How messed up is the US Healthcare System ?

[Abu Hadi]

Here is one example. 

My father in law had an appt on Monday (12/23) to get a CT Scan. He has a heart condition. His dr ordered the scan. 

I'm not sure how necessary it was because A) I'm not a doctor and B) I have not seen my father in laws health records, I just have some general knowledge about his condition. 

Anyway, his insurance company called and said they were not approving the CT Scan. What this means is that you can go get the scan, but we're (the Insurance) is not paying for it. The Dr. didn't call and tell us anything and the CT Scan would have cost thousands of dollars, which he would have got a bill for. Also, my father in law speaks limited English, and the message from the insurance is in English. 

I just happened to hear the message when he was checking his messages (this was the only one in English, btw). He was about to delete it. If I told him to cancel the appt and we would talk to the insurance. If he would have went to his appt, his doctor would have happily done the scan and he would have received a bill for thousands of dollars, which the insurance would not pay. He is on a very limited income and there is no way he could pay that bill. Of course neither the Dr. nor the Insurance cared a lick about that. That bill would have been hanging over his head for years, if not the rest of his life. He would be really upset because he actually pays all his bills. 

This is why when that CEO got assassinated, people were either not sad or actually (the other thing), lol. That's because millions of Americans go thru this type of garbage on a weekly or monthly basis, all because the US Govt and Insurance companies are only concerned about making money and aren't there to actually help anyone, even the poor and elderly. The US Govt is more concerned about helping Erdogan and the Zionists than helping the American people with things like healthcare, which are actually life and death issues. We are, I guess, the richest country in the world. There are millions of stories like this out there, this is only one of them. There are even multiple podcasts out there who's only subject they talk about is about US Healthcare system nightmares. 

Americans, please post your stories. I'm sure there are alot of them. 

Edited December 22, 2024 by Abu Hadi

[realizm]

 

You made your `amo a big favor here. We were discussing that with and elderly couple. Here there is a lot of business with medical centers charging several acts covered by insurances. Those centers are profit orientated and take advantage of the public healtsystem so that's another twist. 

However we are going slowly towards US model. The CEO of a major Insurance firm (Malakof Médéric) was the brother of former French President Sarkozy. Yes, the one who had Qadhafi killed after getting cash filled briefcases from him to fund his 2007 campaign. He was convicted a few days ago to jail btw - I mean staying home with an electronic bracelet. 

Ps : make sure your father in law gets his health checked properly though

Edited December 22, 2024 by realizm

[Guest Window]

I have a story. Not quite the same thing. But a problem I had with a doctor.

I didn’t like her style—she seemed to invest a lot of her personal views as an OB-GYN and project them on me. I had some female medical issues and she was a little dismissive and told me I went through these particular medical issues only because I decided to remain abstinent until marriage.

I fixed those issues through therapy and medical intervention. She still wasn’t impressed. Her technique wasn’t the best and it was causing discomfort whenever I would visit. It was like washing hair—some people are gentle and others are too rough. 

Fast forward: I was stalked a couple of years ago and this person found-out my doctor and sent nasty reforms/harassed her. I was in a vulnerable position because I was undiagnosed with PCOS during lockdown and it was at a time when doctors couldn’t see patients in person yet, they had to diagnose via telephone. And instead of expressing concern for my safety, when I called to schedule an appointment as soon as they were able to in person, I was told that the OB-GYN didn’t want to see me. I was in a lot of pain due to cysts, needed painkillers/medication, had sleepless nights and needed a prescription, and was going through a divorce.

This OB-GYN didn’t care that I needed medical attention at all vulnerable time in my life, and she certainly didn’t like that I challenged some of her views at the beginning and I think she was merely waiting for an excuse to terminate me because we were a poor fit. She didn’t notify the insurance company, and there was no formal termination letter—I was just told that she no longer wanted to see me. Odd. 

[Diaz]

In the place where I live, we pay $175 per year for medical insurance, it should be used only in public hospitals. If you want to go to private clinics or hospitals, you should check with insurance company that can provide it.  Thank god I have never seen anyone dying on the streets while others are just looking and walking away. The ambulance is for free too unlike in USA. 

