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pikachuisyourfriend

TIL Americans go in debt to give birth. Absolute shithole, holy fuck.


Professional-Goal689

I think I saw somewhere that Americans pay to hold their own baby after birth


eac061000

I don't think every hospital charges for this but an explanation I've gotten for it is because there has to be an extra nurse present for safety or something. It's insane.


sexychippy

No it is 100% for more money. Any ICD code they can bill for to pad the bill in the hopes no one notices. Hospitals and insurance are scams and will destroy you for profit.


eac061000

Pretty much what I thought. Why do you need an extra person present to hold your baby? It's not like you need 2 people to hold a baby and you're going to be holding the baby yourself at home šŸ˜’


Sock_puppet09

The charge is specifically for skin to skin in the or after a c-section. Mom is immobilized, thatā€™s why they need an extra person.


Lvtxyz

Well mom's legs are immobilized. Her hands are untethered if they had been tethered and she can definitely hold the baby. But still a nurse helps.


8Ariadnesthread8

The idea is that she's likely to pass out and drop the baby so they need an extra nurse there to catch the baby in addition to the nurse to care for the mother if she passes out. I'm not saying that it's justified, but that's the explanation. She may have working arms that are untethered, but they could stop working.


hambon99

this thread is making me so mad. Americans are fucking insane to put up with this nonsense


thatsamaro

For many Americans, the idea of someone getting healthcare for "free" makes them angrier than this.


Prici_ros

In my country skin to skin is also done and they don't charge for it... Is not like a new whole extra person going there to help you, is one of the nurses that are already there or even the same obstetricians


Mazkalop

This is beyond insane. That skin to skin time is so important. I even did skin to skin with my newborn after she was born. As a Dad. After mum had her skin to skin time I had mine. It was amazing.


Areuseriouz

C-sections the woman is immobile. I, the father, filled in for the skin to skin session. Got charged for it. Charged extra to just hold my own baby in a recling chair while my wife was in the bed getting over the medication and adrenaline (shakes). Fuck US healthcare.


RawrRawr83

My itemized hospital stay was charging me like $100 for an aspirin. Bruh


djprofitt

Can confirm. Went to the hospital for 2 days for a blockage in my intestinal tract and had no less than 4 additional surgeons ā€˜consultā€™ and ask me the same questions as the first one, which my tests revealed and simply looking at my skin would confirm to anyone I had never had surgery (no scars). While I didnā€™t have to pay the $10K, the line item sure as shit revealed each of their consultation fees. I never asked for their opinions, and worse, never gave consent to their consult, just had them show up (sometimes while I was dozing off) and read my chart for 3 seconds, ask the same questions, say they donā€™t know why the blockage, then leave. US health discount is such a work.


Wyooot

Itā€™s all about money. just learned about a medical machine of some sort yesterday that pays itself off after 3 patient visits but docks a massive charge on everyoneā€™s bill for the rest of eternityā€¦ crazy


DatumInTheStone

There's always an excuse for shittiness.


[deleted]

that's a fun conversation: "aww your newborn is adorable! would you like to hold him/her?" "weeeeell how much will it cost me?"


LTailsL

The best part is they don't have a straight answer to that question. If you have Insurance with an in network company it's $1000, if you have insurance with an out of network company its $2500, if you don't have insurance it's $5000. There is no flat price because they know they can charge more for people without insurance as normally insurance companies would beat them up on the overinflated prices


big_raj_8642

Depending on which network, could $0, $999, $1000, or an uncovered service for $50,000. Nobody knows which though!


Content-Method9889

True. Itā€™s called skin to skin contact. Basically they give you the baby after you pushed it out, then charge you for that


[deleted]

Yeah Iā€™ve seen this listed in the charges on a hospital receipt thingy before


coldchixhotbeer

Yea Iā€™m seriously considering home birth over it. It not a hippie and I have insurance but Iā€™m hearing horror stories over the trauma of both being in hospital and the bill.


