Pay $43,000 for an Appendectomy? Or less than $3,000?

[jillian]

Move

Maybe you should. You and your ilk seem determined to make us a third world country.

You apparently think we're not capable of doing what every other westernized county does.

Go to Russia. You'll fit right in

Obamacare shows that we are not.

Obamacare neither started the problem of high cost health insurance- or solved it.

Interestingly there was nothing in the Republican plan that specifically would have lowered the cost of health insurance either.

The problem is that our cost of insurance is skyrocketing- because our medical costs are skyrocketing compared to the rest of the Western World.

the costs of medical insurance are skyrocketing because insurance company profits are skyrocketing.

And who forced everyone to buy their product? Oh yeah, tards like you

you mean people with health insurance? first, I have employer based insurance. because, you know, I have a real job.

but how stupid do you have to be to go through life without insurance?

oh wait.... trumptards.....

never mind.

 

[Syriusly]

Maybe you should. You and your ilk seem determined to make us a third world country.

You apparently think we're not capable of doing what every other westernized county does.

Go to Russia. You'll fit right in

Obamacare shows that we are not.

Obamacare neither started the problem of high cost health insurance- or solved it.

Interestingly there was nothing in the Republican plan that specifically would have lowered the cost of health insurance either.

The problem is that our cost of insurance is skyrocketing- because our medical costs are skyrocketing compared to the rest of the Western World.

the costs of medical insurance are skyrocketing because insurance company profits are skyrocketing.

And who forced everyone to buy their product? Oh yeah, tards like you

you mean people with health insurance? first, I have employer based insurance. because, you know, I have a real job.

but how stupid do you have to be to go through life without insurance?

oh wait.... trumptards.....

never mind.

I have friends who really cannot afford health insurance- even through the exchanges.

I have company bought health insurance also- which is why I can afford health insurance.

But the high cost of health care and the ever increasing cost of health insurance hurts us all.

 

[MadChemist]

Belgium is no third world country
In Need of a New Hip, but Priced Out of the U.S.
65,000 for hip replacement versus 13,000
Desperate to find an affordable solution, he reached out to a sailing buddy with friends at a medical device manufacturer, which arranged to provide his local hospital with an implant at what was described as the “list price” of $13,000, with no markup. But when the hospital’s finance office estimated that the hospital charges would run another $65,000, not including the surgeon’s fee, he knew he had to think outside the box, and outside the country.

“That was a third of my savings at the time,” Mr. Shopenn said recently from the living room of his condo in Boulder, Colo. “It wasn’t happening.”

“Very leery” of going to a developing country like India or Thailand, which both draw so-called medical tourists, he ultimately chose to have his hip replaced in 2007 at a private hospital outside Brussels for $13,660. That price included not only a hip joint, made by Warsaw-based Zimmer Holdings, but also all doctors’ fees, operating room charges, crutches, medicine, a hospital room for five days, a week in rehab and a round-trip ticket from America.

“We have the most expensive health care in the world, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best,” Mr. Shopenn said. “I’m kind of the poster child for that.”

You have to ask yourself....

How does someone continue to sell something for 13,000 when you can one cheaper.

Now, the Zimmer Holdings thing may be a POS, but it still has to be asked.

How does anyone supply (and how do people buy) something like this at such an inflated price ?

Pretty much our broken insurance system.

Explain how that works.

Insurance is purposely buying high priced, non-value added components just to be stupid ?

I don't doubt the article...I am just asking how this happens.

This is just my opinion, based upon some things I have read not related to this- so here goes.

Our insurance model distorts the market. The guy in the article? His insurance didn't cover his hip replacement- but if it had- he wouldn't have gone to the cheaper alternative- in Belgium- he would have gone with the procedure that was covered in the United States which would have been mostly paid for by insurance.

This distorts the market because the consumer has no incentive to use the actual lower priced option.

Would the insurance company have to pay that amount? Probably not- since they would have a special deal with the hospital.

Who does get screwed over in this market? The people paying the insurance bills- the companies- and their employees generally.

Oh, I would say you opinion has a high probability of being correct.

And hence we see how our propped up insurance industry just sits in the middle and gets fat.

That hasn't changed because of Obamacare.

 

[MadChemist]

Mexico has universal healthcare

So do most civilized countries.

Move

Maybe you should. You and your ilk seem determined to make us a third world country.

You apparently think we're not capable of doing what every other westernized county does.

Go to Russia. You'll fit right in

Obamacare shows that we are not.

Obamacare neither started the problem of high cost health insurance- or solved it.

Interestingly there was nothing in the Republican plan that specifically would have lowered the cost of health insurance either.

The problem is that our cost of insurance is skyrocketing- because our medical costs are skyrocketing compared to the rest of the Western World.

Yes, it is going way up. Do you think they are pocketing it all ?

I don't.

This past year we finally passed 10,000 per person per year !!!!!!!

That is just stupid.

 

[MadChemist]

So do most civilized countries.

Move

Maybe you should. You and your ilk seem determined to make us a third world country.

You apparently think we're not capable of doing what every other westernized county does.

