“Medicare for All” would save the U.S $5.1 Trillion over 10 years

[u/The-Lucky-Investor]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/30/easy-pay-something-costs-less-new-study-shows-medicare-all-would-save-us-51-trillion

[u/Pickle_ninja]

In America:

Person with a fever of 99.0F (37.2C): Get back to work.

Person with a fever of 100.0F (37.7C): Stay home take some cough syrup.

Person with a fever of 101.0F (38.3C): Stay home take some cough syrup.

Person with a fever of 102.0F (38.9C): Stay home take some cough syrup.

Person with a fever of 103.0F (39.44C): I'm going to try cooling down with a bath.

Person with a fever of 104.0F (40C): I think I should go to the hospital.

Person coming across a Person convulsing on the ground with a fever of 105.0F (40.55C): "OMG! CALL A $10,000 AMBULANCE!"

In Countries with Universal Health Care:

Person with a fever of 99.0F (37.2C): I'm going to see a doctor.

[u/Secret_Squire1 → u/Pickle_ninja]

American having lived in Europe and the UK.

No it’s more like having to wait several weeks to be seen by a GP to be told to go home and take Tylenol while resting. I had my foot run over by a car and was told the same thing.

[u/brycebgood → u/Secret_Squire1]

"like having to wait saveral weeks to be seen by a GP"

And how long does it take in the US before you get in and are charged $400 for the 7 minute appointment?

[u/bloodphoenix90 → u/brycebgood]

$400?

Yall not have 15 dollar copays?

[u/Notcreative-number → u/bloodphoenix90]

More and more employers are pushing the high deductible plans. There's no copays, you just pay for everything non-preventative up to an annual max.

[u/bloodphoenix90 → u/Notcreative-number]

ah, i guess i just had decent insurance last time. $2000 out of pocket max and low copays for visits to your primary. Specialists will cost a higher bill of course.

[u/bailtail → u/Notcreative-number]

Yep. Insurance doesn’t pay shit for me until I’ve spent $2800.

[u/Fluffy-Bee-Butts → u/bailtail]

Do they pay for everything after that?

[u/Mastershroom → u/Fluffy-Bee-Butts]

Most insurances have two amounts that matter; the deductible, and out-of-pocket maximum. The deductible is the amount that you have to pay full price on your own for any medical expense before insurance even starts pitching in. Once you meet your deductible, they often have co-insurance percentages, which is the percentage that you still pay for additional medical expenses and the insurance covers the rest. The OOP maximum is a much higher amount where if you spend that much on medical expenses, then the insurance takes over and pays everything beyond that amount and you don't spend any more of your own money for the rest of the year.

For example, my deductible for in-network medical expenses is $3,200. So any doctor visits or exams or tests or procedures are paid entirely by my own money until I've spent $3,200, at which point Aetna starts covering part; I don't remember off the top of my head but I believe my co-insurance is 20% for most things once I meet my deductible, so if I've spent $3,200 already this year and I have a hospital visit that costs $1,000, I'd end up paying $200. And my OOP max for in-network is $7,000, so if I manage to spend 7 grand on medical expenses this year, then I'm done paying for any more for the year.

For out of network stuff, it's even more brutal; $10,000 deductible and $20,000 OOP maximum lmao.

That said, I chose this plan because my employer pays my entire premium, and I work at an urgent care clinic where I can be seen as a patient for a flat $50 instead of having to pay the full cost of a visit ($205) towards my deductible. So I just have to hope nothing goes horribly wrong with me lol.

[u/icySquirrel1 → u/bloodphoenix90]

Haha. Yall not have deductibles

[u/countdonn → u/bloodphoenix90]

Depends on the service and deductibles. One time I went to a doctor to get me ears cleaned instead of using q-tips like everyone says you should and was surprised by the $500 bill. Last time I ever did that.

[u/brycebgood → u/bloodphoenix90]

Nope. Fully out of pocket till I hit my annual max. Great fucking system we got.

[u/aka-j → u/bloodphoenix90]

After I meet my $3500 deductible and $3500 co-insurance, it's free!

cries

[u/2h2o22h2o → u/aka-j]

Hey don’t forget the $15k in premiums you (or your employer) paid for that privilege!

[u/IbegTWOdiffer → u/bloodphoenix90]

$30 here. I guess I am getting screwed by big healthcare...

[u/Least_Palpitation_92 → u/bloodphoenix90]

I used to work 3rd party benefits administration a decade ago and prices have only risen. The vast majority of Americans do not have deductibles. Those who do are either paying insane amounts for their insurance or are extremely privileged.

[u/BearsDoNOTExist → u/bloodphoenix90]

I had a $20 copay at my last job and then about a week after I signed up for it they "renegotiated" and changed it to a $40 copay with 20% coinsurance without changing the rates. So my 15 minute dermatologist visit was around $300, yeah. This was "good" government insurance too.

[u/bloodphoenix90 → u/BearsDoNOTExist]

That fucking sucks

[u/Studentdoctor29 → u/bloodphoenix90]

We do, the people complaining about paying a lot for visits are the same ones that buy the cheapest insurance. If you have even remotely average insurance you’ll have a 15 copay

[u/Least_Palpitation_92 → u/Studentdoctor29]

I used to work at a company providing 3rd party benefits administration and this is incorrect. Most Americans have high deductibles through their employers and still spend 4-800 a month for their high deductible health plans. Many employers no longer offer plans with co-pays.

[u/MegaRotisserie → u/Studentdoctor29]

Yeah? It depends on where you work. The last two companies(fortune 100) I worked for only had HDHPs as options and the best plan had a 2k deductible. Private insurance was anywhere from 800-1200 a month.

I think you’re out of touch.