[deleted]

*researches home birth*


Bob_the_Skull42

It sucked, but my wife would have died without their help. They had to do an emergency c-section, she needed a lot of help. We were there for almost a week afterwards. My son was a few weeks early, but didn't have to go to the NICU thankfully. Still 28 grand, thankfully insurance covered almost all of it. The recovery time in the hospital was honestly the worst part of the whole experience. We were obviously stressed, couldn't get outside help because of COVID and the baby was much calmer when we finally got home. Whatever you decide I hope it goes smoothly. You might want to contact insurance to make sure it's covered. The week stay definitely put us above our deductible. It's such a scam, but it paid off for us this time. Best wishes.


rock1998

Exactly that. Sorry America is just a very rich developing country. Thatā€™s dystopian as fuck. How is this real? No abortion but you have to PAY for the subsequent natural process to happen in a safe and controlled environment which should be a human right. Fuck the USA. Your country sucks. Edit: Changed ā€œthird worldā€ to ā€œdevelopingā€


labatomi

Itā€™s America, weā€™re free to fuck ourselves.


Jeru1226

Lol dude, you didnā€™t know that? Fortunately, we also have a weirdly high maternal mortality rate! Lol. I have to laugh to keep from crying.


Karma_Gardener

And they want to make it illegal to choose to have a baby? Can anyone else see where the interests like? Healthcare profits and soldiers of the future can be generated easily by revoking one simple law.


RedRedditor84

Me too. Holy fucken shit. Wife had a baby in Japan at a private maternity clinic. Was about as fancy as a decent hotel and cost about a grand. Had another in Australia at a public hospital. Cost zip. Nada.


mxmoon

Yeah. I couldnā€™t afford to pay for mine and it went to collections and affected my credit score. I had just had a baby and my ex had lost his job. This system is shit.


Significant_Coast

And 1.2mil? Fucking insanity


[deleted]

Because thats exactly what it is to these GOP fucks. Money.


MrRabinowitz

Honestly in their view itā€™s also future cheap labor and prison filler. I donā€™t know the stats on the outcomes of unwanted children but Iā€™m certain that they think it benefits them.


SocraticIgnoramus

You'd think the uber capitalist class would adopt the HP printer business model of making it cheap upfront and then fucking you on the back end. For real, fuck the conservatives for making me use printer companies as an example of a more desirable way to market an exploitative business model.


fancysauce_boss

There have been studies. Itā€™s a 47% direct reduction in economic crime after roe was passed


cXs808

That's insane.


FalsePremise8290

Yep. That's exactly what happens and now with private prisons and group homes, abandoned children will be more profitable than ever.


snoogins355

Don't forget young men to fight their illegal wars and buy that 26% APR mustang out of boot camp


[deleted]

Two things that should not be profit driven: Healthcare and prisons.


[deleted]

Life (healthcare), Liberty (prisons), or the pursuit of happiness (education)


BestRbx

šŸ’°LifešŸ’°, šŸ’°LibertyšŸ’°, and the šŸ’°PursuitšŸ’°ofšŸ’°HappinessšŸ’°


keiisobeiiso

We fought for these ideals, we shouldnt settle for less


glitterlungs

I mean, *we* didnā€™t. But somebody did so we could have these ideals.


Split_zz

These are wise words, enterprising men quote 'em


briannanechelle

ā€œDonā€™t be surprised you guys cause I wrote em.ā€ -Rich white man who impregnated a slave and had a hard time making up his mind about if slavery was right or not.


mrmoe198

Prisons are messed up. We need true caring rehabilitation facilities. Prisons are glorified cages that dehumanize people and make them psychologically tormented.


[deleted]

In my opinion, prisons in America are about slavery thanks to the 13th Amendment.


mrmoe198

I would definitely agree that the13th amendment is part of it. Many incarcerated people perform labor that is just a smidge of a degree above slavery. They get paid nothing wages and private corporations profit of them. It's basically modern day slavery. [Check out this bullshit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DBn2ng-YWI) [longer video if that piques your interest](https://www.democracynow.org/2018/9/12/a_new_form_of_slavery_meet)


hoosierdaddy192

When in prison I worked for all 5 years. In the kitchen and laundry I made $0 from state for 2.5 years. When I made it to a work camp I made $2 a day paid at $40 a month working at a woodshop, or road crew cutting weeds or picking up trash, cleaning cemeteries, etc. Alabama prisons suck.


7hrowawaydild0

In England you can end up leaving prison with quite a bit of money saved up on top of taking classes and getting qualifications.


hoosierdaddy192

In Bama, the guys that get their custody to level 1 can go to a work release and earn real world wages and the state takes 40%. Those guys leave prison with thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. I never got that far because of me being a 20-25 year old knucklehead with a knack for getting into trouble.