Go to Russia. You'll fit right in

Obamacare shows that we are not.

Obamacare neither started the problem of high cost health insurance- or solved it.

Interestingly there was nothing in the Republican plan that specifically would have lowered the cost of health insurance either.

The problem is that our cost of insurance is skyrocketing- because our medical costs are skyrocketing compared to the rest of the Western World.

the costs of medical insurance are skyrocketing because insurance company profits are skyrocketing.

Proof ?

 

[MadChemist]

Maybe you should. You and your ilk seem determined to make us a third world country.

You apparently think we're not capable of doing what every other westernized county does.

Go to Russia. You'll fit right in

Obamacare shows that we are not.

Obamacare neither started the problem of high cost health insurance- or solved it.

Interestingly there was nothing in the Republican plan that specifically would have lowered the cost of health insurance either.

The problem is that our cost of insurance is skyrocketing- because our medical costs are skyrocketing compared to the rest of the Western World.

the costs of medical insurance are skyrocketing because insurance company profits are skyrocketing.

And who forced everyone to buy their product? Oh yeah, tards like you

you mean people with health insurance? first, I have employer based insurance. because, you know, I have a real job.

but how stupid do you have to be to go through life without insurance?

oh wait.... trumptards.....

never mind.

Less stupid than to vote in a regime that creates a plan that forces you to buy insurance you can't afford to use in the first place.

 

[Markle]

My son had an attack of appendicitis late Saturday night.

Great dad!

Your son has an appendix attack...and you went price shopping...got it!

Typical costs: An appendectomy would be covered by health insurance. For patients not covered by health insurance, an appendectomy typically costs about $10,000-$35,000 or more, depending on the provider, whether the operation is open or laparoscopic, and whether there are complications.

How Much Does an Appendectomy Cost? - CostHelper.com

My appendectomy was many decades ago so I have no clue as to the cost. I do know that I had ignored the symptoms until I was in sheer agony. Drove to my doctor who looked at me and had an ambulance take me to the hospital for emergency surgery. I was in surgery for a little over 5 hours due to complications. I sure would not have been price shopping.

 

[gipper]

Mexico is getting more appalling as a nation to emigrate to, as the Empire commits suicide.

 

[Markle]

At the lowest end you don't get what you want. At the high end you get ripped off. I'd say that private Mexican hospital is somewhere in the middle and US healthcare is a really expensive ripoff, with an emphasis on expensive and not so much emphasis on quality.

Indisputably the finest health care in the world. Period.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Great true story about Private Medical Care in Mexico

My son had an attack of appendicitis late Saturday night. I knew that the Obamacare inflated prices for surgery in the U.S. would be ridiculous and that the service would likely be impersonal, involve long waits, and be nerve-wracking. I have friends in the medical field so I inquired just for grins. The price for the latest routine appendectomy in my area was, my jaw dropped, $43,000. I read on-line that the average cost for an appendectomy in the U.S. is $33,000.
​

That is fucking crazy!! $43,000 to remove an appendix? So he went to Mexico.

I opted for the nearby private Catholic hospital in Mexico driving past a Catholic hospital in the U.S. en route. I also drove past the state run socialist hospital in Mexico which of course has deplorable service and doesn’t serve Americans anyway. Most of the private hospitals in Mexico have great service, modern equipment and procedures, and affordable prices. You can actually have extensive conversations with surgeons and the rest of the medical staff. They are very patient, respectful, and understanding. We arrived on a Sunday morning. This counted as an emergency after-hours visit. The fees listed below are higher because of the Sunday call-out for surgical personnel and the extra fee for the emergency room doctor that could have been avoided if I had come during normal business hours.

Private Medical Care in Mexico - LewRockwell LewRockwell.com​

So um, pay $43,000 in a country where the medium income is $35,000 or spend $3,000 in a country where the medium income is a dollar a day? Tough choice. You're just lucky you made your income in America and not Mexico.

Median, not medium.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Who has a routine appendectomy, most instances are emergency situations???

Does it change the fact that there is 13x price difference ?

You chances of dying are probably 13X greater in Mexico than in the US.

When my teenage son had appendicitis, I called our local acute care center which was a few miles from home. They met me at the drop-off lane with a wheelchair. By the time I parked the car, the doctor met me coming in and said that he had already diagnosed appendicitis, and they had already called the hospital to say we were coming. We loaded my son back up into the car, and I drove straight to the hospital. Three hours later he was in recovery after surgery.

Tell me you can get that kind of service by driving all night to Mexico!

 

[thetor]

DIY is the cheapest...

At the lowest end you don't get what you want. At the high end you get ripped off. I'd say that private Mexican hospital is somewhere in the middle and US healthcare is a really expensive ripoff, with an emphasis on expensive and not so much emphasis on quality.

The quality is fine here in the USA yet it cost more because we are not a second rate nation like Mexico...P.S. it's a socialist nation also that must be why their medical care is cheaper....

