This sounds so dystopian I’m having a hard time comprehending it… what happens when they provide the mandatory emergency care and invoice someone who just doesn’t have the money to pay?
It is dystopian, but there arr plenty of programs to mitigate the issue. If you go to a charity or teaching hospital (like the one referenced in the post), and you have no insurance, your bill might be mostly forgiven if not entirely written off. Emergency rooms cannot refuse service and if you are broke, they might write it off. More than likely they will sell off the debt to a third party for a small fraction and those guys will hound you for life. Again, if you are poor, plan ahead (teaching or charity hospital) and you should be fine.
PS: I am sure you have heard of Planned Parenthood due to the GOP’s crusade against abortion. The real thing to note is that they offer pre and post natal services to make sure that mother and child are healthy, free of charge. Every time a Planned Parenthood clinic is forced to close, those services disappear for the poor.
And in the rare case where they do not forgive the debt and you do not pay, at some point they write it off for the tax break.
I’m sure they write it off at the original invoiced amount without any discounts so that their tax deduction for you not paying is probably equal to or greater than what they would have made had you paid it.
Once a year, I get a sort of info letter that lists every bill my healthcare has paid for me that year. So, I know what medical costs actually are in my country where healthcare prices aren’t being artifically inflated by healthcare being privatised.
I had a short ambulance ride in 2020. It was billed for about 90€. That’s what it would actually cost if they couldn’t charge whatever tf they want due to privatised healthcare.
Without insurance? Yes, it can be that or more.
No hospital will refuse service in case of an emergency. I believe that it is actually illegal. They will send you a bill afterwards though.
Absolutely. For a lot of money in some cases. Do a search for ambulance service cost in the US and you will find a few horror stories.
Ambulances cannot refuse service in case of emergency, but they will invoice you later.
This sounds so dystopian I’m having a hard time comprehending it… what happens when they provide the mandatory emergency care and invoice someone who just doesn’t have the money to pay?
It is dystopian, but there arr plenty of programs to mitigate the issue. If you go to a charity or teaching hospital (like the one referenced in the post), and you have no insurance, your bill might be mostly forgiven if not entirely written off. Emergency rooms cannot refuse service and if you are broke, they might write it off. More than likely they will sell off the debt to a third party for a small fraction and those guys will hound you for life. Again, if you are poor, plan ahead (teaching or charity hospital) and you should be fine.
PS: I am sure you have heard of Planned Parenthood due to the GOP’s crusade against abortion. The real thing to note is that they offer pre and post natal services to make sure that mother and child are healthy, free of charge. Every time a Planned Parenthood clinic is forced to close, those services disappear for the poor.
And in the rare case where they do not forgive the debt and you do not pay, at some point they write it off for the tax break.
I’m sure they write it off at the original invoiced amount without any discounts so that their tax deduction for you not paying is probably equal to or greater than what they would have made had you paid it.
Tangential, for ambulance cost only.
Once a year, I get a sort of info letter that lists every bill my healthcare has paid for me that year. So, I know what medical costs actually are in my country where healthcare prices aren’t being artifically inflated by healthcare being privatised.
I had a short ambulance ride in 2020. It was billed for about 90€. That’s what it would actually cost if they couldn’t charge whatever tf they want due to privatised healthcare.