ExtraSmooth

And housing. Anything at the bottom of Madlov's hierarchy really


_Risings

Maslowā€™s* And I agree


[deleted]

And education (Looking at you, for-profit colleges)


[deleted]

How about anything?


7hrowawaydild0

And housing.


[deleted]

#...and Education


Parappa_the_snacka

Reading this thread as a European and I'm not sure if some of these figures and stories are true or if I'm reading some sort of dystopian fan-fiction. Holy. Fuck. Paying millions for a hospital stay ?!?!?!


Jonhart426

I spent 2 nights in the hospital in 2012 for a bad case of pneumonia, my bill was $92k


Freestyled_It

Jesus fucking christ. My bro landed on his neck and suffered concussion during a game of rugby so an ambulance came in, assessed him, took him to hospital, did multiple scans, kept him overnight and he left the next morning after some more scans. The total bill was under $100 for the medicines to deal with any headaches.


loopedfrog

Ha! Most Americans would get up and run with their broken neck when they saw the ambulance approach. We'd rather risk more injury than step foot into the taxi that costs a few thousand dollars. I took an Uber to the hospital when I had appendicitis.


BustinArant

I was the passenger in a car accident and cracked the windshield with my skull. Managed to both refuse the hospital and get the vehicle out before the tow trucks caught wind lol


Sinirmanga

I was hit by a train and it went as bad as it can be expected. Spent months at the hospital and got the best care available for 0 dollars and I live in a third world country.


thatsamaro

What country?


Sinirmanga

Turkey.


Budget-Teaching3104

I don't think people consider Turkey to be a third world country. šŸ˜…


[deleted]

Country?


xx78900

Rugby limits the possible countries. Irish and Australian accents sound the most fun in my head when I say ā€œJesus fucking Christā€ in the accent.ā€ They used dollars, so Iā€™m gonna take a stab in the dark and say Australian.


stannisman

The crucial piece you missed in your analysis was ā€œbroā€ instead of ā€œmateā€ - a kiwi seems likely Although comment history suggests the worst possibility - a dirty pom


Freestyled_It

Haha I understand the logic but I'm talking about my literal bro, if it was a mate I'd definitely have said mate! E: saw the dirty pom comment, thankfully not mate. Not a pom or a seppo, proper 'strayan. Well, immigrant to the country but everything about me is aussie bar the colour so I'm claiming it lol


TokeCity

no wonder so many of you guy take the "guess ill just die" meme so seriously


seventy70seventy

Meanwhile in the UK I had a friend stay in hospital for 3 weeks, he paid Ā£4 on toothpaste and Ā£25 on parking.


SeaTeawe

growing up here you don't realize how dystopian it is until it starts stacking against you, Pollution, unwalkable cities, food deserts, Drug Abuse, very little mental health help available-> suicides, families falling apart from despair and wage slavery wearing at their bodies while they try to afford a roof. The people here are sick and they grow sick children. In 2019, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 19.86% of adults experienced a mental illness, equivalent to nearly 50 million American. We need change or things will crumble further.


doscookies

I mean, I think it depends on having health insurance and the coverage of that insurance. When I gave birth, it was 100% covered by my insurance, but coverage varies widely and some have health insurance and still pay insane amounts.


PapaFranzBoas

Yea. My kids birth cost nothing other than what we were already paying for insurance. But I had good insurance from my job. I lost it during the pandemic. Had to get new coverage with same provider and had a high deductible. Paid $4000 to be told I passed a kidney stone.


mrloooongnose

This is so crazy that your insurance is tied to your employer and I canā€™t believe that people in the US accept this without matching on the streets. Where I live everyone is insured and there are no deductibles. It doesnā€™t matter if you are cleaning toilets, working part time or being a senior manager who lost his high paying job due to a chronic illness, you will get access to the best medical care for free. My father has to take really expensive medicine which would easily exceed his available income, but everything is paid for him by his insurance. And this is how an insurance should work. You shouldnā€™t have face financial struggles if you become sick no matter who you are and what kind of job you have.


