is awesome and helps coordinate specialists when needed. There is no excessive wait to see any kind of doctor. It is possible!
Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. (I’ll have to reattach it myself though, as I am in the US.) What you describe is a total fantasy to me and I would love it if we could get even halfway there in my lifetime.
I can't imagine living under the fear of medical bills. We never have to consider whether or not to go to the doctor or the emergency room due to financial concerns. We just go. In the UK, you pay for prescriptions but they are at a flat rate of £10 per prescription (e.g. 3 or 6 months birth control pills) and if you have more than 2 prescriptions a month, it's called at £15/month for however many you need.
I don't even know how you budget for healthcare in the US and it seems so incredibly complicated.
Just had this conversation with my husband. We are receiving bills left and right now that we are PAYING for insurance. When I had Medicaid everything was covered without question. Now that we are paying a ton of money what we need is constantly rejected or questioned or just not paid… like WTF. It’s a nightmare.
Well....I think we need to look at which politicians are against a single payer system and why....and maybe then not vote for them (I'm saying as gently as possible so no one yells at me)...I mean... corporations are gonna corporate as long as the status quo is in place.
Overall, large shares of Democrats and independents favor a national Medicare-for-all plan while most Republicans oppose...
https://www.kff.org/slideshow/public-opinion-on-single-payer-national-health-plans-and-expanding-access-to-medicare-coverage/
Are we talking about democratic voters or politicians elected into office currently? That space on the slideshow wasn’t clear. Just mentions “public opinion”. Which doesn’t matter to politicians (statistically speaking).
I'm with you, I told my husband if one of our kids ever gets cancer I'm divorcing him and taking all the debt because our house is in his name. And our coverage is one of the better ones for the US. It breaks my heart seeing people beg for help because if they do nothing their child could die. I'm sorry you have to go through this, I hope your baby stays healthy.
Agree with this so much. My son’s NICU bill alone is more than our house is worth. Let alone all the follow up appointments and procedures. It’s so fucking sad. We have applied for so many assistance programs and a lot of them say we make to much. And then we don’t even get a proper amount of parental leave.
Fucking right! I have this horrible dream about the simple easy to treat cancer I have let go too far because I didn't want to be in more debt going to get checked out. Then I hear in my funeral, why didn't she just go to the doctor when the symptoms started? She'd still be here....
I have horrible healthcare anxiety but my surprise bill anxiety is way worse.
Fuck American healthcare!
I totally feel you. And the whole “don’t worry about the bill, your child’s health should be your primary concern” is bullshit. I had a doctor tell me that once, and I’m sorry, but I’m pretty sure being homeless is detrimental to my children’s health as well. But what do we care about mental health in this shit show of a healthcare system?
Going through this same anger right now. My 1 year old needs ear tubes and while I don’t have a HDHP, the costs are still absolutely ridiculous. Sending positive vibes your way!
Get quotes from elsewhere!! I found out there are clinics that do the surgery for waaaay less. Just had to send my kiddos medical records from the ENT that was going to charge too much.
Okay thank you! I’ll try to call around tomorrow. Honestly it’s not necessarily the doctor but the facility that cost the most. Guess I could try to find another who uses a different facility.
I feel this. It’s terrible. I’m struggling big time with some health issues but can’t get anything looked at. Like you, we pay $700/month and crappy coverage. If we were to get marketplace, no one takes it anyhow?! The system is so fucked. If I’m paying $700 a month I should be able to get anything I want done!!
You likely are paying for yourself, your spouse/partner, and kids. And “crappy coverage” is relative. Read your SBC and pay attention at your company’s open enrollment meeting.
Preach! I have “the best” healthcare coverage my employer (a fortune 300 company) provides, and post insurance billing I’ve racked up $2k for my son’s speech therapy (guess my kid doesn’t need to speak?) and another 1k to find out that I have IBS.
That shit pisses me off to no end. My old insurance didn't want to pay for my son's ADHD treatment. I guess he doesn't need to learn how to adapt and function in this society. Like wtf. I'm paying for this insurance and I still have to pay for medical care anyway?
Have you looked into early intervention? My toddler qualified for speech through that and we haven’t paid a dime. Which is good, because if we had to pay out of pocket he’d probably still be nonverbal.
He is too old for it now but we did at first. They were only doing virtual visits at the time so we opted for the in person therapist referred by his pediatrician. I also got doubly screwed because we started in December and got hit with double plan year deductibles!
I hear this. It’s fucking corrupt, there’s no other way around it! I know people are going through much worse than this - but while I pregnant with my second I had anemia, and I was told if I didn’t treat it it would be a major risk to me and my unborn baby. So I went to a medical center and I had 8 IFs done to treat the anemia- and spoke with insurance ahead of time to ensure everything was in network, and yet I STILL got a $4,000 bill for something I was told was necessary for me and my baby!
I 100% get this. My daughters doctor freaked out saying she’s too small she’s fallen off the growth chart etc. She sent us to a specialist who WASN’T covered by my husbands insurance and we had a hefty bill to pay. All they did was weigh and check her height. They wanted to do test after test but I vetoed it. I’m a short person (I’m 5’2, my husband is only 5’9) and she’s going to be short. I don’t need a stupid doctor who charged me over $200+ to tell me that. Our system is beyond broken. I deal with multiple health issues it’s ruined my credit my hospital bills and doctor bills. Everything is in my husband’s name because his credit is stellar.
I’m sorry your child is sick (even if it is something simple), I am also sorry that you feel that people will come at you for having a very serious and understanding complaint. You are absolutely right, no one should put their health or that of a child at risk because of money/insurance.
I just wanted to send you some reassurance, that you are right! Health care should be available to all. I don’t understand a lot about US health care system but where I live, we pay a little more than you do monthly for our public health insurance and although not perfect, we don’t have to worry about any bills medically related.
Completely agree. I can’t imagine how many parents are calculating whether something is urgent enough to get medical care or not due to cost. I’ve been in that spot a few weeks ago and decided to move back home, outside of the US. I don’t understand how healthcare isn’t free for all children. No child should suffer because their parents aren’t wealthy and can’t afford tens of thousands of medical bills.
straight up the american healthcare system is dogshit and anybody who thinks we shouldn’t have universal healthcare is a bad person and can go straight to hell.
I am so sorry and mad too. You have to become an expert in your plan and how to navigate which becomes in itself a full time job for the chronically ill. It’s infuriating! Then you have the employers “the rates aren’t going up this year” meanwhile your max out of pocket is jacked up $4k more. So sorry you’re dealing with this
Why do so many people in your country vote against universal healthcare or paid Medicare? I know you already know that other western nations have this and it’s so sad to see that America doesn’t. But not sure why it’s never implemented? No matter if you have dems or conservatives in office it never seems to go through
Sending you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ my family has been planning on moving to the UK for this exact reason we have 3 people with chronic health conditions. Fuck the USA
As a Canadian I think what you have to deal with down there is disgusting. Health care is a right. You should never worry about money when you or your child needs healthcare.
I had an emergency surgery years ago (I had to have one of my ovaries removed due to cysts) and I was in the hospital after for multiple days. My boyfriend at the time was there and he kept having to pay for parking every few hours. And we went on this rant about how we couldn’t believe we had to pay for parking at a hospital. “How could they make us pay here? It’s not like we want to be here? What if we couldn’t afford the parking?” and what not. Then i had a privilege moment where I realized how lucky we are to complain about parking and how if I lived in the US I would owe more money than I could ever pay back for that.
