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How much do Americans actually pay for healthcare? (pawb.social)

submitted 3 months ago by savvywolf@pawb.social to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Hey all, I'm British so I don't really know the ins and outs of the US healthcare system. Apologies for asking what is probably a rather simple question.

So like most of you, I see many posts and gofundmes about people having astronomically high medical bills. Most recently, someone having a $27k bill even after his death.

However, I have an American friend who is quick to point out that apparently nobody actually pays those bills. They're just some elaborate dance between insurance companies and hospitals. If you don't have insurance, the cost is lower or removed entirely. Supposedly.

So I'm just asking... How accurate is that? Consider someone without insurance, a minor physical ailment, a neurodivergent mind and no interest in fighting off harassing people for the rest of their life.

How much would such a person expect to pay, out of their own pocket, for things like check ups, x rays, meds, counselling and so on?

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[-] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

idk, maybe im just fucking insane, but like, i can't run the numbers for insurance to make sense.

Unless the courts are LITERALLY broken, or the entire society will collapse without the presence of insurance, i don't think it makes much sense.

Healthcare maybe, if it worked, it doesn't though. Life insurance is fucking stupid unless you work in an dangerous job and have a family, it might be useful then, but only when you die. Car insurance is only legally required because people driving cars can't accept their own responsibility of owning a fucking car. (you could argue it's for the public good, but lets be honest, it's not) home/building insurance might make sense if you live in a suburban home and your contract doesn't change, or like actually covers what it should.

There are more insurances but i feel like you'd be a fucking dumbass to even consider those. Insurance for your business? My brother in christ this is why we invented LLCs.

[-] silentTeee 2 points 3 months ago

Fun fact: I recently learned life insurance can be used as a mechanism for really wealthy people to dodge taxes. Basically under the right circumstances you can pull money from life insurance policies with little to no penalty (and no, I'm not talking about when you die). High Deductible Health Plans and their corresponding Health Savings Accounts also work the same way, because they accumulate interest and have no tax penalty when used under the right circumstances.

See here: https://smartasset.com/insurance/how-to-use-life-insurance-to-build-wealth

In essence, insurance is a scam to rob those who don't have much means, while simultaneously acting as a money laundering vehicle for those who do.

[-] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

ah yes a classic, the rich always get richer, and the poor always get poorer posting, they never get old.

this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024

240 points (98.4% liked)

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