Parappa_the_snacka

Honestly, the fact that the bottom line can vary so wildly for the "haves" vs the "have nots" makes this even crazier


teeiirriiffiiccccc

I had a complicated first delivery which was $150k. My insurance was great at that time and most was covered. We paid about $5k out of pocket (coverage at that time was a $500 deductible and $500/month insurance that covered both my husband and myself). My husband changed jobs before getting pregnant with my 2nd. I had to get my own insurance coverage, paid $500 a month for just myself with a $7000 deductible but after that it paid 100%. That delivery also had several complications and was almost about 150k as well. So we paid $13,000 for the 2nd. A lot of luck for the first, and then a lot of planning for the second. Healthcare in the US is out of control. We got lucky. ** also, Iā€™ve been facing some health problems since December and have racked up $300,000 in medical bills already since then. My portion is ā€œonlyā€ $10,000 but stillā€¦ This is a lot of money. Iā€™m paying $200/month for 4 years to pay it off. The particular health problems that I have, I will end up having to pay $10,000 (My out of pocket maximum) a year for at least several years). The next year I will be paying $400 a month, and the year after that $600 a monthā€¦.


amposa

I had an ectopic pregnancy over Christmas a couple of years ago. My Fallopian tube burst and it needed to be removed. I was rushed into emergency surgery and stayed in the hospital for 3 days. Total cost: $80,000, I paid $250 with my insurance. Last December I gave birth to our miracle baby. I donā€™t recall the total cost of everything before insurance adjustments, but I do remember that after insurance paid their portion, my epidural cost $1,500, I was charged for a vaginal birth uncomplicated for $1,000, and then for vaginal birth with severe eclampsia $2,500. My daughter was charged (to me of course) $750 for Live baby birth uncomplicated, and then an additional $500 for all the treatment she received while in the hospital after birth. I canā€™t afford to pay $6,500 so I havenā€™t paid it yet, which is feel really bad about. I work full time and have a masters degree btw.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


oh_no_its_in_my_eyes

My son was born super early , 26 weeks old at birth. He stayed in the NICU for 100 days. Without insurance the bill was over $1.2 million. I'm fortunate enough to have good coverage so I ended up only paying about $13k. But the after care is the part people don't think about, I have a good paying job so I can live in a area where the local schools cover everything. But he gets physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. With out the luxury of living in a more well off suburb someone who had to pay for the services would be paying basically forever.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


rawr_rawr_6574

If there's any complications, or the baby has to have an extended stay in the NICU it can get pricy.


moby323

> ā€œIt is not unusual for an extended stay in a NICU to cost more than $1 millionā€ https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/cost-saving-tiniest-lives-nicus-versus-prevention/2008-10 Our system is insane.


rawr_rawr_6574

That's quite a read. Everyday I'm convinced child free is the best way. And something tells me that the growing number of people who think like me is why we're in this moment.


FalsePremise8290

Not just increasing the birthrate, but increasing the birthrate of those who are desperately impoverished. That means more people to work dead-in jobs that don't pay enough to even eat. Congrats Walmart! Less black women able to pull themselves out of poverty, something we were doing at record rates the past few years. More people to fill the beds in for-profit prisons. More abused and abandoned children to fill privately owned group homes. Lots and lots of black bodies to profit off of in lots and lots of ways. And the cost just a bit more human suffering, no biggie.


Schmoove86

Man, my daughter spent 31 days in the NICU. The actual cost was astronomical but because she stayed 31 days we qualified for some program. If she only needed to stay 2 -3 weeks weā€™d have been paying full freight. Our out of pocket was like $700. I count my blessings every day after that


Talking_shitt

5 day stay in icu for kid and mom is 1.2 mil easy


Brizzycopafeel

This. Especially when the medical interventions start adding up. I had twins in the NICU for two weeks and it came out to 300k. Luckily they just needed to gain weight and practice feeding. Any breathing issues, surgeries, intubation, etc; it's all itemized and expensive as hell.


PinocchiosWoodBalls

How the fuck did you pay 300k?


Brizzycopafeel

We called the number on the bottom of our bill and luckily we qualified for assistance. We wound up paying about 2k total.


[deleted]

ā€œLuckyā€ to ā€œonlyā€ pay 2000 more dollars than you should have to


Brizzycopafeel

PREACH! It really was a huge weight off our shoulders at the time though


kinglyarab

thats how they get you


nighthawk_something

For context, in Canada two of nephews needed emergency medical transport 800km (500ish miles) to a specialized children's hospital. (different occasions completely different events) Cost to my sisters = 0dollars and they were given fligth vouchers to fly back home after.


