I spent half that time in Critical Care (much of that on a ventilator, a small amount sedated), and most of the rest in a specialist neuro-rehab unit. I would have died otherwise.
Fortunately it cost me nothing - Thank Bevan for the NHS - but if I were in the US I imagine I would be financially crippled!
You would have lost your job and likely be on medicaid and disability and it would be very unclear if you have or lost your house and possessions but keeping hold of them moving forward would be almost impossible unless you could find a new job which is also highly unlikely.
Also, at some point you couldn’t afford care anymore. So you would have stopped treatment and died.
maybe. the us is odd in that if you literally cannot walk out on your own they usually keep you while the bills rack up.
The average cost of a hospital stay in a U.S. hospital is about $3,000 per day, but it varies significantly by location. So long stays like yours might cost between $250,000 and $500,000.
If your insurance covers it (and about 92% of Americans have health insurance), you’d be looking at your annual out of pocket max, which the law caps at $18,000 for family plans or $9,000 for individual plans, but which most people on employer sponsored plans (around 60% of Americans) have out of pocket maxes around $4,000 to $5,000. Source
So for most Americans, your hospital stay would’ve probably cost the individual patient about $5,000. Insurance would’ve paid another $350,000.
But for some Americans, they’d be looking at a $360,000 bill and then would just file bankruptcy, start over with close to a net worth of zero, at least for non-exempt assets (people generally get to keep their homes, cars, and retirement accounts in bankruptcy so it won’t actually be starting from zero if you’re well into a middle age in the middle class).
Or worse, the hospital would realize they’re not getting paid, and then would find a reason to kick you out as soon as you’re stabilized. They have to keep you alive even when you can’t pay, but don’t have to treat you beyond that for free.
And if you do have insurance and get a bill over a few thousand, there are pretty good odds insurance will deny paying for it and drag you through many levels of confusing and auto-denied appeals over the course of 6+ months! Even if your procedure is clearly covered in your summary plan description or required by law.
And this is why Brian Thompson got what was coming to him.
Agree 100% except one thing to be a little picky, the insurance doesn’t pay the full 350k like ever, that’s the list price they have negotiated prices with the hospital that differ, and if your ask the hospital bursar/collections you can get a cash price that’s usual less as well.
With the recent changes to the medical insurance landscape in America, and thousands upon thousands of people losing their jobs due to various factors, your 90% figure is pretty generous. Add in the fact that most insurance is tied directly into employment, Americans have much less options than the rest of the free world, unless you are filthy rich.
Your first stop would be a bankruptcy lawyer.
if you can afford one lol.
This is too hard to answer because of the number of variables at play like, do you have insurance, does your condition/issue qualify you for Medicare, does your job offer disability leave, are you FMLA eligible, do you meet requirements for SSA disability etc.
Anecdotally, in 2017 I spent two non-consecutive months in the hospital. The first visit I came in through the ER, ended up in the ICU intubated and worked my way through each section as I got better.
My second stay I skipped the ICU but had a transplant halfway through. I also was on dialysis for the ~6 months in between.
Dialysis was billed at $7k a visit, roughly $500k in total. The transplant surgery alone was ~$750k. The hospital stays came to about $5k a day on average for roughly $300k in total.
So straight billed amount I was somewhere in the $1.5-$1.7 million range.
Jesus fuck. I hope you are doing better now. Did any of the bills go away or you just paying on in it forever?
I am doing better though it’s looking like I’ll need another transplant at some point.
Fortunately, I had good insurance through work and because I ended up in renal failure that makes you automatically eligible for Medicare (one good thing Nixon did). Also, the billed amount gets discounted based on whatever deal your particular insurance has with the provider, so billed amount ≠ paid amount. Unless you’re uninsured.
I did ended up going through bankruptcy anyway but that had more to do with my choices and lifestyle leading up to all of this. It did wipe out any portion of that bill that would have been my responsibility though
How were you living before to become bankrupt?
As an alcoholic whose life was barely under control.
