Health Insurance Costs Surpass $20,000 Per Year, Hitting a Record

[Tony Nitrous]

Always interesting to see what good healthcare looks like in other countries. I avoid going to the doctors and hospitals because of the high cost. Even with insurance, it gets expensive really quick.

Without sounding like a hypochondriac (I’m really not!) I did go through a spell of questionable health. I had several months of seeing Doc’s and specialists. There were heaps of tests trying to find out why. Final result was a reduced lung capacity, a lazy valve in my heat, and a hernia. I’ve been on medication for other minor issues like blood pressure and arthritis for a while and get them regularly monitored. Well before any of this I went under the knife to correct a previous hernia. I also had a night in hospital with suspected Septicaemia.

I think the biggest bill I saw was from one doctor who didn’t “bulk bill” (no charge to the public) was where I had to pay him AU$75 and then there was an instant $45 refund into my account.

My annual eye tests and tests for glaucoma etc are always free at the opticians even if I walk out the door and don’t spend a cent.

I don’t know anyone here who has the slightest hesitation on going to the Doc, Hospital, casualty or opticians due to the cost.

There’s a lot of things wrong with Australia, (not as bad as the media portray it oversea’s though!) but over all the health care system isn’t one of them. It’s not perfect, there are issues with wait times for ambulances in some areas, a shortage of Doc’s in some rural remote towns and other problems, but having traveled a bit and lived in more than one country, it’s pretty good IMO.

 

[sixpack577]

I had a hernia fixed last year.
I have health insurance through my employer.
I paid close to $4k, with the total bills being over $51k.
I have a $3k out of pocket expense before insurance starts covering it.
I pay over $6k a year for my daughter and I, and it's deducted every pay day.
I'm waiting to find out next week how much the monthly premiums go up next year.
If you work, and don't have insurance here...you're f'd.
I know 2 people that had stints put in for their heart last yeat(outpatient procedure, no overnight hospital stay).
The bills were both well over $100k, fortunately they had insurance.
If not, they'd have been responsible to pay it all, or file bankruptcy, and likely still have wage garnishment for a percentage of the total.

 

[Tony Nitrous]

There is a “Medical Expenses Threshold“ here for folk without private cover. If you add up all your out of pocket expenses at the end of the tax year and exceeds a certain amount (I’ve never even got close to it) then you can use it against your annual tax calculation. Being out of pocket for medical expenses is a common and legit tax deduction to help support folk.

 

[JeffSyh]

Always interesting to see what good healthcare looks like in other countries. I avoid going to the doctors and hospitals because of the high cost. Even with insurance, it gets expensive really quick.

U.S has some of the best doctors and equipment in the world, my sister had treatments that could only be done in the U.S.

 

[DougE]

U.S has some of the best doctors and equipment in the world, my sister had treatments that could only be done in the U.S.

how does that work if you need to come to the US for medical treatment? Out of pocket expense or does insurance cover some?

 

[JeffSyh]

how does that work if you need to come to the US for medical treatment? Out of pocket expense or does insurance cover some?

Usually out of pocket or insurance but since she was part of the mayo clinic and was in clinical drug testing it was covered. If she wasn't in clinic testing the chemo pills were roughly 15,000-20,000 a pill out of pocket in canada.

 

[Bumblebee]

Usually out of pocket or insurance but since she was part of the mayo clinic and was in clinical drug testing it was covered. If she wasn't in clinic testing the chemo pills were roughly 15,000-20,000 a pill out of pocket in canada.

The health care system in Saskatchewan must be very different than it is here in Ontario as chemo treatments are covered here and in Newfoundland (where my wife is from).

 

[Tony Nitrous]

U.S has some of the best doctors and equipment in the world, my sister had treatments that could only be done in the U.S.

I wouldn’t know enough to agree or argue about that.

I do however prefer a system where your health care isn’t based on what you can afford and is accessible to all and not replayed to income or insurance. In a tax paying civilised society heath care shouldn’t be out of anyones reach.

 

[JeffSyh]

The health care system in Saskatchewan must be very different than it is here in Ontario as chemo treatments are covered here and in Newfoundland (where my wife is from).

They are covered if you agree for clinical trials or have very good benefits. It's all very interesting but I can't speak for other areas... but ontario is moving to private health care ontop of public. We are so short nurses and doctors here they keep moving to ontario.

@Tony Nitrous That's a double edged sword, I wouldn't mind having private to skip past all the drug addicts and obese people filling up our hospitals and making wait times astronomical.... with public health care you are also paying for degenerates that raise health care costs to the ceiling.... the amount of drug addicts in E.R's across Canada have exploded in the past 5 years.