Rubbish,you are paying far too much BUT keeping the Hospitals(private owners) in the life they are accustom to...US made phamacuticals sic half the price in Australia than in the US...Why???Because you are Scammed big time.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I had a medical condition that was caused by a surgeon’s mistake. That mistake caused me to have permanent nerve damage which I have suffered for the last 10 years. The doctor who did this damage lied to me . It took another three years of going from one doctor to another , all of these fine doctors were looking in the wrong place as to what was causing all this horrible pain . I had been told by the doctor who did the surgery , which was to repair a rectal tear, that the pain was from my hemorrhoids. Doctors are so stupid and just like to follow along with one another. Once in a while you find one who thinks outside the box . I went to see a neurologist and he told me that the doctor had sliced the nerves in that area. To late to sue to much time had past. The next thing was to find a doctor to help me deal with the pain. Another scam. Pain Specialist is what title they give themselves. They charge lots of money to put you thru hell with pain procedures. When that didn’t work I am given the wonder drug of that time Fentanyl patch. I was on that crap for 10 yrs. The doctor didn’t bother to tell me all the wonderful things that was going to do for me. Addiction, and a permanently damaged pancreas was my gift. When I went to see the pharmacist who happily filed my prescriptions all those years and brought this subject up she told me the doctor should have advised you about the dangers of using it. I asked what was your role in dishing out this crap she told me “ I can read you the side effects if you like”. I felt like I just got pissed on . All these people of medical science just got a free pass as there is no recourse in this country that holds them accountable for their actions.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Rectal tearing and hemorrhoids, huh?

Hmmmmmmm...

Not judging!

I feel sorry for your problems.

 

[Markle]

that should force the insurance company to negotiate for lower prices with the doctors and hospitals, shouldn't it???

Why do you demand the months-long waiting lists of Canada to see a specialist?

Are you aware that private physicians in Canada are thriving on a cash-only basis? Of course, they had to wait to start practicing until the Canadian Supreme Court determined that the prohibition of any private practice by a physician was unconstitutional.

As you know, it was Obamacare that forbid the government from negotiating with drug companies for lower prices.

 

[bgrouse]

At the lowest end you don't get what you want. At the high end you get ripped off. I'd say that private Mexican hospital is somewhere in the middle and US healthcare is a really expensive ripoff, with an emphasis on expensive and not so much emphasis on quality.

Indisputably the finest health care in the world. Period.

Based on what?

 

[Markle]

Yep, it let's people with a government-protected profession profit off of misery. Medical licensing is restricted by the government and existing doctors benefit greatly from this government-induced limit on the quantity of doctors, which allows them to charge what they charge. Big Pharma is even worse, being given exclusive rights to sell drugs for whatever they want. I bet they wouldn't be so rich if the Chinese were allowed to sell drug copies for pennies here in the US without having to adhere to patent laws. A real free market. Bet you won't see too many Big Pharma execs railing against patent laws that protect their profits.

Would you spend a Billion dollars over at least a decade to develop a new life-extending or life-saving drug if you could not obtain a patent so you could recoup your investment and make a profit?

 

[Markle]

At the lowest end you don't get what you want. At the high end you get ripped off. I'd say that private Mexican hospital is somewhere in the middle and US healthcare is a really expensive ripoff, with an emphasis on expensive and not so much emphasis on quality.

Indisputably the finest health care in the world. Period.

Based on what?

Results.

Quality of life after the diagnosis of a serious disease.

The number of new life-extending and life-saving drugs.

The number of new procedures and new technology.

 

[Markle]

Does it change the fact that there is 13x price difference ?

As we have seen from numerous posters, that is a flat-out lie.

 

[Markle]

I had a medical condition that was caused by a surgeon’s mistake. That mistake caused me to have permanent nerve damage which I have suffered for the last 10 years. The doctor who did this damage lied to me . It took another three years of going from one doctor to another , all of these fine doctors were looking in the wrong place as to what was causing all this horrible pain . I had been told by the doctor who did the surgery , which was to repair a rectal tear, that the pain was from my hemorrhoids. Doctors are so stupid and just like to follow along with one another. Once in a while you find one who thinks outside the box . I went to see a neurologist and he told me that the doctor had sliced the nerves in that area. To late to sue to much time had past. The next thing was to find a doctor to help me deal with the pain. Another scam. Pain Specialist is what title they give themselves. They charge lots of money to put you thru hell with pain procedures. When that didn’t work I am given the wonder drug of that time Fentanyl patch. I was on that crap for 10 yrs. The doctor didn’t bother to tell me all the wonderful things that was going to do for me. Addiction, and a permanently damaged pancreas was my gift. When I went to see the pharmacist who happily filed my prescriptions all those years and brought this subject up she told me the doctor should have advised you about the dangers of using it. I asked what was your role in dishing out this crap she told me “ I can read you the side effects if you like”. I felt like I just got pissed on . All these people of medical science just got a free pass as there is no recourse in this country that holds them accountable for their actions.
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I am truly sorry for your misfortune but not everything is easily diagnosed.

Mistakes happen, but what is your point?

 

[Markle]

Obamacare did NOT increase procedure costs .. it REDUCED them in some cases and slowed them down in others.
Why? Hospitals had fewer charity cases.
That boy's Daddy is an idiot.