I spent 3 hours in the ER on the 15th. I just got my $11,000.00 bill in the mail.

Denounce your US Citizenship.

Congress passed the EMTALA Act years ago that gives 100% free healthcare to non-Americans who go to Emergency Rooms.

Research it.

You didn't get a bill to give you healthcare in the ER for $8,000.......you're being charged that silly amount so they have money to give free healthcare to all the illegal immigrants they have to serve for free.

EMTALA Act.

Let's just cut to the quick of it.

We are, as a country, spending hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars per year on a pointless, lawless war campaign that has plodded on for damn near an entire decade. We are still every single day of the week spending countless dollars waging an armed military conflict on foreign soil, and to my knowledge have yet to announce a reason for the war, or a feasible ending date.

So instead of throwing trillions of dollars down an endless sink pit of nonsense, what say we take some of that money and use it to help people here inside of our own country who can barely afford to feed, educate or medicate themselves.

Thats what never makes sense to me about so called conservatives, people who jump and scream and spit upon the notion of free health care or state funded health care, yet they are by and large the majority of people who could USE it. Elderly folks, working class folks, you have all been tricked and fooled into believing that socialized medicine is a bad thing.

People who will fight tooth and nail to see to it that none of their tax dollars go to help their own neighbors, but will never even question our government using the same money to kill Afghani goat herders and to harvest poppy fields 5,000 miles away.

Meanwhile we all pay $1000 for a trip to the ER and hope the insurance doesnt run out.

Originally posted by BlackOps719

We are still ... waging an armed military conflict on foreign soil, and to my knowledge have yet to announce a reason for the war, or a feasible ending date.

It's kinda funny don't you think?

No one cares as long as it's a voluntary war.

As long as war remains optional they can stay the course indefinitely.

reply to post by projectvxn


Yes, governments love money - that was my point!

It's funny, but when I communicate with Americans I feel like another species - maybe an alien?

Sent to enlighten the world? JK.

My point was i wanted to pay the bills i was willing but they wouldnt take any kind of payments the hospital and Dr want infull payments they even asked me for my income tax money to pay the bills or take out a second morgage on my home they gave me no choice ..so i guess i should go live in the park in a carboard box according to some in here...

reply to post by groingrinder


A hospital cannot deny you service, it is a Federal law. (I think there was a thread on ATS a while back during the Obamacare issue.) Why don't you figue out a way to tell them to stick their bill? Your not actually concerned about our "credit score" are you. The latter is a scam to get you hooked into the system, pure and simple. OR Pay them in installments with some ridiculously low figure like $5 a month?

And your right, it shouldn't cost that much. It's Big pharma who makes the money as well as the Hospital who is nothing more that a for profit Corporation. Catholic church runs the hospital? It's still a corporation and they are in it to make MONEY! PEACE.

Thank the government! Almost 80% of your bill is due to government interference of the free market of healthcare. Got to pay the government don't you.

reply to post by NWOnoworldorder


BUT you'll be living in a more obvious Police state. The U.S. is just not as obvious....yet. Scotland...yeh sounds great....all that beauty and the worlds best whiskey too! I don't imagine they have many CCTV camera's in the highlands or lowlands do they? I'd even give hagis a try on Bobby Burns day!

Peace

Originally posted by HUMBLEONE

A hospital cannot deny you service, it is a Federal law.

More great beat the system advice -

"You have the right to remain silent, otherwise anything you say to a hospital administrator can and will be used against you in a court of law as debt collectors seek a judgement against you."

Just let them assume that you are an illegal alien.

Sign nothing, admit to nothing, say nothing.

The burden of proof of debt (The Crime) lies with the state.

Thank you for your sacrifice groingrinder so that the rest of us can learn how to defend ourselves.

Originally posted by Miraj
reply to post by Holly N.R.A.

 

I'd say you misunderstand some of the people that work in hospitals..

You think you are money to them.
But I'm going to explain something.