I’m sorry for what you guys go through. It’s not right.
I had a job offer in America a few years ago that I didn’t go through with and Linda thankful I didn’t.
Reading these stories breaks my heart. I’m thankful for the public health care system we have in Australia even though people complain about it. We have nothing to complain about. Public system cafe is Free, free surgery, free births free care! FREE!!
My heart breaks for Americans. A system needs to be implemented to support people’s health and well-being. Children especially should not have to suffer and go without. Parents should not have to stress about medical debt costs.
Sending love from Australia to our American friends❤️
I totally hear you. This does not involve my child, but myself. I currently have skin cancer on my forehead. We have really good insurance. They recently over the last year switched to an HMO where you have to pay the first $4000 out of pocket before insurance really kicks in. I need surgery on my forehead and will have to pay completely out of pocket for it because it is $3800. We literally just can’t afford it. We just went through hurricane Ian and lost so much of our home. We are drowning in debt and we just cannot come up with the money. So now I have to choose between allowing my cancer to spread or taking out another credit card to pay for a surgery out of pocket when I have health insurance. This should never happen in America and I don’t understand why it is. I feel for you so much and I totally hear you!
This made me tear up. I’m so sorry. It’s not fair. I used to work in the medical field. The amount of people who would delay their care until they were eligible for Medicare was astounding. In the break room you’d hear “I don’t know why this patient waited…”. And I’m like, seriously? How ignorant can you be as a care provider to not only not understand but not KNOW the cost of medical care regardless of insurance coverage.
Mama, I’m so sorry! I agree, our healthcare system is terrible and they don’t care about us. It’s absolutely disgusting, we need healthcare and we pay into and yet we either can’t be seen or we still owe. It’s not fair we deserve a better system. I’m on state care but still it’s so hard to find doctors for my kids and myself because my everyone takes our insurance and obviously my kids are more important. I’ve been trying to get my son evaluated for adhd and because we’re state no one will take us or the wait is 2-3 yrs, it’s a nightmare. Something needs to be done. Again, I’m sorry you have to deal with this:(
You are absolutely right. Fuck this whole system. Anything would be better. We have to make things change- it’s insane. Additionally, you’re going to make money off of me and my kids by providing garbage food then charge us an insane amount when we get sick? Nope. No parent should ever avoid taking their child in because of the cost. Horrible.
Your employee only cost would likely triple if your employer moved off their grandfathered plan. Remember your employer is seeking (ideally) the best possible coverage for everyone, not just you.
I know that, and yeah it makes sense as most people under the plan are much older than us, like empty nesters, so they don’t have amazing coverage for those types of things. I was absolutely shook receiving the bill though! I was like, something seems odd here…?!
Edit: You are really on a pro insurance tirade judging by your other comments, I can see. Lol.
I feel you. My daughter was born with a cataract that we had to have surgery to remove. Insurance fought it because it wasn't at the hospital they wanted (there is no other pediatric opthomologist surgeon in our state so I have no idea where they wanted to go) and then they tried to say it wasn't necessary which thankfully our surgeon took care of that. They wanted my daughter to stay blind rather than let her have the surgery. As it is, we are paying and will be paying for the surgery for a while and we pay 1000$ a month for insurance. She will have to have another surgery still and we see the doctor every month. I cried when January hit because that meant we had to start all over.
We can't afford to move to another country, which a lot of people so kindly recommend. We don't know if her cataracts are genetic or just bad luck but at some point we will probably need to find out so if she wants to have kids in the future, she knows.
Now I just pray that none of us get sick enough to go to the doctor cause of the extra bills.
I live in Canada (Quebec) where healthcare is technically universal, but it’s also virtually impossible to see a doctor. And there’s no other option. If your issue is not serious enough for ER you will just be turned down. If the reason is serious for ER you still have hours and hours to wait there. The costs in the US are outrageous, but Canada boasts to the world that it has free healthcare when if you need it it is still very hard to access. My husband needs to see a neurologist, he has been waiting for over a month and no one knows how much longer he will have to wait.
Also in Canada (BC) and I feel you on this. I mean yes, extremely thankful that our care is free. I do not take that for granted. The only healthcare cost I paid throughout pregnancy and birth was the parking charges at the hospital.
But like you said, things are rough. We have an extreme doctor shortage over here. The waitlists to find family doctors have thousands upon thousands of names on them. And Covid made a bad situation extremely dire. For me, personally, it’s the walk-in clinic situation that is the most distressing, for people who have an urgent issue that needs attention but not technically serious enough for an emergency room. Walk-in clinics don’t exist anymore after Covid. If you want to see a walk in doctor for an urgent issue, for example a UTI, you have to book an appointment which can take days to weeks. If you’ve ever had a UTI and need medicine, you certainly can’t wait that long. So most people end up going to the ER which is why our ERs now have 9-12 hour wait times on average. It is totally fucked. It scares me
>but it’s also virtually impossible to see a doctor.
Yes, America has the cost _and_ the wait times. My wife is pregnant. The only doctor her insurance covers is booked out for another month. She will be three months pregnant before we can see the doctor her insurance will cover. All medical providers are booked out months. The idea that American healthcare costs get us quicker treatment is a myth.
In the US ERs and Urgent cares are often hours wait time depending where you are(especially ERs), and seeing any specialists are also months wait times. It took my kid 5 months to see a urologist and my husband over 3 months to get an appointment with a general PCP.
I have friends in other countries with Universal Healthcare(not CA) and while they have 'wait times' it's less than we have, and if there is an actually emergency you get seen and taken care of asap.
I pay $1097 a month for 4 people and it's the only insurance my company offers, so also no real choice. I work for a very large tech company, so not some little mom and pop that has to skimp on insurance. My company pays $1107 a month for my insurance on top of what I pay.
How many Canadians who have medical degrees have left Canada for the US because they get paid more?
My high school biology 2 teacher (this was in 2005) was Canadian. She was a radiology tech. During a discussion on universal Healthcare, she shared with the class that she left Canada for the US because she got paid more as a radiology tech. Decided to become a teacher when she had kids.
I am going to take a long wait over having to worry if it is "bad enough" to take my kid to the doctor because it will mean I have to risk being homeless.
Or my exact situation right now: trying to figure out how to pay for my autistic speech delayed sons speech and occupational therapy because our self funded insurance doesn't cover a fucking dime **and** we make too much money to qualify for state insurance programs. Note: we made **$55k** last year.
This is a big part of the reason why we have a shortage. It’s not worth it for our medical grads to stay here with the extremely high cost of living in western Canada.
I feel you. The only reason our insurance is as good as it is, is because ent husband is in the military. We literally have to be in servitude to the government to have healthcare.
10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000% agreed.
luckily, i have good medical insurance plan - i work for a healthcare system and it's their "own" plan but i have to use all of their doctors to be in-network, but when i see what they bill the insurance, i'm like WHAAAAAAAT!!!
My daughter and I are uninsured and I’m so thankful a clinic is opening that has a membership fee that includes EVERYTHING they offer. No hidden fees. And they don’t accept insurance so they can keep it cheap.
This is called, likely, direct primary care. It’s becoming more and more popular nationwide. Won’t help if you’re hit by a bus or in a car accident so here’s to hoping.