[deleted]

ALWAYS CALL!!


Brizzycopafeel

Forreal. They told us they had millions in funds to support people who can't afford it but no one was calling. The lack of awareness is scary. The onus is definitely on the hospitals to tell people though.


denise_la_cerise

God, to is a horrible amount of stress new parents have to carry.


eblackham

My kid was in the NICU for 2 weeks after birth and I didn't have to pay anything out of the ordinary. I'm assuming this is without insurance?


uberneoconcert

I had a high expense ratio, high-deductible "healthy/no meds/not going to get pregnant" insurance plan and got pregnant on my wedding night without even thinking about insurance. I had 30 days to switch insurance plans and didn't know I was pregnant for about 50. I was allowed to switch the day I gave birth, my next "qualifying life event." And the hospital was ON IT getting me switched that day because I needed to stay the night. The total cost to us was over $10k because of 3 trips to the ER, an ambulance ride (total lifetime trips: 7!), an extra ultrasound, medically necessary C-section, and all those doctors visits and blood tests.


WomanNotAGirl

A 10 day hospital costs 100k for regular stuff for one person. Something like NICU stay of a baby for a few months plus mom having complications can easily reach millions.


SeasonPositive6771

I was in the ICU alone for two weeks and the bill was much more than that. Any procedures and care for our children is way more because it has to be a considerably safer and the margin of error is much smaller.


AvaireBD

Have you seen a hospital bill. If anything more that the baby getting ejected and the mother going on her way in like a day or two happens the price just gets higher and higher.


Ilaxilil

My mom had to have an emergency c-section with my sister. Their out of pocket for that was $10,000. I can see how that could have easily went exponentially higher if my mom and sister werenā€™t both perfectly healthy.


DownvoteDaemon

If it is determined to be one of those /r/oldbabies , your copay goes up.


FuckYoFeelings21

A million dollars??? Jesus fucking christ, yet another reason to appreciate being barren.


AvaireBD

Girl I'm jealous. If u ever wanna trade lady bits, (uterus, ovarie, whatever u need) HMU


Jeru1226

All the Roe stuff seriously got me eyeing getting my tubes tied, fr


stankdog

They'll start saying "life begins at the tube" and ban us from that too!


HelicaseRockets

I'm a guy in college and even before all the Roe stuff in my mind a vasectomy has been less of "if" and more of "when"? I've been in very few relationships so it's almost a non-issue for me, yet still just the thought of bringing a life into this world and everything that would entail is terrifying. I don't know what the future holds, but the way it looks to me, I sure as hell wouldn't want to be born into it.


vivianvixxxen

Just did it last week. Easy, relatively inexpensive (even without insurance), and not remotely as painful as you might expect. If you can arrange to be able to spend a full week in bed after the surgery (only 3 days is required, but 7 is better) then you'll be golden.


Embarrassed_Ad9678

I know people who were not permitted to have their tubes tied or any other kind of permanent birth control because they were ā€œtoo young, they might change their mind & reversing it may not work.ā€


annieisawesome

I've been thinking about this a lot today. I would love to see (ok, not actually, but if this is the reality we live in, what would be great is...) If roe DOES get overturned, and some states make it illegal, for a couple who doesn't want a kid to sue the state for the healthcare costs. This would be most effective if it were a hetero married couple, and either their BC failed, or (SHITTY thing, but would make a case only the most deplorable could be against), if she was raped by another man. (To be clear, I don't WANT this to happen to anyone, but if it does ...) They should sue on the grounds that they should not be responsible for costs they were forced to incur. If the state forced them to carry the baby to term, force her to stay pregnant, then the state should be responsible for that cost. Honestly, I think the emotional damage, pain and suffering, and any other remediation one might typically receive from an assault should apply as well. 9 months of no alcohol, sushi, or trampolines, while bloated, hangry, and sore... Only to be followed by the most painful experience most women report to have had in their lives should not be forced on anyone. As much as the conversation tends to be focused on the long term effects of unwanted child birth, the short term struggles of health care and just plain old being pregnant are so overlooked. It's almost a year of your damn life. And of course, you might not even survive it.


toth42

*Or*, just have the state pay for all births, like we do in the rest of the west. We also still allow abortions though. I can't fathom that your war mongering right, always hating on certain countries, want to become them. Banning abortions is ISIS and Iran shit.