MRI's, EKGs, Cat Scans, and the numerous medical equipment that helps the find what is wrong with you, and will help them keep you alive and healthy as possible does not run on good will.

It certainly doens run on 30.000dollar a time, or something. For me the firs 170euro are own risk, and the rest i dont pay a thing for. Yeah insurance about 100euro a month, but there's dentist in it and more

Originally posted by groingrinder
I had an EKG and a urine test and a ultrasound. Plus some intravenous pain killer. My hands are shaking uncontrollably right now because I am so ticked off. MEDICINE SHOULD NOT COST THIS MUCH. I have lost my job and make $50.00 dollars a month. To be fair I must say that Banner Baywood discounted my bill by $8,000.00 so that my final bill is only $3,000.00, but I still cannot pay that when I only have fifty bucks a month coming in. I owe the Radiologist $460.00 dollars for their test and I still have not gotten the bill from the ER doctor who will bill separately. I will update this thread after I talk to the financial responsibility representative from Banner Baywood.

I cant understand why Americans feel its right to spend so much money on defending itself insted of protecting its people. Is it just me or would that money be far better used if it was spent on an NHS type service like the UK?

If i had the $3000 spare, i'd pay your bill for you because i can imagine just how you feel and everyone needs a helping hand at some point.

I hope you get it sorted out.

wow. we germans complain about the medical practice fee. 10 Euro per quarter.

it can be worse obviously.

reply to post by groingrinder


I spent a week in a UK Hospital last month, had several CT scans, X-rays and now undergoing post surgical treatment, my bill?...well...nothing, I pay NI and that's about it.

Public Health Care does work...sometimes.

Originally posted by projectvxn
So if you smoke a pack a day and get emphysema it is your right to stick me with the bill for your bad personal choices? Health care isn't a right because your health and your body are YOUR responsibility, not society's.

Taking the UK as an example of "socialised" medicine, the NHS spends around £2 Billion a year treating smoking related diseases. In contrast, smokers pay in excess of £10 Billion a year in taxes and duty on their tobacco. Who is paying for who?

unsure by whom..sorry...
Medical school costs a lot. A LOT. For both doctors and registered nurses. It takes tens of thousands, sometimes over the hundreds of thousands, of dollars in loans. Those take quite awhile to pay off. There is the biggest part of the problem, for any profession.


Again, taking the UK as an exmaple, one can study at University for no upfront fee whatsoever and the state pays your way. You also only get charged a maximum of £9000/year, which is only paid back once you get a decent paid job and even then, the Student Loan repayments are tiny.

It's all very well trying to give reasons why the State shouldn't pay for healthcare, but at the end of the day those reasons end up being a bit crap. The State should pay, because ultimateley healthy workers mean more productive workers, meaning higher tax revenues and less benefits paid out. Also, given the extremes to which we are taxed, I'd rather my Government pay £110 Billion a year for the NHS, than spunk billions on totally unneccesary military projects. The amount the US spends on "defence" per year could fund a nationwide service better than the NHS several times over and still have change to pay for a few new carriers, submarines and pointless jet fighters.

reply to post by stumason


Excellent post.

I am a smoker here and there when required, I also go to the gym on a daily basis, never have any health issues and I regularly attend marathons and cross country, it is my right to health care as I pay for it....not only with my standard taxes but also the taxes i pay for tobacco, If this was down to how much I pay comparatively I would have a right to the very best health care available, including all new progressive treatments.

Originally posted by Vicky32

Let me explain how it works here (New Zealand).
My son is a staff nurse on the cardiothoracic ward at Wellington Hospital - the premier cardiac ward in the country. They use and have the best technology available in the world.
If anyone has an MI, and is brought in, they will have tests and treatment and it will cost them nothing. Zip, nada, niente, goose egg nothing!
That's because our system is paid for by taxation. And it works very well.
Vicky

Yeh, you may have free health care and beautiful, plentiful public parks but how many nukes you got? We got over 10,000 baby, money well spent! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

I got a bit sick in Taiwan one time, visiting my wife's family. I went to the ER (twice, actually) and was seen by a couple doctors, received several x-rays, a couple shots, and a weeks worth of prescription meds to take with me. Anybody care to guess how much it cost out of my pocket?