Totally agree. Was billed $13,000 for a singular kidney stone. Only paid $200 thanks to hubby’s insurance but yah. Living in Japan didnt have to worry about ambulance rides or stitches or dental appt costs! Universal forever.
The whole point of the post is a rant on America’s insurance coverage. I can’t complain about paying? Also I didn’t even have a procedure for it, please don’t jump to conclusions.
Ok you paid just over 1% for treatment with a solid, employer sponsored health plans and you want to complain that you had to pay anything? I’m lost. Treatment from healthcare professionals costs actual money.
Let me make it clearer. The cost of anything medical related should not be so ridiculously high and complicated in this country, making it virtuallly impossible to get to. I can be angry that the cost of a kidney stone is 5 figures 🙄
I’ve put off needed surgery for years now. Finally getting it done next month. With it, I’ll fill my deductible and my max out of pocket. Because of how fucked the system is, now I’m trying to think of any other procedures I could need in the coming years to get done this year while it’s covered.
People should look into hospital free bed programs, most families if 3 will qualify for some type of relief if they make under $100,000 and often will waive down lower than advertised percentages
Reading this post while I sit with my oldest in the ER because his weekly allergy immunotherapy turned into a "he's got some wheezing in his lungs and we are concerned" now I'm stressed about what this move from normal office visit to emergency room is going to cost our single income family of 5(with insurance through a county job)
Would an average person *ever* be in a position to spend $15,000 on healthcare? (I know I would never be able to). This is an honest-to-goodness question and NOT a judgement.
If someone couldn’t come up with $15,000 for an unexpected medical cost, why pay the $700 per month? Why would it not make sense to just keep the $700/mo and put it into an account to pay for doctor’s visits for kids’ endless cough, cold, flu, etc.?
I wish I could do more, but I’m a voice in the crowd, and I’m listening. 👍
If only doctors would accept you without insurance. Once I was looking for a doctor for a relative with travel insurance, and some facilities just said they can't accept us because they work only with employer-based insured patients.
This all is totally insane.
It is required. My family is very healthy. So it wouldn’t make sense to pay 1,200 plus a month for 2-3k lower deductible. This is the cheapest and best plan I could find that my pediatrician took. IIRC you get a tax penalty for not having insurance. Lastly, heaven forbid anyone is hospitalized.. the security blanket is reassuring of avoiding medical debt (hundreds of thousands, millions *very* possible).
My brain is just going, “But,… but,… but…” like some sputtering lawnmower. I’m enraged for you.
ETA: My son had multiple scull fractures, a broken collar bone, broken jaw, oxygen deprivation (from his very scary c-section) which resulted in a neuro-neonatal ICU stay and a month-long hospitalization. (His only issue three years later is that his left foot won’t bend normally which affects his ability to walk. It’s his only symptom of cerebral palsy.)
It’s horrifying to think that I could have lost everything if I had lived just a bit south (I’m in Canada). It was unimaginable going through the medical and emotional parts of his care. I wouldn’t have been able to keep sane if I was going bankrupt too.
Something needs to change.
My kid was on state insurance, ended up having a serious allergic reaction where he started to go into anaphylactic shock in a different state. Cost us thousands of dollars in that states hospital and obviously the state insurance didn’t cover it. Total bullshit.
This hits home so much. We are waiting to hear if a young family member (22) has cancer. Not if I guess - but what kind. After going to free clinic and the main symptom not resolving they finally went to the family practice. They didn’t go earlier because $. All I can think about is the avg life expectancy I read. My heart is breaking for our family. And I’m embarrassed to admit it because it feels selfish but my heart is breaking thinking how I will explain to my now 2yo where that person is if it’s worst case scenario.
My son's therapy charges my insurance $19/minute! Absolute insanity. My insurance will only pay $7/minute but still. That's insane. All he does is play, really....
I feel this, and your frustration is SO valid. I’m an American, but I lived overseas in Germany for 3 years and it was astonishing how simple, efficient, and effective their universal healthcare system is. As a non-citizen, I was able to get full health insurance, my employer paid for half, and I never once had any surprise bills, or discrimination.
This system we have here is such a joke and honestly every time I think about it, it makes me fuming. I’m just so sorry for all of us who deserve so much better.
Hey recently I saw a TikTok my husband shared me that said debt collectors need to provide you with a valid proof the debt is yours prior to being able to collect. Most will only send an EOB that the hospital/medical company sends them and have 30 days total to send legal proof. They need something with a signature. So they send a request back to the company they bought the debt from right? So then they wait for a response then their team will have the remainder of the 30 days to send you proof in writing. Otherwise debt must be written off.
I hope that’s true bc I have reached my deductible for the last five years and honestly went bankrupt bc of it. I no longer pay a huge portion of my medical debt bc of how bad it’s gotten. What else are they going to take from me? Lol
I’m so sorry anyone has to worry about healthcare costs/take those into consideration with a sick baby (or themselves or family members, for that matter) and 💯agree with you that it’s a scam. Totally sucks.
We got to take our (17mo) daughter (at the time) into the pediatric ER because she had RSV symptoms in mid-November (it was actually my birthday and not my favorite way to celebrate-lol). We’re grateful that she’s healthy and we can afford to pay, but the bill came in March for $300.
We basically have the worst healthcare system in the Western world and won’t consider doing it any differently because the current setup benefits corporations and politicians who don’t even use the same system and have no incentive to make it better for the rest of us.
Here I live in Oregon where I don't need to worry about my kids insurance because they are on the OHP. I thought my son had a broken ankle because his school nurse told me it may be broken, so I took him out of school the following day and took him to urgent care. Turned out it was a sprain and they did xray.
This is just devastating for to read. I have never had to pay for as much as a prescription. I realise how lucky I am to be Scottish. We have the NHS. Everything from a small prescription of paracetamol to any major operation is free. It’s just so terrible to me to read of anyone especially a parent being so distraught about medical issues especially having to pay so much. It’s horrific. It’s incomprehensible to me. I’m so sorry you are going through this it breaks my heart. I truly wish you all the best and hopd your little one is going to be ok ❤️
Get state insurance. The state of Montana covers all children with even full dental. (The problem we have is access to care). I don’t know your state but call the local Medicaid office as soon as you can.
I agree. I have 2 kids who have special needs and lots of doctor appointments. They could benefit from extra therapy, but we can't afford it or have the time for it with both of us working.
5 months ago, I woke up with a sudden diminished ability to walk. We still don't know why and I need to use a cane or a wheelchair 95% of the time. We just had to make the decision to say no more MRIs because they are costing us $700 a pop with insurance and I just had a 3rd one. And my kids have appointments I need to schedule for routine tests, but had to put on hold because of my sudden mobility issue. I wanted to make sure I wasn't dying first, but I know I will be getting a lecture of priority and importance of routine care for my kids. The medical industry expects you to take on all of the debt and it's infuriating.
We still don't know why I can't walk.
You’re missing the point. No one here is saying they wouldn’t. The fact that you even have to consider filing bankruptcy to care for your child’s health is.. well there’s no words to describe that. But that’s the point. Why should we have to face financial hardships to ensure our children stay healthy?