The long story short version is that, over 10ish years I drank myself almost to death, ended up hospitalized with liver and kidney failure, got discharged and went through treatment and the ended back in the hospital in pretty serious need (so they told me) of a transplant.
Fortunately for me I got listed and was transplanted 5 days later. After that I realized I was given a second chance most people don’t get and worked to turn my life around.
I’m now 8 years sober, good credit, married with a house, 2 dogs, 2 cats and I wake up every day grateful to have this extra time.
you will also be on immunosuppresants long term, because organ transplants too. only some of those medicines are probably cheap.
Yes, and they are not cheap. I typically hit my insurance deductible by the end of February each year.
I’m the kind of person insurance companies hate because I’m expensive and they can’t deny most of my care.
the tacrolimus is tablet is cheap, you’re probably taking something like mycophenolate, or a biologic.
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Don’t give them ideas, they’re already trying to control women and negate body autonomy.
All the screwed. And now as of this month medical debt will be part of your credit reports, so good luck on getting a home loan or job
Why on earth would debt effect getting a job? My employer doesn’t know my credit rating.
Mortgage and loans I understand but not the job bit.
Credit history is often included in US background checks
That’s bonkers. My employer has No reason to know my credit rating and unless I’m working in some kind of ‘protected’ industry not sure why I would require a background check.
They changed the law so medical debt can go on your credit score.
I get that. I don’t get why my employer should be aware of it though.
I’m speculating here, and don’t think for a second I’m in favour of this, but probably so your employer knows how desperate you are for a job and therefore how much they can push you.
Or how likely you are to steal money, especially in a role with access to cash or bank accounts.
I’m not from the US, but I’ve heard someone from there explain the system.
When you go to hospital, and get a bill of $250.000 your insurance company will cover let say $50.000. You will get a bill for $1.200 and the rest will be declared by the hospital to their insurance company as damages.
It’s super weird, I still don’t get it but apparently this is how it works in most cases, or as I’m told.
More likely you just would not have been kept in hospital four months here. Somehow we have the combination of highest cost and also cost-cutting schemes.
To answer your question - $18,000 I guess, if I got lucky and the insurance worked correctly. That’s the alleged max out of pocket for the insurance I pay for at work.
According to https://nchstats.com/average-cost-of-hospital-stays-in-us/ the average cost for inpatient care in the United States is 3,025 dollars.
4 months of 30 days multiplied by 3,025 is equal to 363,000 dollars without insurance.
That is an entirely believable number to me.
I’m British just reading this thread and shaking my head. Can’t fathom these stories.
And hope that the tories don’t get into power again and kill the NHS.
If you spent 4 months in a U.S. hospital and didn’t die, you would spend the rest of your life wishing you did.
That depends.
Are you wealthy? If yes, you’re fine. If no, you’re fucked.
Are you a veteran? Same answers.
Are you poor? You probably died in the waiting room.
Are you a veteran? Same answers.
Ha. Hahaha. Yeah. No. Not necessarily.
Source: knew way too many vets with awful, untreated ailments from my time in US healthcare.
In Canada. A very good friend of mine who is around 70 but acts more like in his 30’s which kept him feeling good. Hey we only have one life let’s enjoy it.
Unfortunately it caught up with him a month or so ago.
He was in a vicious motorcycle (his) accident that took an eye, a leg, needed facial reconstruction and wrecked chest. He cannot speak as his jaw is wired shut. I am disabled and cannot get up north to see him. His daughter calls me once in a bit to fill me in.
I cannot begin to comprehend how much his operations, rehab, prosthetics and hospital fees would be in the states. I assume he won’t be getting out for a few months (I am not very knowledgeable on medical stuff) then a ton of therapy. I was told he also has insurance on top of his Ontario health card so hopefully he is in very good hands.
Unless you got a couple of million bucks in your bank account…. Super fucked
I don’t know the answer to your question, but I will say that I’m glad you’re still here with us, friend
According to https://nchstats.com/average-cost-of-hospital-stays-in-us/#google_vignette the average is $3.025 per night. 4 months = 120 days = $363,000 = €313.307,21