[Abu Hadi]

3 hours ago, realizm said:

 

You made your `amo a big favor here. We were discussing that with and elderly couple. Here there is a lot of business with medical centers charging several acts covered by insurances. Those centers are profit orientated and take advantage of the public healtsystem so that's another twist. 

However we are going slowly towards US model. The CEO of a major Insurance firm (Malakof Médéric) was the brother of former French President Sarkozy. Yes, the one who had Qadhafi killed after getting cash filled briefcases from him to fund his 2007 campaign. He was convicted a few days ago to jail btw - I mean staying home with an electronic bracelet. 

Ps : make sure your father in law gets his health checked properly though

Yes. We're going to talk with the insurance to see what was there justification for denying to pay for the procedure. Once we have the justification, then we need to talk to the doctor to see if he could 'finesse' his finding in order to comply with the criteria the insurance has for approving it. It's a long and complicated process but definitely we will not let it go. 

We live about 20 minutes drive from Canada. In Canada, yes, there is sometimes a long wait to get procedures like CT Scans done. Sometimes months. But at least when the appointment is scheduled then there is no worries after that point. In the US, when the appt is scheduled, then the worrying actually starts then you worry the whole time till you get the bill, which could be months later. It is alot of stress on people and families but for nothing because there is an easy solution for it. Cut about 8% of the military budget and then we would have the money for a single payer system, similar to Canada (which isn't perfect but light years ahead of the US system in terms of taking care of health needs of the people) without raising taxes. 

Noone in government is proposing this though. I wonder why. I have my theories. 

Edited December 22, 2024 by Abu Hadi

[Guest Guest]

Doesn't the insurance policy tell you what is covered and what isn't? Or is there a gray area? 
 

OP mentioned the CT scan, wouldn't it say in one's insurance policy or coverage whether CT scans are covered or not? 
 

I do know that with some insurance companies you have to go to their designated providers or be in their system. 
 

They also do subsidize the insurance if your income is below a certain threshold right? Obamacare or the affordable care act? 

Obviously it's not like the UK or Canada where it's free, but it's not all that bad. 

The best thing one can do is to eat healthy, maintain a good weight, be in shape.

Exercise as much as possible. 

Invert. Invert. Invert. 

 

 

[notme]

My mostly nonverbal nine year old son with autism is only allowed 13 speech therapy sessions per year, in spite of the fact that his doctor and his speech therapist agree that he needs at least twice per week if he ever is going to be able to communicate.  

 

When my older son stepped on a needle in 2014, I had good health insurance through my employer.  Even so,  it took me two years to pay the portion not covered by the insurance I was paying $700 per month for and my employer was paying $400 per month more.  

 

We just don't go to doctors. You never know how much it's going to cost.  

15 hours ago, Guest Guest said:

Doesn't the insurance policy tell you what is covered and what isn't? Or is there a gray area? 

No.  Also, you never get a clear invoice or detailed billing statement.  

15 hours ago, Guest Guest said:

 but it's not all that bad. 

Yes, it really is that bad.  Most bankruptcies are related to medical bills.  Many people are driven into homelessness by medical bills.  Thousands of people literally die due to lack of treatment, or because they can't afford the medicines that keep them alive.  

Edited December 23, 2024 by notme

[notme]

6 hours ago, Abu Hadi said:

Noone in government is proposing this though. I wonder why. I have my theories. 

They don't want to anger their corporate sponsors.  

[notme]

I just came across this article.

[Mortada03]

Im from Europe and don’t know much about the health care system in the US but I once saw someone who got 1 million dollar bill it’s crazy. Those are real life Mafia. I hope it gets better and I hope people will get justice. 

[justAnothermuslim]

very sad, if true.

source

Dr. Scott Jensen is blowing the whistle on mass-medical fraud happening across the United States right now. This has been going on for some time. “I’m doctor Scott Jensen, and I am not exaggerating when I tell you, if you are a patient, your doctor, your insurance company, your clinic, your hospital, we can all get paid more if we make you sicker.”

[Quran313]

There's no "system". It's just something called health care.

[Diaz]

On 12/23/2024 at 10:38 PM, Mortada03 said:

Im from Europe and don’t know much about the health care system in the US but I once saw someone who got 1 million dollar bill it’s crazy. Those are real life Mafia. I hope it gets better and I hope people will get justice. 