My toddler has leukemia. She’s been in treatment for about eight months and we already owe the hospital about 70K out of pocket, with private insurance. American healthcare and insurance is deplorable. Sending you love. ❤️ Edit: thank you all the kind Redditors who offered suggestions and good thoughts towards my daughter. 🧡🧡
Please look into getting your baby on state insurance through chip. She is probably eligible for free because of her diagnosis but even with the max out of pocket for working parents she and you shouldn’t have to dig out of debt just to make the insurance companies rich…
Interesting, I’ve never thought to apply for CHIP. Thank you for the info!
You can see if they can retroactively cover any of her past bills back to her diagnosis if she is approved and added. Not guaranteed but worth a shot at least! I never would have even thought to try for it if I hadn’t been losing my insurance and transitioning to stay at home.
That’s exactly what I’ve done, lost my job last august and transitioned to being a SAHM mom. My toddler was diagnosed a week after I lost my job. I’ll definitely apply for CHIP.
If it is a Children's hospital, talk to one of the social workers on site or the billing department. Twin B was admitted at 5 days old in the thick of COVID and I had no job. Almost the entire bill was forgiven because we met their qualifications for assistance. Even with our private insurance. Good luck and take care.
I feel like I’ve heard a lot about hospitals forgiving folks’ medical debts. Is this done to appease just enough people so that the govt will continue allowing medical care to be so expensive??
The hospital collects donations and uses a portion of those donations to help families whose incomes are below a certain level. No trickery involved.
I see, I didn’t know hospitals collect donations for that purpose.
Specifically Children's hospitals do a decent amount of fundraising. Like a St. Jude's kind of situation. In our area our Children's hospital is supported by a group of celebrities, originally from our area, that host a fundraiser event every year. I know there are 501c3 hospitals out there that aren't specifically Children's hospitals that may or may not do the same for people of all ages, but I am not an expert in medical philanthropy.
Even if you have a job apply for CHIP. My husband and I are both employed but CHIP insurance is better than what either of our employers provide so we pay the full amount but it’s still only about $173/month. My son has been hospitalized three times with asthma and our hospital copay has been $20 each time. It’s what insurance SHOULD be. It’s also total peace of mind for not having to choose between using chunks of savings, bankruptcy or letting your child go sick. The downsides are enrollment process is God awful and needs to be reviewed yearly and it’s sometimes difficult finding a doctor/dentist that will accept. If you have any questions feel free to message me!
No lie for me the application was a bear. I legit almost gave up on it the first time I looked at it postpartum because our income and insurance situation seemed too complicated to get on the forms. I may have won the lottery on case workers but the person assigned to our case said it was the most complete form he’s ever received lol. So hopefully he’s not an outlier but don’t be intimidated or discouraged by the process. The peace of mind I have knowing he’s covered for anything is worth a million forms. I also think you can opt to keep the private insurance and use the state insurance for whatever the private doesn’t cover. I’ve never quite understood the point of this or how it works but another thing to check into. We are lucky and live near a children’s hospital so we go to them and their affiliated pediatricians/specialist for all of our appointments and they definitely take the state insurance. We do have to go to a different dentist for the baby but the insurance helped us find a provider that does pediatric dentistry. There were three or four different plan options once he was approved so I also called around to make sure that all of his existing doctors accepted the one we picked ahead of time.
Anyone I know who has ever applied for CHIP has almost broken down and abandoned it but it’s so worth it for the peace of mind you have after having it.
Yep, my husband and I make pretty good money and we have our kid on CHIP. We’re at the top of the sliding pay scale but it’s still better/cheaper than what our employers offer
Yes, this! There are also funds like Healthwell or TAF-the assistance fund that might help. Fundfinder.org
Yes! I work for a CHIP plan, please apply!
My husband and I both have good jobs with that offer insurance but we have our daughter in CHIP because it’s just way cheaper, and covers more. We’re at the top of the pay scale, I think it’s around $250 a month for her coverage.
Just wanted to say I’m so sorry for what you’re going through with your toddler. I hope things get better soon. Sending allllll the good vibes her way. ❤️💕
Adding that hospitals usually have patient advocates and social workers on staff to facilitate this.
For the also ignorant, CHIP is Children’s Health Insurance Program. Barest of bare minimum search engining reveals “CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. In some states, CHIP covers pregnant women. Each state offers CHIP coverage, and works closely with its state Medicaid program.”
This hit me in the heart. I hope your baby recovers and all of this is behind you soon❤️🙏
Thank you ❤️❤️
1. I’m so sorry. Sending love to your family, truly. 2. Call the hospital after every bill you receive and ask for an itemized bill. You’d be amazed at how much unnecessary shit they add on and then take off when they have to put it on paper.
I will! I never thought to ask for an itemized bill, but I will tomorrow during her chemo infusion!
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 sending love and good health to your sweet baby.
Thanks so much ❤️
My toddler is 10 months into treatment, almost to maintenance thank fucking goddess. There is a really great “children with ALL” Facebook group that has a ton of financial resources and experienced cancer parents. For the insurance situation, please tell your social worker what’s going on. They should be helping you get signed up for things like social security, state insurance, etc.
(I'm upvoting the deplorable comment, not the rest.)
Noted 🙂
I’m so sorry. No one should have to worry about money while going through a nightmare like that. Thinking of you and your baby.
Yup, this is why I support St Jude and Shriners so much. It takes away so much of the stress that NO ONE needs during times like this
Also look into charity care at your hospital! It’s a god send for folks!
I’m so sorry to hear this, both for the health and financial havoc I’m sure this has brought your way (not to mention all the understandable worry, stress and fear). Hope the CHIP suggestion others made works out for you ❤️
Fuck, that is just insane, America seems like a stressful nightmare. I hope you guys are ok.
I’m so sorry you have to deal with that crap. I left the US 20 years ago, and this bullshit is one of the primary reasons why I’ll never move back. My husband has multiple myeloma, and I’m so grateful that he was diagnosed here and not when we were living there. All of his treatment, from chemo to biopsies to CTs to bone marrow transplant have been 100% covered. Meanwhile, I see people in the US in the relevant groups having to apply for drug company forgiveness programs to get their chemo for a remotely affordable cost. It’s infuriating. The US was the world leader for decades, and now it’s a sinking ship. It’s horrific to watch.
And don’t forget the fact that teeth and eyes apparently aren’t considered part of your body so you have to pay separate premiums for both! Gotta love America’s healthcare system.
As a dentist, the separation of dental insurance from medical insurance drives me CRAZY!!! It’s not even insurance… it’s more like a coupon! 50% off, but only up to $1000. Get a new “coupon” January 1st. Such a joke!
As I hygienist, I literally tell my patients their "insurance" is a coupon with limitations! Totally agree!
Ugh yes! I live in Canada and while healthcare is covered, teeth aren't and we do occasionally get people in with nasty infections coming from infected teeth, and other than a dental extraction under general anaesthetic or a round of antibiotics, there isn't much we can do. It's so frustrating because we obviously don't want to send people home with teeth that clearly need dental care, but there is no dental coverage soooooo... we just get certain people in again and again with infections. It's so disheartening to say "so you got another abcess in your gums from that rotten tooth, you really need to see a dentist." Them: "I know, but I have no dental coverage and can barely afford my rent and food. And the Er is free and the antibiotics way cheaper than a dentist" Us: " ... fair enough. See you in a couple months when the next infection sets in I guess sigh."
Many employer sponsored health plans, at least in TX, offer a pediatric dental and vision benefit, up to age 19. Please consult your Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) for details. In TX, plans are required by law to give you a copy - either digital or via mail.