$85

BLEW my mind! We are soooo getting hosed over here.

OP, when I was very young we were fairly poor, and my Mom owed a lot of money for medical bills. She wrote letters to those she owed explaining her financial situation, and desire to pay, and that she could only afford to send $10-$20 a month for now, but would increase as finances allowed. Everything worked out eventually. Of course that was about 40 years ago, and indeed times have changed, but a similar tactic might be worth a try.

Unbelievable how easily people can turn against each other over the most simple of issues. What the hell is going on with the world? WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?

reply to post by groingrinder


God Bless The NHS!!!!!!

This is what I don’t understand about the capitalist system of America, you all seem really happy to let those less fortunate in society suffer. Why can’t you just all embrace a socialist health care system, the government takes a tax of you all, in return you all get “free, universal health care”, you won’t all turn into commies, just means that everyone doesn’t have to worry about paying out massive health care bills regardless of their ability to pay.

It always seems to me that when it comes to the American health care system some people are greedy, selfish and disgusting. The rich only get richer in America and the poor get poorer as the rich guy at the top pulls all their strings. First of all he screws up your economy and you lose your job (he gets a bonus), say you get stressed out or whatever and as a result your heath takes a kick, the rich man has also taken you health care insurance and has a monopoly on the best health care so in the end you just have to roll over and die. Then say by some metrical you don’t get ill, there are no jobs your only option is to go retrain and get some more education, ah wait that’s right you need to be a rich man to do that, so he also has the monopoly over good education but even if he didn’t he’s taken you job so you can’t afford to pay for the education.

This capitalist system is disgusting; it fuels greed and materialistic immoral goals, the rich are worshiped like Gods, the poor are kicked like dogs when they are down. It works fine, so long as you have a decent job, but otherwise your screwed.

Words cannot describe how much I hate the system that has forced you into this position, I thank God that I am in the UK.

reply to post by endtimer


it's simple...
either we go the extra yard and help all those who sincerely needs help getting the healthcare, which this guy clearly does, or we stop helping the "poor" who are really pretty much sorted thru and picked over when it comes to who deserves to recieve the healthcare...the gov't should be treating us equally, and not deciding who should live and who should die!!
and if we do the latter, well, there will some medical providers hurting really bad, since according to one of my congressmen, well....something like 70% of the revenue that these places are getting is coming from the gov't programs!!!

WE shouldn't be paying this much!! Expecially if we are making so little money that that $3000 is close to a third of our take home income, and it is in my case!!!

for the op...
there is these medical credit cards like MedKey (do a search, you can find it), I have a medkey card, since my medical conglomerate wants the bills taken off their books in 90 days or less and will throw them to the credit collection agency if they aren't. I just tell them to throw them to medkey, who well, I just had the hernia operation done (it was either that or quit working!! Don't care, if the work isn't paying enough that I can't get the care I need to take care of the problems the work creates, I am done with it!!) The medkey more than likely will cover what my insurance doesn't for the operation...I'll end up paying more in the long run....it draws interest, but well, my credit stays intact and there's no bill collectors calling for me to harass....

I'd check and see if you have that option...or maybe the hospital will be nice and just hold the debt on the books and set up an easy payment plan of $3 of month...

but again, WE should not have to be paying that much, the only reason it is that much is that we the taxpayers are footing the tab for about 70% of the revenues coming into the the medical sector, and it's only helping those that the gov't is deeming "worthy" to recieve the aide, with a few really well paid people adding to it...
take the "poor" and elderly, disabled out of the picture, we wouldn't need half as many doctors, nurses, or hospitals as we have, and well, we would see those prices drop like a rock!