Yeah I remember I saw a video of a Russian lady who gave birth in California and stay in the hospital only for a day, she has to pay $35k but because she has medical insurance, she paid only $2k. 

[Diaz]

I saw this video below and wanted to know if something like this can happen or is this lady making things up?

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDQudXKg4CS/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

[EiE]

Medicine and pharmacy has always been about the money, there's no interest in curing people, it's all about keeping them in their sick state and make as much money from the individuals as possible until they hit the grave

[notme]

13 hours ago, Diaz said:

I saw this video below and wanted to know if something like this can happen or is this lady making things up?

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDQudXKg4CS/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Probably true.  

Years ago when my adult children were small, I was in a children's dentist office with one son. A woman and her child came in, and the child was clearly in pain. The dentist was unable or unwilling to do the necessary procedure to resolve her pain because the woman's insurance wouldn't cover it. Instead, they prescribed pain medication, which is not only addictive and damaging to the body with long term use, it also has side effects which made it impossible for the child to carry on with her life as usual.  

This is why I am in favor of taxpayer funded healthcare for everyone.  

[Diaz]

30 minutes ago, notme said:

Probably true.  

Years ago when my adult children were small, I was in a children's dentist office with one son. A woman and her child came in, and the child was clearly in pain. The dentist was unable or unwilling to do the necessary procedure to resolve her pain because the woman's insurance wouldn't cover it. Instead, they prescribed pain medication, which is not only addictive and damaging to the body with long term use, it also has side effects which made it impossible for the child to carry on with her life as usual.  

This is why I am in favor of taxpayer funded healthcare for everyone.  

This is crimes against humanity, I’m speechless and don’t know what to say tbh. Like I have never heard about this in my whole life. 

[EiE]

56 minutes ago, notme said:

This is why I am in favor of taxpayer funded healthcare for everyone. 

 

Every person deserves access to good healthcare and the chance to live a healthy life. Health shouldn't depend on how much money you have or whether you pay taxes. When everyone has access to healthcare, they create a stronger and healthier society where everyone can thrive. It’s a fundamental human right.

The current healthcare system proves how broken it is. It prioritizes profits over people, leaving many without the care they need.

Makes you wonder why they made Covid vaccines for free, while other life threatening disease or conditions lacks the same support. And please don’t suggest it was solely due to the virus's "rapid" spread. We all know now how things really unfolded.....

[Panzerwaffe]

Drug addicts , hood rats and welfare queens with 8 asplenic kids , refugees from countries who hate us get 100 % coverage 

while average WORKING middle class families pinch pennies on healthcare and retired elderly are burdened by medical bills 

[Panzerwaffe]

On 1/5/2025 at 4:05 PM, EiE said:

Medicine and pharmacy has always been about the money, there's no interest in curing people, it's all about keeping them in their sick state and make as much money from the individuals as possible until they hit the grave

Obsession with individual freedom is our biggest problem 

All this fatty food and drinks are promoting obesity 

poor regulations on industry poisoning the environment 

$$$ sent to fight foreign wars 

[Panzerwaffe]

On 1/6/2025 at 4:34 AM, notme said:

Probably true.  

Years ago when my adult children were small, I was in a children's dentist office with one son. A woman and her child came in, and the child was clearly in pain. The dentist was unable or unwilling to do the necessary procedure to resolve her pain because the woman's insurance wouldn't cover it. Instead, they prescribed pain medication, which is not only addictive and damaging to the body with long term use, it also has side effects which made it impossible for the child to carry on with her life as usual.  

This is why I am in favor of taxpayer funded healthcare for everyone.  

Agree and those who can’t pay in money , pay with labor forced if needed provided if not truly disabled 

harsher laws against disability 

 

Edited January 10 by Panzerwaffe

[PureExistence1]

Salaam,

Just gonna throw this out there cuz of the fact that keeping people sick, health insurance, etc is all related.

"The shift in America from a predominantly holistic and homeopathic approach to an allopathic (modern, Western medicine) (think PHARMACEUTICAL)system occurred primarily during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This change was driven by a combination of social, economic, and institutional factors, with key events and figures playing pivotal roles:

Flexner Report (1910): 

One of the most significant turning points was the publication of the Flexner Report, commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation and authored by Abraham Flexner.