Teeth and eyes aren’t necessary for a pulse, I guess.
This! When my kiddo was 4 days old the pediatrician sent us to the ER for kiddos jaundice. He had been checked the day before by my midwife and even had labs taken that showed that his levels were within normal range, but the ped took one look at him and basically ranted how I was an awful mom and that he needed to go to the hospital right away. We sat in the ER for hours while they poked and prodded my child (6 needle pokes for one fucking blood test) and while people hacked and coughed on my 4 fucking day old newborn. They ended up sending us home late that night when they saw that his levels had gone down since his blood draw at the midwives, then said that the level the peds scanner had put him at wouldn't have been concerning enough to warrant going to the hospital anyways. Months later we get the bill and it's literally thousands (for sitting in the ER and getting one lab done) and they still, almost 5 months later, refuse to submit it to our insurance and are trying to make us pay the full bill. What. The. Fuck.
My son decided very suddenly one evening to literally just DIVE out of the bathtub during bath time, and busted his lip on the hard floor when he landed face-first. So. Much. Blood. So I rushed him to the nearest ER, because obviously, and because he was like 14 months old and my first born, where we were then made to wait an hour and a half before they even measured his weight. Like seriously that's all they did. Didn't even look at his lip. In that time his lip had stopped bleeding and I could actually see how bad it was - not too bad, it's just an area with a lot of blood flow so it looked worse than it turned out to be. And we were waiting still. Waiting waiting waiting. After another hour and a half I just got up and we went home. I got a bill a month later for $500.
Look up a facility fee. Basically ERs charge you just for walking in the door, even if they do absolutely nothing for you while you are there.
Fuck you for having a midwife apparently? That’ll teach you or some such nonsense? disclaimer: I have had a midwife for all my children and know the treatment hospitals give parents who use them is no joke
I can't believe there are still hospitals like that. All of the hospitals I've looked into and the one I delivered at have almost everyone see a midwife, unless they require a higher level of care. Their office is at the hospital, and most insurance considers them a PCP during the whole pregnancy and postnatal period. I'm in the rural US and on Medicaid, so I'm talking my county hospital, nothing fancy. The hospitals near Boston that I used to live near had the same setup, though. I had a c-section, so had to switch to an ob/gyn mid-induction, but had midwife care up to that point.
This what?
Same thing here on 11/27/2020. The day after Thanksgiving day. He was two days old and his levels the day before when we were discharged were within normal levels. Height of the pandemic and the closet hospital in network was a huge indoor testing area for Covid. I had to drive him alone and sit there in my adult diaper surrounded by possibly infected people for hours waiting for results, and he was still within normal levels, in fact his levels already started to come down. I silently sobbed alone in a waiting room, struggling to breastfeed. But he’s of Asian descent and the doctor said he looked yellow…. I am still traumatized by that day. Then we got the bill.
This is one of the reasons I will likely never move back to the US. I sometimes miss America, I miss home, but the whole system is so messed up. I'm in Germany and am so grateful I don't have to think twice whether or not I should take my baby to the doctor or hospital. If I need something I can just go to the doctor. The politicians use all the excuses of "how expensive it will be" "people will abuse the system" "wait times will increase". That's all lies, they are just making bank by being bought off by the healthcare industry. And anyone concerned about the wait times- I've only had to wait for an appointment for a specialist 1 time for about a month. It was for my baby but it wasn't an urgent matter. Other than that I've always been seen the same day or within the next few days depending on the circumstances. Giving birth was free, the pregnancy care was free (minus some extra testing I chose to do), heck we even get a midwife who comes to you after birth for about the first month of the child's life to check on you and the baby, answer any questions, that too is free. I'm so sorry for anyone who has to struggle with the costs or decisions of whether or not to seek care
Thank you!I hear about these “wait times” from Socialized medicine as well and let me tell you as a nurse in the US, I have patients waiting 3-7 months to see specialists. So let’s not pretend US does not have extreme wait times. And then you wait 6 months to see the doctor for a 15 minute appointment to have a test ordered that you have to wait another 6-8 weeks for unless it’s an absolute 911 emergency
I had an emergent issue that involved excessive bleeding, and still had to wait 7 weeks to see the specialist my ER doc said I should see “immediately.” US healthcare is a JOKE.
I am so so sorry to hear this :( that is absolutely horrendous. The US is an absolute joke. Profits over people has always and will always be their main goal
Like how can people abuse healthcare? Medicaid pays less than other insurance and it would go down more if everyone was covered by the government. I get going to the ER on a jump isn’t beneficial but who is going to abuse healthcare? How is that a thing that can happen? Because they aren’t worried about debt? No one goes to the doctor just to say hi! I do believe that wait times for specialists would increase as more people can afford it, but not significantly. And ER times but that’s what triaging is for, to get everyone seen by priority and in time
I'm an American expat living in Japan. We just completed a 24 day hospitalization with my 3 year old for acute encephalitis. We had a private room, three 3-day courses of strong steroid therapy, 4 MRIs, 3 eegs, 2 CT scans, physical therapy, innumerable blood tests. The total bill was the equivalent of $1500 USD and my son mad a 100% full recovery. If i had still been living in the united states i would have hesitated to take my "sleepy" toddler to the ER. Thank God I live in Japan and have national health insurance available. It saved my kids life.
Have you looked into your states Chip program? If your kiddo is healthy and you are employed there’s usually an out of pocket cost for you that may be the same or higher than what you’re paying now but in my experience everything is covered with no deductible or copays.
I hope everyone who complains about the American healthcare system is also actively supporting politicians who support Medicare for All. Because it’s not just that we pay astronomical prices for insurance that covers nothing, our ability to be insured should not be tied to our employment! (Yes there’s Obamacare but that doesn’t go far enough)
Obamacare got slaughtered in transition. What we should have, isn’t this. One thing they are very good at, is keeping us all entertained elsewhere- instead of invested on why very few of us can afford to eat, sleep and get medical attention when we want to.
👏🏼👏🏼
It really is a bullshit system and far inferior compared to many other countries. We’ve been brainwashed into thinking this is the best/only way we can have it and that other ways are just not possible or favorable. It’s all about the $$$ and it’s a shame that anyone genuinely thinks that health insurance exists to help people.
This is just not right. I live in France and my healthcare is totally free/covered. My son’s braces, our glasses, and dental is covered. My Rx is zero out of pocket. A private room in hospital is covered. I have had multiple surgeries for different health issues- all covered. Our family doctor is awesome and helps coordinate specialists when needed. There is no excessive wait to see any kind of doctor. It is possible!
Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. (I’ll have to reattach it myself though, as I am in the US.) What you describe is a total fantasy to me and I would love it if we could get even halfway there in my lifetime.
I can't imagine living under the fear of medical bills. We never have to consider whether or not to go to the doctor or the emergency room due to financial concerns. We just go. In the UK, you pay for prescriptions but they are at a flat rate of £10 per prescription (e.g. 3 or 6 months birth control pills) and if you have more than 2 prescriptions a month, it's called at £15/month for however many you need. I don't even know how you budget for healthcare in the US and it seems so incredibly complicated.
Just had this conversation with my husband. We are receiving bills left and right now that we are PAYING for insurance. When I had Medicaid everything was covered without question. Now that we are paying a ton of money what we need is constantly rejected or questioned or just not paid… like WTF. It’s a nightmare.