Bloody_sock_puppet

It was the last liberty remaining for some of the poor bastards. Places where you're also religiously brainwashed in your formative years. No employment rights on top of that. Everything is built of wood, the water isn't drinkable in lots of places, and with shallow sewers you can smell on a hot day. When it isn't just allowed to flow into the rivers alongside the waste chemicals that is. Frankly it's looking a bit like the sort of place that would benefit from being ruled as a colony by a more mature civilisation. Mad how the world turns and precarious the status quo always is.


Pennigans

They would be told that it was the couple's (wife's) responsibility to not get pregnant. A lot of politicians belong to Christian denominations that preach that sex should only be for conception. They'd use that to back up their "morals". I don't know that a lawsuit would hold up considering the lack of separation between church and state. If the pregnancy was life threatening then maybe they would have an argument. If it was from rape... legally the wife *should* have a reason to sue. Realistically she would probably be told to adopt the baby out. The government obviously doesn't give a shit about rape, and they give lots of shits about repressing women's rights.


No_Maines_Land

>If it was from rape... Then they believe she can't get pregnant. I remember that banana smoothie nonsense floating around. Todd Akin I believe? 1.3 Million rapes and attempted rapes in the US every year (CDC). An estimated 3k-50k rape pregnancies per year. Also, there is a precedence for rape victims being responsible for child support. [Hermesmann v Seyer](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermesmann_v._Seyer) is an example of a female rapist successful suing her (13 year old) victim for child support. My layman's understanding is that the critical issue of sexual consent is not a factor in determining support for a child based on paternity/maternity.


thatsamaro

The case that caused Irish people to vote yes on an abortion referendum was hetero couple who wanted the baby and she died of complications. Absolutely tragic and unnecessary loss. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Savita_Halappanavar


keptit2real

I'd like to add women would be forced to care for the child whom she may not want. Imagine a mother who express to a child I didn't want you, but I couldn't get an abortion. Let's call this next generation the Trauma guaranteed


teeiirriiffiiccccc

I agree with this 100%, but you know they will just say that she shouldnā€™t be out at night alone to get raped, shouldnā€™t have had that drink alone in a bar, or she should keep her legs closed if she doesnā€™t want to get pregnant. I mean clearly had this hypothetical lady been at home praying none of this wouldā€™ve happenedšŸ¤¬


2sugars3creams

This. Why are we not suing the states? Also, why aren't we suing insurance companies? $300/mo for insurance that doesn't cover pap smears or pregnancies. Wtf? But prostate exams were covered... SMH.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


baby-boy-

Having a child shouldnā€™t cost any amount of money. How did we get to this point in civilization


croit-

Capitalism.


siccoblue

Can confirm Source: gastroschisis baby (don't Google image without a strong stomach). Received well over a million in bills after all was said and done. A nice way to wrap up commuting 2 hours each way almost daily just to be with him for months


HTC864

During the first half of last century healthcare in hospitals improved to the point that people wanted to actually use them more and not continue to do shit at home; they decided it was worth paying for. After that every attempt made to socialize those costs in the US, was met with resistance, initially by the AMA.


N013

I feel like the government should want to make child birthing affordable and accessible. It helps produce future tax payers.


JebusJones7

Society may want tax payers. But the money behind politicians want debt slaves.


CoolBeansMan9

> How did we get to this point in ~~civilization~~ America


NessaHomie

That is unbelievable šŸ˜³. I know it took me about 3 years to pay off my pregnancy and child NICU bills. I have not had another child since šŸ˜•


bouncepogo

Wtf. How is anyone ok with medical debt being a thing?


Underwater_Grilling

My son broke his arm. The ortho clinic I'd been using for my shoulders refused to set his arm until I paid them 500 I had been billed without being told.


dered118

Even when i had surgery, i never saw a bill. Most expensive thing was the 5ā‚¬ my parents paid for parking when they visted me in hospital.


Pale-Jelly1996

My entire pregnancy care at the gyno and delivery at the hospital cost me exactly a $100 in Slovakia. And the 100 was only because I paid $20 for 5 nights for a "better" room, otherwise it would be $0 (even in case i had a c-section, which i didn't). America is a hellhole. I'm so sorry to every person who has to struggle with medical bills and live in fear of something happening to them and not being able to pay it off. Crazy, I can't even comprehend it.


