I had a shock a couple of months ago when I saw my water and electric bill. They’re combined where I live. I couldn’t believe I had actually used that much. I went out and read my meter and the numbers were about 800KW below what the bill was claiming. I called and found out that they are having trouble finding meter readers so they were estimating the usage. They sent out a supervisor and ended up lowering my bill by $100. He admitted that they were only reading the meter every other month. I now read it myself and watch what they’re billing me.
I wonder how many other people were over billed and did nothing about it.
All too true! Around 62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to medical bills – and 3/4 of them had medical insurance. Also, a third of GoFundMe campaigns are families desperate to pay health care bills. But try to get universal health care or a single-payer system here, and right-wing pundits howl about every wino getting a free liver transplant. The horror stories that our so-called health care system generates in just one year would fill a book as thick as any volume in the “Song of Ice and Fire” series.
My spouse thankfully has comprehensive insurance because he belongs to a union. He had a burst appendix and the “estimated” hospital bill was $250,000 (not including surgical costs, specialists, etc.). Reviewing the bill, I found that they were including charges for the three rooms (SICU, transition to regular care and then a regular room) for the entire time he was in the hospital. Didn’t realize he could be in three rooms at once.
One of the Trumpers that posts here was listing Trump’s “accomplishments” and included a mandate for hospitals to post prices so you can “shop”. Just what I want to do when I have a medical emergency.
BTW, the other “accomplishments” were things like decimating EPA regulations and the disastrous 2017 tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. For the latter, note that the corporate part of those tax cuts heated up the stock market (which is NOT the economy), CEOs bought back stock (just like they said they would), raised the debt and deficit and execs did NOT invest in their companies or employees like they used to do when the tax rates were higher and the company needed to lower their tax liabilities.
If you think health care was expensive before, consider the mountain of unpaid hospital bills that covid victims (both survivors and the not-so-fortunate) have left behind. Either someone’s going to have to pay for it (hello, taxpayers and insurance-premium-payers), or hospitals will go out of business, which is happening to a large extent in small municipalities.
The last time I heard, more than 2/3 of the people asking for money on GoFundMe were doing so because of medical bills.
The fact that the people who think their right to inhale and spread the germ is more important than public health are more than 90% of the people who are now hospitalized and in ICUs due to covid will just drive this cost more. And they will complain the loudest, more than likely.
Intentional ignorance is rampant and costly. It does not bode well for our country’s future.
@FreyatheWanderer- Yep, yep. All too true. I remember back in 2013-14 I had to have two hip replacement surgeries and I was so glad I had good medical coverage because each surgery was $69, 000! And I’m not even talking about rehab stay after each surgery! And I am so glad I worked for the city and was able to accrue vacation and sick time because I had my first surgery in October and the second one in February. Altogether I was able to stay out from October to the first week in June of 2014. I’m also glad I didn’t squander away any of the money I received from disability right before I came back to work, I had to rush one of my cats to the animal hospital!
IT Sauzeech over 2 years ago
I had a shock a couple of months ago when I saw my water and electric bill. They’re combined where I live. I couldn’t believe I had actually used that much. I went out and read my meter and the numbers were about 800KW below what the bill was claiming. I called and found out that they are having trouble finding meter readers so they were estimating the usage. They sent out a supervisor and ended up lowering my bill by $100. He admitted that they were only reading the meter every other month. I now read it myself and watch what they’re billing me.
I wonder how many other people were over billed and did nothing about it.
FreyatheWanderer over 2 years ago
All too true! Around 62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to medical bills – and 3/4 of them had medical insurance. Also, a third of GoFundMe campaigns are families desperate to pay health care bills. But try to get universal health care or a single-payer system here, and right-wing pundits howl about every wino getting a free liver transplant. The horror stories that our so-called health care system generates in just one year would fill a book as thick as any volume in the “Song of Ice and Fire” series.
Radish the wordsmith over 2 years ago
Republicans prevent national health care.
Bookworm over 2 years ago
The GOP health care plan is based on a carefully calculated ratio; The Cost of living going up to the Chance of living going down. /s
librarylady59 over 2 years ago
Proves we need to expand wind power and solar power. And healthcare for all.
mwksix over 2 years ago
Wait till you see his bill for the icepack!
Nantucket Premium Member over 2 years ago
My spouse thankfully has comprehensive insurance because he belongs to a union. He had a burst appendix and the “estimated” hospital bill was $250,000 (not including surgical costs, specialists, etc.). Reviewing the bill, I found that they were including charges for the three rooms (SICU, transition to regular care and then a regular room) for the entire time he was in the hospital. Didn’t realize he could be in three rooms at once.
One of the Trumpers that posts here was listing Trump’s “accomplishments” and included a mandate for hospitals to post prices so you can “shop”. Just what I want to do when I have a medical emergency.
BTW, the other “accomplishments” were things like decimating EPA regulations and the disastrous 2017 tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. For the latter, note that the corporate part of those tax cuts heated up the stock market (which is NOT the economy), CEOs bought back stock (just like they said they would), raised the debt and deficit and execs did NOT invest in their companies or employees like they used to do when the tax rates were higher and the company needed to lower their tax liabilities.
I Play One On TV over 2 years ago
If you think health care was expensive before, consider the mountain of unpaid hospital bills that covid victims (both survivors and the not-so-fortunate) have left behind. Either someone’s going to have to pay for it (hello, taxpayers and insurance-premium-payers), or hospitals will go out of business, which is happening to a large extent in small municipalities.
The last time I heard, more than 2/3 of the people asking for money on GoFundMe were doing so because of medical bills.
The fact that the people who think their right to inhale and spread the germ is more important than public health are more than 90% of the people who are now hospitalized and in ICUs due to covid will just drive this cost more. And they will complain the loudest, more than likely.
Intentional ignorance is rampant and costly. It does not bode well for our country’s future.
I C U over 2 years ago
Was it Sarah Palin who said there would be Death Panels?
mxy over 2 years ago
Actually, he’s supposed to say covid related.
Radish the wordsmith over 2 years ago
Every civilized country has national health care except this one because of lying backward republican primitives.
FrankErnesto over 2 years ago
Republicans made it illegal for the Government to try to negotiate lower drug prices. How’s that for corruption?
djtenltd over 2 years ago
@FreyatheWanderer- Yep, yep. All too true. I remember back in 2013-14 I had to have two hip replacement surgeries and I was so glad I had good medical coverage because each surgery was $69, 000! And I’m not even talking about rehab stay after each surgery! And I am so glad I worked for the city and was able to accrue vacation and sick time because I had my first surgery in October and the second one in February. Altogether I was able to stay out from October to the first week in June of 2014. I’m also glad I didn’t squander away any of the money I received from disability right before I came back to work, I had to rush one of my cats to the animal hospital!