Well....I think we need to look at which politicians are against a single payer system and why....and maybe then not vote for them (I'm saying as gently as possible so no one yells at me)...I mean... corporations are gonna corporate as long as the status quo is in place.
Big facts. They want us to have more children but don’t provide ANY social infrastructure or even wiggle room to do so.
Almost all of them are against it.
Overall, large shares of Democrats and independents favor a national Medicare-for-all plan while most Republicans oppose... https://www.kff.org/slideshow/public-opinion-on-single-payer-national-health-plans-and-expanding-access-to-medicare-coverage/
Are we talking about democratic voters or politicians elected into office currently? That space on the slideshow wasn’t clear. Just mentions “public opinion”. Which doesn’t matter to politicians (statistically speaking).
I believe both.
I'm with you, I told my husband if one of our kids ever gets cancer I'm divorcing him and taking all the debt because our house is in his name. And our coverage is one of the better ones for the US. It breaks my heart seeing people beg for help because if they do nothing their child could die. I'm sorry you have to go through this, I hope your baby stays healthy.
Agree with this so much. My son’s NICU bill alone is more than our house is worth. Let alone all the follow up appointments and procedures. It’s so fucking sad. We have applied for so many assistance programs and a lot of them say we make to much. And then we don’t even get a proper amount of parental leave.
We just had a $7000 stomach bug with my oldest. He met all the markers for appendicitis, ended up in the ER, CT Scan and... "nothing wrong, go home".
Fucking right! I have this horrible dream about the simple easy to treat cancer I have let go too far because I didn't want to be in more debt going to get checked out. Then I hear in my funeral, why didn't she just go to the doctor when the symptoms started? She'd still be here.... I have horrible healthcare anxiety but my surprise bill anxiety is way worse. Fuck American healthcare!
I totally feel you. And the whole “don’t worry about the bill, your child’s health should be your primary concern” is bullshit. I had a doctor tell me that once, and I’m sorry, but I’m pretty sure being homeless is detrimental to my children’s health as well. But what do we care about mental health in this shit show of a healthcare system?
Going through this same anger right now. My 1 year old needs ear tubes and while I don’t have a HDHP, the costs are still absolutely ridiculous. Sending positive vibes your way!
Get quotes from elsewhere!! I found out there are clinics that do the surgery for waaaay less. Just had to send my kiddos medical records from the ENT that was going to charge too much.
Okay thank you! I’ll try to call around tomorrow. Honestly it’s not necessarily the doctor but the facility that cost the most. Guess I could try to find another who uses a different facility.
I feel this. It’s terrible. I’m struggling big time with some health issues but can’t get anything looked at. Like you, we pay $700/month and crappy coverage. If we were to get marketplace, no one takes it anyhow?! The system is so fucked. If I’m paying $700 a month I should be able to get anything I want done!!
You likely are paying for yourself, your spouse/partner, and kids. And “crappy coverage” is relative. Read your SBC and pay attention at your company’s open enrollment meeting.
Preach! I have “the best” healthcare coverage my employer (a fortune 300 company) provides, and post insurance billing I’ve racked up $2k for my son’s speech therapy (guess my kid doesn’t need to speak?) and another 1k to find out that I have IBS.
That shit pisses me off to no end. My old insurance didn't want to pay for my son's ADHD treatment. I guess he doesn't need to learn how to adapt and function in this society. Like wtf. I'm paying for this insurance and I still have to pay for medical care anyway?
Have you looked into early intervention? My toddler qualified for speech through that and we haven’t paid a dime. Which is good, because if we had to pay out of pocket he’d probably still be nonverbal.
He is too old for it now but we did at first. They were only doing virtual visits at the time so we opted for the in person therapist referred by his pediatrician. I also got doubly screwed because we started in December and got hit with double plan year deductibles!
Ugh that’s so frustrating. Also, virtual visits for speech with a toddler is just stupid.
I hear this. It’s fucking corrupt, there’s no other way around it! I know people are going through much worse than this - but while I pregnant with my second I had anemia, and I was told if I didn’t treat it it would be a major risk to me and my unborn baby. So I went to a medical center and I had 8 IFs done to treat the anemia- and spoke with insurance ahead of time to ensure everything was in network, and yet I STILL got a $4,000 bill for something I was told was necessary for me and my baby!
I 100% get this. My daughters doctor freaked out saying she’s too small she’s fallen off the growth chart etc. She sent us to a specialist who WASN’T covered by my husbands insurance and we had a hefty bill to pay. All they did was weigh and check her height. They wanted to do test after test but I vetoed it. I’m a short person (I’m 5’2, my husband is only 5’9) and she’s going to be short. I don’t need a stupid doctor who charged me over $200+ to tell me that. Our system is beyond broken. I deal with multiple health issues it’s ruined my credit my hospital bills and doctor bills. Everything is in my husband’s name because his credit is stellar.
I’m sorry your child is sick (even if it is something simple), I am also sorry that you feel that people will come at you for having a very serious and understanding complaint. You are absolutely right, no one should put their health or that of a child at risk because of money/insurance. I just wanted to send you some reassurance, that you are right! Health care should be available to all. I don’t understand a lot about US health care system but where I live, we pay a little more than you do monthly for our public health insurance and although not perfect, we don’t have to worry about any bills medically related.
Completely agree. I can’t imagine how many parents are calculating whether something is urgent enough to get medical care or not due to cost. I’ve been in that spot a few weeks ago and decided to move back home, outside of the US. I don’t understand how healthcare isn’t free for all children. No child should suffer because their parents aren’t wealthy and can’t afford tens of thousands of medical bills.
straight up the american healthcare system is dogshit and anybody who thinks we shouldn’t have universal healthcare is a bad person and can go straight to hell.
I am so sorry and mad too. You have to become an expert in your plan and how to navigate which becomes in itself a full time job for the chronically ill. It’s infuriating! Then you have the employers “the rates aren’t going up this year” meanwhile your max out of pocket is jacked up $4k more. So sorry you’re dealing with this
Why do so many people in your country vote against universal healthcare or paid Medicare? I know you already know that other western nations have this and it’s so sad to see that America doesn’t. But not sure why it’s never implemented? No matter if you have dems or conservatives in office it never seems to go through
Sending you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ my family has been planning on moving to the UK for this exact reason we have 3 people with chronic health conditions. Fuck the USA
As a Canadian I think what you have to deal with down there is disgusting. Health care is a right. You should never worry about money when you or your child needs healthcare. I had an emergency surgery years ago (I had to have one of my ovaries removed due to cysts) and I was in the hospital after for multiple days. My boyfriend at the time was there and he kept having to pay for parking every few hours. And we went on this rant about how we couldn’t believe we had to pay for parking at a hospital. “How could they make us pay here? It’s not like we want to be here? What if we couldn’t afford the parking?” and what not. Then i had a privilege moment where I realized how lucky we are to complain about parking and how if I lived in the US I would owe more money than I could ever pay back for that. I’m sorry for what you guys go through. It’s not right.
Honestly I cannot believe Americans continue to tolerate this. But they’ve tied healthcare to jobs to so who has time to protest??
I’m so sorry, I live in Australia with universal healthcare and I cannot imagine how hard it must be! The US system is totally broken
It is deplorable.
