239

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

submitted 2 months ago by savvywolf@pawb.social to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

217 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] whodovoodoowedo@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

I started a new job this week, in the US, and for a family of four I'm going to pay $30,000 per year in premiums....only premiums.

[-] merari42@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Holy shit, I pay the highest possible payment for public health insurance in Germany (which would also cover any kids till age 25) and this is only roughly 10.000€ per year and way cheaper for people who earn less than me.

[-] whodovoodoowedo@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Do you only have to pay the 10.000 and everything is covered or is there still more to pay per visit or procedure?

[-] merari42@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

All normal procedures at my general practitioner, specialists or hospitals are fully covered. Dental procedures cost extra as they are only partly paid by the insurance (but have manageable prices, i.e. the biggest one was a root canal and a crown for 400€). Pharmacys are also not covered. For example, my dad has to pay around 100€ a month for insulin and test strips for his diabetes.

this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024

239 points (98.4% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26672 readers

1631 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Please don't post about US Politics.

Rules: (interactive)

1) Be nice and; have fun

Doxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them

2) All posts must end with a '?'

This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?

3) No spam

Please do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.

4) NSFW is okay, within reason

Just remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].

5) This is not a support community.

It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.

Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.