 

[DougE]

@Tony Nitrous That's a double edged sword, I wouldn't mind having private to skip past all the drug addicts and obese people filling up our hospitals and making wait times astronomical.... with public health care you are also paying for degenerates that raise health care costs to the ceiling.... the amount of drug addicts in E.R's across Canada have exploded in the past 5 years.

this mentality is what keeps the US with bad healthcare. Imagine If someone said, I’d be ok with public healthcare as long as we can skip past all those motorcycle riders coming into the ER. They chose to ride a dangerous vehicle so why would do we have to provide them resources?

 

[Tony Nitrous]

The moment you rule anyone out or prioritise anyone you have a flawed system. Health care isn’t something that should ever be divided. Many countries have good systems where no individual out ranks any other.

Unless you don’t drink, don’t smoke, aren’t over weight, have never done drugs, have absolutely zero mental health issues, never have any high risk activities, eat super healthy etc etc etc, then you are just another burden or potential burden on any system.

Health care should never be a luxury. It should be a basic available service in any civilised society.

 

[JeffSyh]

this mentality is what keeps the US with bad healthcare. Imagine If someone said, I’d be ok with public healthcare as long as we can skip past all those motorcycle riders coming into the ER. They chose to ride a dangerous vehicle so why would do we have to provide them resources?

Cause I pay my fair share.... those drug addicts don't contribute to society why should they get societal services? I feel lower income families, children and elderly need public health care and it's great but you think justin trudeau goes to the local hospital like the rest of us?

You have way more empathy then I'll ever have.

 

[Tony Nitrous]

To draw a line and say those folk above it deserve good free medical care, those people below it don’t, tells you a lot more about the person drawing the line than it does the people either side.

 

[DougE]

Cause I pay my fair share.... those drug addicts don't contribute to society why should they get societal services? I feel lower income families, children and elderly need public health care and it's great but you think justin trudeau goes to the local hospital like the rest of us?

You have way more empathy then I'll ever have.

The way I see it is if they can get help, that’s one less person out on the streets being a possible danger to society. It may or not work but sometimes it’s good to keep hope. Especially during tough times like the world has seen recently.

 

[JeffSyh]

The moment you rule anyone out or prioritise anyone you have a flawed system. Health care isn’t something that should ever be divided. Many countries have good systems where no individual out ranks any other.

Unless you don’t drink, don’t smoke, aren’t over weight, have never done drugs, have absolutely zero mental health issues, never have any high risk activities, eat super healthy etc etc etc, then you are just another burden or potential burden on any system.

Health care should never be a luxury. It should be a basic available service in any civilised society.

Smoking and drinking and eating poorly should factor into higher taxes paid for healthcare.

 

[DougE]

Smoking and drinking and eating poorly should factor into higher taxes paid for healthcare.

Great way to keep the poor people in poverty.

 

[sixpack577]

I wouldn’t know enough to agree or argue about that.

I do however prefer a system where your health care isn’t based on what you can afford and is accessible to all and not replayed to income or insurance. In a tax paying civilised society heath care shouldn’t be out of anyones reach.

There are several well known medical facilities, as well teaching hospitals at major universities in the U.S.
I wouldn't know about or put down any other countries hospitals, but we are blessed with many great ones in the U.S.
Most dealing with cancer and uncommon diseases.
The best being St.Jude Children's Hospital/Cancer Center.
It is 100% free of charge, and food, rooms, and travel expenses are provided free to families.
It costs over a million dollars a day to operate, and runs solely on donations.

 

[JeffSyh]

Great way to keep the poor people in poverty.

If you can afford to smoke and drink you can afford the health tax along with them.

 

[TallTom]

If you can afford to smoke and drink you can afford the health tax along with them.

I was in line at a convenience store getting a drink.

Ahead orders a pack of cigarettes. Holy phook the prices!!!!!

 

[Bumblebee]

I was in line at a convenience store getting a drink.

Ahead orders a pack of cigarettes. Holy phook the prices!!!!!

I've never smoked but came from parents who were chimneys and smoked over a pack a day each.....

As I saw it, nothing good came out of smoking, people pay for something that not only makes them addicted but isn't good for them to boot and in the end they have nothing to show for the money they spent other than health issues.

When I drive by any school and see all the school aged kids out at the smoking areas puffing away, it is kind of depressing that this is still a thing. Now our country has legalized marijuana and more and more people are smoking that with no filters which definitely can't be good for you not to mention that second-hand smoke getting to the kids.

The idea of legalizing it was to give the courts a break with all the possession charges I guess.

The long term affects of the rampant use of marijuana has yet to be realized but I'd wager it won't be positive.