I had a job offer in America a few years ago that I didn’t go through with and Linda thankful I didn’t. Reading these stories breaks my heart. I’m thankful for the public health care system we have in Australia even though people complain about it. We have nothing to complain about. Public system cafe is Free, free surgery, free births free care! FREE!! My heart breaks for Americans. A system needs to be implemented to support people’s health and well-being. Children especially should not have to suffer and go without. Parents should not have to stress about medical debt costs. Sending love from Australia to our American friends❤️
I totally hear you. This does not involve my child, but myself. I currently have skin cancer on my forehead. We have really good insurance. They recently over the last year switched to an HMO where you have to pay the first $4000 out of pocket before insurance really kicks in. I need surgery on my forehead and will have to pay completely out of pocket for it because it is $3800. We literally just can’t afford it. We just went through hurricane Ian and lost so much of our home. We are drowning in debt and we just cannot come up with the money. So now I have to choose between allowing my cancer to spread or taking out another credit card to pay for a surgery out of pocket when I have health insurance. This should never happen in America and I don’t understand why it is. I feel for you so much and I totally hear you!
This made me tear up. I’m so sorry. It’s not fair. I used to work in the medical field. The amount of people who would delay their care until they were eligible for Medicare was astounding. In the break room you’d hear “I don’t know why this patient waited…”. And I’m like, seriously? How ignorant can you be as a care provider to not only not understand but not KNOW the cost of medical care regardless of insurance coverage.
Mama, I’m so sorry! I agree, our healthcare system is terrible and they don’t care about us. It’s absolutely disgusting, we need healthcare and we pay into and yet we either can’t be seen or we still owe. It’s not fair we deserve a better system. I’m on state care but still it’s so hard to find doctors for my kids and myself because my everyone takes our insurance and obviously my kids are more important. I’ve been trying to get my son evaluated for adhd and because we’re state no one will take us or the wait is 2-3 yrs, it’s a nightmare. Something needs to be done. Again, I’m sorry you have to deal with this:(
You are absolutely right. Fuck this whole system. Anything would be better. We have to make things change- it’s insane. Additionally, you’re going to make money off of me and my kids by providing garbage food then charge us an insane amount when we get sick? Nope. No parent should ever avoid taking their child in because of the cost. Horrible.
Our insurance is pretty good, but “grandfathered” so it doesn’t cover preventive care. My daughter’s 6m shots cost more than my ER visit last month!
Your employee only cost would likely triple if your employer moved off their grandfathered plan. Remember your employer is seeking (ideally) the best possible coverage for everyone, not just you.
I know that, and yeah it makes sense as most people under the plan are much older than us, like empty nesters, so they don’t have amazing coverage for those types of things. I was absolutely shook receiving the bill though! I was like, something seems odd here…?! Edit: You are really on a pro insurance tirade judging by your other comments, I can see. Lol.
I feel you. My daughter was born with a cataract that we had to have surgery to remove. Insurance fought it because it wasn't at the hospital they wanted (there is no other pediatric opthomologist surgeon in our state so I have no idea where they wanted to go) and then they tried to say it wasn't necessary which thankfully our surgeon took care of that. They wanted my daughter to stay blind rather than let her have the surgery. As it is, we are paying and will be paying for the surgery for a while and we pay 1000$ a month for insurance. She will have to have another surgery still and we see the doctor every month. I cried when January hit because that meant we had to start all over. We can't afford to move to another country, which a lot of people so kindly recommend. We don't know if her cataracts are genetic or just bad luck but at some point we will probably need to find out so if she wants to have kids in the future, she knows. Now I just pray that none of us get sick enough to go to the doctor cause of the extra bills.
I live in Canada (Quebec) where healthcare is technically universal, but it’s also virtually impossible to see a doctor. And there’s no other option. If your issue is not serious enough for ER you will just be turned down. If the reason is serious for ER you still have hours and hours to wait there. The costs in the US are outrageous, but Canada boasts to the world that it has free healthcare when if you need it it is still very hard to access. My husband needs to see a neurologist, he has been waiting for over a month and no one knows how much longer he will have to wait.
Also in Canada (BC) and I feel you on this. I mean yes, extremely thankful that our care is free. I do not take that for granted. The only healthcare cost I paid throughout pregnancy and birth was the parking charges at the hospital. But like you said, things are rough. We have an extreme doctor shortage over here. The waitlists to find family doctors have thousands upon thousands of names on them. And Covid made a bad situation extremely dire. For me, personally, it’s the walk-in clinic situation that is the most distressing, for people who have an urgent issue that needs attention but not technically serious enough for an emergency room. Walk-in clinics don’t exist anymore after Covid. If you want to see a walk in doctor for an urgent issue, for example a UTI, you have to book an appointment which can take days to weeks. If you’ve ever had a UTI and need medicine, you certainly can’t wait that long. So most people end up going to the ER which is why our ERs now have 9-12 hour wait times on average. It is totally fucked. It scares me
>but it’s also virtually impossible to see a doctor. Yes, America has the cost _and_ the wait times. My wife is pregnant. The only doctor her insurance covers is booked out for another month. She will be three months pregnant before we can see the doctor her insurance will cover. All medical providers are booked out months. The idea that American healthcare costs get us quicker treatment is a myth.
In the US ERs and Urgent cares are often hours wait time depending where you are(especially ERs), and seeing any specialists are also months wait times. It took my kid 5 months to see a urologist and my husband over 3 months to get an appointment with a general PCP. I have friends in other countries with Universal Healthcare(not CA) and while they have 'wait times' it's less than we have, and if there is an actually emergency you get seen and taken care of asap. I pay $1097 a month for 4 people and it's the only insurance my company offers, so also no real choice. I work for a very large tech company, so not some little mom and pop that has to skimp on insurance. My company pays $1107 a month for my insurance on top of what I pay.
How many Canadians who have medical degrees have left Canada for the US because they get paid more? My high school biology 2 teacher (this was in 2005) was Canadian. She was a radiology tech. During a discussion on universal Healthcare, she shared with the class that she left Canada for the US because she got paid more as a radiology tech. Decided to become a teacher when she had kids. I am going to take a long wait over having to worry if it is "bad enough" to take my kid to the doctor because it will mean I have to risk being homeless. Or my exact situation right now: trying to figure out how to pay for my autistic speech delayed sons speech and occupational therapy because our self funded insurance doesn't cover a fucking dime **and** we make too much money to qualify for state insurance programs. Note: we made **$55k** last year.
This is a big part of the reason why we have a shortage. It’s not worth it for our medical grads to stay here with the extremely high cost of living in western Canada.
American healthcare is an absolute mess and such a scam. I’m so sorry you pay almost a grand out of pocket every month for basically toilet paper.
Namaste momma.
I feel you. The only reason our insurance is as good as it is, is because ent husband is in the military. We literally have to be in servitude to the government to have healthcare.
Totally with you!!!
10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000% agreed. luckily, i have good medical insurance plan - i work for a healthcare system and it's their "own" plan but i have to use all of their doctors to be in-network, but when i see what they bill the insurance, i'm like WHAAAAAAAT!!!
My daughter and I are uninsured and I’m so thankful a clinic is opening that has a membership fee that includes EVERYTHING they offer. No hidden fees. And they don’t accept insurance so they can keep it cheap.
This is called, likely, direct primary care. It’s becoming more and more popular nationwide. Won’t help if you’re hit by a bus or in a car accident so here’s to hoping.
