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Re: Are Americans charged for emergency hospital care?

[(Anonymous)]

Australia, too. I'm fairly certain it works the same way, we all pay a little extra in taxes but the trade off is "free" health-care.

I've never had much experience with hospitals, so I can't say for certain that it's all entirely cost-free but I have spent time in the ER and been admitted for a short stay before and that's never cost a cent. I've also had cat-scans and x-rays and never been sent a bill. We pay an Emergency Services Levy, which as far as I'm aware is a small fee added to our water bills that means we don't have to pay out-of-pocket for ambulance rides.

I was watching friends last night and Rachel ended up in the ER. Monica asked if she had insurance and she says "sure, yeah, gonna want some of that!" and Monica says "Rachel, you don't have insurance?! An X-Ray's going to set you back $500 at least." I straight-up almost died when I heard that, I always forget what it's like over there, absolutely insane.

Re: Are Americans charged for emergency hospital care?

[(Anonymous)]

...the new thing, too, is that the ER jacks up prices astronomically.

anon with the friend who had to take an ambulance for alcohol poisoning, here, and she was upset/out of it when they released her? so she didn't check/google what the hell they were trying to give her to take home.

*makes face* they sent her home with like five or six extra-strength aspirin and charged her twenty bucks for the "prescription".

Re: Are Americans charged for emergency hospital care?

[(Anonymous)]

OP - I came across this horrifying little tidbit while researching this:

"Expanding health insurance coverage for the poor leads to a significant increase in costly emergency room visits, according to a new study."

Like.... No shit, now that people are insured they can actually AFFORD to visit the ER, whereas before they would have just suffered/died without seeking medical attention. Mind-boggling!

:-|


http://swampland.time.com/2014/01/03/study-expanding-health-coverage-increases-emergency-room-use/