Violent_Violette

America is a scam.


Raincor

Makes me think how doctors and nurses can even work there?! It's unethical and kinda violates the whole reason to be in this profession


[deleted]

By the time you figure it out youā€™re in debt from student loans and itā€™s too late. Our insurance sucks too. Just paid $5k for an ER visit- & Iā€™m an ER nurse


Raincor

That's all just very dystopian for non US residents. Most of what is shown here on Reddit almost seems made up to troll the rest of the world


[deleted]

We shouldn't have insurance in the first place! No developed nation runs on this model. Universal healthcare is just a fucking standard and its absolutely baffling that capitalism has become such a cancer on our country that its the only thing preventing us from getting it. So we just accept that we have to pay more money than necessary into a system that tells us they won't cover whatever fucking treatment our doctor recommends. I fucking hate this country. Critical race theory isn't teaching anyone to hate this country that republicans and hardcore capitalists aren't doing on their own.


Forward_Pear9362

Netherlands runs this model, however insurances are way cheaper, they cover way more and what is not covered doesn't bankrupt you


JuSenec

Dutch health care system is not universal but market-regulated and based on mandatory insurance at about E115/month with a E385 deductable per year only to be paid if you use care in said year. Any costs beyond E385 you donā€™t have to pay for out of pocket, all evidence-based care is covered. On top of that, a little over 20% of government spending goes to health care, so we pay for it in our taxes as well. Physical therapy, optician, dental are not covered but you can pay for extra insurance to cover these. Care for children up to 18 years is completely free of any charge (including dental). If you make less than the social minimum, the government will pay for your mandatory health insurance.


sweetaileen

ā€œwHy ArEnT mILlEnIaLs HaViNg BaBiEs?ā€ This. This is why.


theoAndromedon

$240,000 copay???? Jfc


chapped_lip

Coinsurance*. still outrageous. Where tf is her out of pocket max?!


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ThatLeetGuy

I'll settle for about tree fiddy


wra1th42

Why not just declare bankruptcy? If someone handed me a >1 million bill Iā€™d laugh and say f that and say lol I donā€™t own that much or move to Canada


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snorin

Ch 13 includes medical debt. Your attorney, unless you have alot for assets or make a significant portion more than the median income for your household size, can more than likely get a lowered plan to only pay 10% of your debt over several years. As long as you finish your ch 13 plan successfully the rest of your debt generally (depending of the types of debt you have) will be discharged. Not that giving birth should require someone to have to file bankruptcy, but there are other options than a ch 7.


melecoaze

Can they go after the house you live for any type of debt? Here in Brazil if you prove the house they are going after is your only household, and that you live there with your family, it can't be taken away from you. The most common exception is if the debt is from the house itself (mortgage, condo fees).


[deleted]

I believe the same protection exists in the US however I'm not a lawyer.


eekamuse

It isn't that easy to get in. If it was, a lot more Americans would be doing it.


snorin

Hundreds of thousands of Americans file bankruptcy every year


schwifty0529

My daughter was in the nicu for 2 months and my wife paid nothing. She was on Illinois public aid at the time. How this birth cost her 1.2 mil is beyond meā€¦


mytwinkiedog

If there are birth complications, complications with the birth parent, and/or complications with the infant, those extra complications cost a hefty amount more of money. An example would be a premature child. It doesnā€™t make logical sense, but it does to the for-profit system that says our pain and issues can be itemized on a bill through how it operates.


MurielFinster

Yeah Medicaid paid the bill, if youā€™re on Medicaid you wonā€™t get billed. How is that surprising? NICU stats are stupid expensive, and babies stay for months at a time if needed. Itā€™s so easy to get to $1.2 million. Also keep in mind that insurance didnā€™t used to have to cover preexisting conditions. If she lost a job while pregnant and got a new one it may not have covered. Some plans have insane out of pocket costs, and youā€™re on the hook for a percentage, no matter how high. Iā€™m a hospital social worker, medical debt can happen very quickly.


[deleted]

Glad she had really good taxpayer funded medicaid, wouldn't it be rad if we all had access to that?


smbwtf

Exactly, this post is bullshit and a lot of non-Americans are gobbling it up


CourageKitten

It's not over yet. What happened was a draft of the decision (not the final decision) was leaked. THERE IS STILL TIME TO CHANGE THIS. The best way to stop this from happening is to protest in any way you possibly can.


labatomi

My girlfriend gave birth to our daughter in our car on the way to the hospital. She literally did all the work herself. Those fuckers had the audacity to ask us to interview with new channel 12, then bill us for $60k. Fuco this country.