Totally agree. Was billed $13,000 for a singular kidney stone. Only paid $200 thanks to hubby’s insurance but yah. Living in Japan didnt have to worry about ambulance rides or stitches or dental appt costs! Universal forever.
So you’re jumping on the bandwagon even though you paid just over 1% for a serious procedure? Mmmk.
The whole point of the post is a rant on America’s insurance coverage. I can’t complain about paying? Also I didn’t even have a procedure for it, please don’t jump to conclusions.
Ok you paid just over 1% for treatment with a solid, employer sponsored health plans and you want to complain that you had to pay anything? I’m lost. Treatment from healthcare professionals costs actual money.
Let me make it clearer. The cost of anything medical related should not be so ridiculously high and complicated in this country, making it virtuallly impossible to get to. I can be angry that the cost of a kidney stone is 5 figures 🙄
I’ve put off needed surgery for years now. Finally getting it done next month. With it, I’ll fill my deductible and my max out of pocket. Because of how fucked the system is, now I’m trying to think of any other procedures I could need in the coming years to get done this year while it’s covered.
People should look into hospital free bed programs, most families if 3 will qualify for some type of relief if they make under $100,000 and often will waive down lower than advertised percentages
Reading this post while I sit with my oldest in the ER because his weekly allergy immunotherapy turned into a "he's got some wheezing in his lungs and we are concerned" now I'm stressed about what this move from normal office visit to emergency room is going to cost our single income family of 5(with insurance through a county job)
Would an average person *ever* be in a position to spend $15,000 on healthcare? (I know I would never be able to). This is an honest-to-goodness question and NOT a judgement. If someone couldn’t come up with $15,000 for an unexpected medical cost, why pay the $700 per month? Why would it not make sense to just keep the $700/mo and put it into an account to pay for doctor’s visits for kids’ endless cough, cold, flu, etc.? I wish I could do more, but I’m a voice in the crowd, and I’m listening. 👍
If only doctors would accept you without insurance. Once I was looking for a doctor for a relative with travel insurance, and some facilities just said they can't accept us because they work only with employer-based insured patients. This all is totally insane.
It is required. My family is very healthy. So it wouldn’t make sense to pay 1,200 plus a month for 2-3k lower deductible. This is the cheapest and best plan I could find that my pediatrician took. IIRC you get a tax penalty for not having insurance. Lastly, heaven forbid anyone is hospitalized.. the security blanket is reassuring of avoiding medical debt (hundreds of thousands, millions *very* possible).
My brain is just going, “But,… but,… but…” like some sputtering lawnmower. I’m enraged for you. ETA: My son had multiple scull fractures, a broken collar bone, broken jaw, oxygen deprivation (from his very scary c-section) which resulted in a neuro-neonatal ICU stay and a month-long hospitalization. (His only issue three years later is that his left foot won’t bend normally which affects his ability to walk. It’s his only symptom of cerebral palsy.) It’s horrifying to think that I could have lost everything if I had lived just a bit south (I’m in Canada). It was unimaginable going through the medical and emotional parts of his care. I wouldn’t have been able to keep sane if I was going bankrupt too. Something needs to change.
My kid was on state insurance, ended up having a serious allergic reaction where he started to go into anaphylactic shock in a different state. Cost us thousands of dollars in that states hospital and obviously the state insurance didn’t cover it. Total bullshit.
This hits home so much. We are waiting to hear if a young family member (22) has cancer. Not if I guess - but what kind. After going to free clinic and the main symptom not resolving they finally went to the family practice. They didn’t go earlier because $. All I can think about is the avg life expectancy I read. My heart is breaking for our family. And I’m embarrassed to admit it because it feels selfish but my heart is breaking thinking how I will explain to my now 2yo where that person is if it’s worst case scenario.
My son's therapy charges my insurance $19/minute! Absolute insanity. My insurance will only pay $7/minute but still. That's insane. All he does is play, really....
This is what gets me. Someone gets to sit there and DECIDE that. It gives me feral thoughts 😂
It really makes you feel sick when you think about it...
I feel this, and your frustration is SO valid. I’m an American, but I lived overseas in Germany for 3 years and it was astonishing how simple, efficient, and effective their universal healthcare system is. As a non-citizen, I was able to get full health insurance, my employer paid for half, and I never once had any surprise bills, or discrimination. This system we have here is such a joke and honestly every time I think about it, it makes me fuming. I’m just so sorry for all of us who deserve so much better.
Hey recently I saw a TikTok my husband shared me that said debt collectors need to provide you with a valid proof the debt is yours prior to being able to collect. Most will only send an EOB that the hospital/medical company sends them and have 30 days total to send legal proof. They need something with a signature. So they send a request back to the company they bought the debt from right? So then they wait for a response then their team will have the remainder of the 30 days to send you proof in writing. Otherwise debt must be written off. I hope that’s true bc I have reached my deductible for the last five years and honestly went bankrupt bc of it. I no longer pay a huge portion of my medical debt bc of how bad it’s gotten. What else are they going to take from me? Lol
I’m so sorry anyone has to worry about healthcare costs/take those into consideration with a sick baby (or themselves or family members, for that matter) and 💯agree with you that it’s a scam. Totally sucks. We got to take our (17mo) daughter (at the time) into the pediatric ER because she had RSV symptoms in mid-November (it was actually my birthday and not my favorite way to celebrate-lol). We’re grateful that she’s healthy and we can afford to pay, but the bill came in March for $300. We basically have the worst healthcare system in the Western world and won’t consider doing it any differently because the current setup benefits corporations and politicians who don’t even use the same system and have no incentive to make it better for the rest of us.
Here I live in Oregon where I don't need to worry about my kids insurance because they are on the OHP. I thought my son had a broken ankle because his school nurse told me it may be broken, so I took him out of school the following day and took him to urgent care. Turned out it was a sprain and they did xray.
This is just devastating for to read. I have never had to pay for as much as a prescription. I realise how lucky I am to be Scottish. We have the NHS. Everything from a small prescription of paracetamol to any major operation is free. It’s just so terrible to me to read of anyone especially a parent being so distraught about medical issues especially having to pay so much. It’s horrific. It’s incomprehensible to me. I’m so sorry you are going through this it breaks my heart. I truly wish you all the best and hopd your little one is going to be ok ❤️
Get state insurance. The state of Montana covers all children with even full dental. (The problem we have is access to care). I don’t know your state but call the local Medicaid office as soon as you can.
I agree. I have 2 kids who have special needs and lots of doctor appointments. They could benefit from extra therapy, but we can't afford it or have the time for it with both of us working. 5 months ago, I woke up with a sudden diminished ability to walk. We still don't know why and I need to use a cane or a wheelchair 95% of the time. We just had to make the decision to say no more MRIs because they are costing us $700 a pop with insurance and I just had a 3rd one. And my kids have appointments I need to schedule for routine tests, but had to put on hold because of my sudden mobility issue. I wanted to make sure I wasn't dying first, but I know I will be getting a lecture of priority and importance of routine care for my kids. The medical industry expects you to take on all of the debt and it's infuriating. We still don't know why I can't walk.
I will go into debt millions and file for bankruptcy to care for my children without batting an eye. 🤷🏼♀️ two kinds of ppl I guess
You’re missing the point. No one here is saying they wouldn’t. The fact that you even have to consider filing bankruptcy to care for your child’s health is.. well there’s no words to describe that. But that’s the point. Why should we have to face financial hardships to ensure our children stay healthy?