The report evaluated medical schools in the U.S. and Canada, emphasizing the need for a scientific and research-based approach to medicine. It criticized homeopathic and eclectic schools as unscientific and substandard.

As a result, many homeopathic and alternative medicine schools were closed or forced to adopt allopathic methods.

Rockefeller and Carnegie Influence:

Wealthy industrialists like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie heavily funded allopathic medical schools and research institutions, favoring scientific and pharmaceutical approaches.

Rockefeller, in particular, shifted from promoting homeopathy to supporting allopathic medicine, seeing its potential for systematization and profitability through the pharmaceutical industry.

By the mid-20th century, allopathic medicine had become the dominant system in the United States, with homeopathic and other holistic practices relegated to alternative or complementary medicine. (Most practitioners were labeled "quacks", etc...)

The influence of industrialists, scientific advancements, and institutional changes fundamentally reshaped healthcare in America.

----------------------------------

Interesting point: Natural remedies cant be "patented" so theres no REAL money there..

Another interesting subject: 

Many modern pharmaceuticals are petrochemical-derived or rely on petrochemicals during their production. Petrochemicals, which are chemical compounds made from petroleum and natural gas, serve as the base materials for synthesizing many drugs. Here's how:

Role of Petrochemicals in Pharmaceuticals:

1. Synthetic Drug Production:

Many active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are synthesized using petrochemical-derived compounds, such as benzene, toluene, and ethylene.

These compounds serve as building blocks for creating complex molecules used in medications.

2. Preservatives and Additives:

Petrochemical derivatives are often used as preservatives, stabilizers, or solvents in drug formulations.

3. Manufacturing Processes:

Petrochemical-based reagents and catalysts are commonly used in the chemical processes that produce pharmaceutical compounds.

4. Plastic Packaging:

Pharmaceutical packaging, such as blister packs, bottles, and syringes, often relies on petrochemical-based plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene.

Examples of Petrochemical-Derived Drugs:

Aspirin: The synthesis of acetylsalicylic acid often involves petrochemical intermediates.

Antibiotics: Many antibiotics are partially or entirely synthetic, using petrochemical precursors.

Statins and Antihistamines: These are frequently synthesized from petrochemical compounds.

Alternatives to Petrochemicals:

While petrochemicals dominate pharmaceutical production, there is growing interest in biopharmaceuticals and natural product-derived drugs:

Biopharmaceuticals: Drugs derived from biological sources, such as insulin or monoclonal antibodies.

Plant-Based Compounds: Historically, many drugs (e.g., morphine, quinine) came from natural plant sources, and research continues in this area.

Despite alternatives, the pharmaceutical industry remains heavily reliant on petrochemicals due to their abundance, cost-effectiveness, and chemical versatility.

-----------------------------------

Several studies have detected industrial chemicals, including petrochemical derivatives, in the umbilical cord blood of newborns, indicating prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants. Notable findings include:

Environmental Working Group (EWG) Study (2004):

Researchers found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10 newborns.

A total of 287 chemicals were detected, including pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and byproducts from burning fossil fuels.

Of these, 180 are known to cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. 

Scientific American Report (2009):

Over 200 chemicals were found in the umbilical cords of newborns, particularly among African-American, Asian, and Hispanic babies.

This highlights disparities in exposure to environmental pollutants among different demographic groups. 

WWF Study (2004):

Research indicated that umbilical cord blood carries hazardous chemicals to unborn babies, suggesting prenatal exposure to man-made pollutants. 

Key Takeaways:

Prenatal Exposure: These studies demonstrate that fetuses are exposed to a range of industrial chemicals before birth, as these substances can cross the placenta.

Health Implications: The presence of neurotoxins, carcinogens, and developmental disruptors in umbilical cord blood raises concerns about potential health risks, including impacts on brain development, increased cancer risk, and birth defects.

Environmental Health Concerns: The findings underscore the pervasive nature of environmental pollution and its infiltration into human biology, even at the earliest stages of life.

Need for Regulatory Action: The detection of these chemicals in newborns highlights the necessity for stricter regulations and policies to reduce environmental exposure to harmful substances, particularly among vulnerable populations.

These studies collectively emphasize the urgency of addressing environmental pollution to protect public health, especially the health of developing fetuses and infants.
-------------------------------------

With this type of a base, what can we REALLY expect as far as a "healthcare" system goes?