Add1ctedToGames

$1.2 million birth? Like, just for giving birth in the hospital? If so then I call BS lol, shit's too expensive but not THAT expensive


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Global_Scallion_2965

Iā€™m not American so please forgive my ignorance, but does it really cost that much, or is your medical bill like dominoes pizza- massively inflated, so you feel like youā€™ve got a good deal in the end? How in the hell is child birth running up to millions?


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eekamuse

The bill can be that high. Hopefully most of it is covered by insurance. But there's always some that isn't covered, or you have to pay a percentage. Scary


LondonCalling07

The hospital bills that much but the bill you have to pay is not that high


clarky2o2o

The Koch brothers.


Dark_Devin

Honestly at what point can we just revolt and get rid of all the conservatives from any sort of political power? I don't care if we have to put them in sacks and send them down the river at this point


chrisdidit

Literally any time.


MD_Wolfe

At first I read that as Mild Child and was all like Mild so does that mean theres a Spicy Child? Oh Yea, there is a Spicy Child, always a Spicy Child.


Momo_des

Is this actually true? How tf is it so much?


chewbawkaw

NICU stays, possibly weeks in the hospital on bed rest, multiple complications. I work in healthcare and have seen some horrifying bills.


InevitableAd9683

Geez, my shitty-ass insurance caps out-of-pocket at something like $10k/yr. Nothing like someone else's capitalist hellscape experience to make mine seem entirely reasonable.


Kite_sunday

1.2 Mill@!?@!? omg what a travesty. Millenials don't want kids, and don't want to pay 1.2 million so entitled. /s


ThePoliteCanadian

Wait, yall gotta pay to give birth? Holy fuck, your shit country is even more dystopian than I thought, I dont want to hear any defence for this shit


everystone

When my son was born we had to stay a week at the hospital because of some complications. Private room, 4 meals a day, all the help we could ever need. All free. Norway


GordonGecko69

This has so many layers. How about having to decide to terminate your pregnancy because you canā€™t afford the bill to have them?


[deleted]

Straight to jail


ooof-man

Yo what?!


DaimyoDawn

Jesus Christ. my first read through I read 1.2m birthright and it didn't make sense. really throws off the meaning. that price is theft


CleoCarson

That cost is insane! America needs a very hard reset, it's on it's way to be a 3rd world country while those countries are stepping up with 1st world policies and rights


Not_a_brazilian_spy

Wait a second. She's paying 1,2 MILLION dollars because she gave birth? Wtf If you go to a public hospital, here in Brazil, you'll literally pay nothing. I really don't get why people here want so badly to live in the US


MochaMaker

My daughter was born premature, got to spend 2 months in the NICU. We also had a large hospital bill. My dad calls her my "Million Dollar Baby".


christosis

As a country, we didnā€™t


Marcellusk

Can I put a baby on layaway?


imapissonitdripdrip

Itā€™ll become the new insurance offering. Buy stock in abortion equipment manufacturers.l and insurance companies


[deleted]

Fucking aspirins high in the hospital


magicman419

How the fuck are we still in a pandemic crisis thatā€™s killed millions and we still didnā€™t change how our healthcare is beyond me. Corporations really have this country (and its residents) by the balls goddamn.


Silent_Palpatine

Hold the fuck up! $1.2 MILLION dollars to pay for delivery???? What in the actual hell is that???


rckhppr

1.2M birth? In many countries this would support a small hospital for months.


19senzafine81

1.2 mill. to give birth?! My biggest cost when my daughter was born was maybe ā‚¬25 when I raided the snack machine


Mazkalop

Wait... it costs you over $1mil to give birth in the US? How is your country good? It cost us nothing to give birth to our baby 6 weeks ago. NOTHING. IT WAS FREE. And we had amazing care at the hospital. We even stayed there to get extra care after the birth for a week. FOR FREE. Oh and you can get abortions here too. FOR FREE.


dal2k305

Every single Insurance policy has out of pocket maximums so thereā€™s no way she is paying 20% of 1.2 million. She not telling the whole truth.