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I kind of feel like this is punching down, when you look at the larger context of how fucked up health care is in the USA.
In the USA, it's only the money that ever counts. Patient care is bottom of the list. One of the first things you see in any hospital ER is that "friendly" person with the rolling computer cart who wants to make sure you have insurance and can pay right fucking now.
The US healthcare system doesn't exist to provide healthcare - it exists to provide profits for shareholders. Any positive health outcomes provided are a fortunate byproduct - they certainly won't be delivered if they're unprofitable.
Of course, the same is true of any product under capitalism, but US health is a stark example.
For the last year, maybe more, I’ve had a pain in my side. I originally thought, “Well, fuck. I’m overdue for kidney stones. I must be a tougher bastard than I thought, because my grandpa and uncle are huge tough men who were reduced to toddlers over this.”
It went away for a couple months and recently came back. It got hard to sit down if I’d been standing and hard to stand if I’d been sitting (but not so hard that I’m crippled or anything). That has changed recently from this dull hollow ache to this kind of sharp pain like something went from swollen to withered. It isn’t something that is putting me out of commission, it just sucks.
On top of that my mouth was hurting every morning, now it’s most of the day. I thought it might be my wisdom tooth, but I should have periods that are pain free. I took antibiotics that my friend was prescribed before she had work done to see if that would help if there was infection. It didn’t.
I’m gonna have to bite the bullet and go to the doctor soon.
If I’m dealing with serious issues, I don’t know if it would be better to kick the bucket and spare my family or deal with the nightmare of bills and travel and loss of my meager income. At least if I die, they can get social security checks to keep them afloat until my lady finds a good man. She’s a spectacular woman and she definitely deserves better than me.
It sucks that our health is a for profit system. It’s hard to trust anyone who is out for money.
I have a friend with ulcerative colitis. Her insurance company didn’t want to pay for the only medicine that has worked for her and now she’s relying on a charity to pay for the meds.
What a fucking joke. I’m almost rebellious enough to get a tattoo that says, “haha, tell the doctors and pharmaceutical companies that they didn’t get shit from from this corpse” and just die and have a shirtless funeral and encourage people to take pictures and post time online.
That was really scary to read!
Here's an adult in a modern western country who seriously weighs death against well-being. That is mind-boggling to me.
With all my heart, I sincerely hope you find your way to health, without being crippled by debt.
My guy, I'm truly sorry to hear the state you're in, and hope you get the care you need soon without it crippling you financially.
I'm not sure what your options are for visiting a neighbouring country that doesn't have the worst cost/outcome ratio in the world bar none, but that may be worth researching.
Any positive health outcomes provided are a fortunate byproduct - they certainly won't be delivered if they're unprofitable.
While the US healthcare system is certainly fucked up, this isn't really true. Emergency rooms are required by law to administer care, regardless of someone's ability to pay, and a lot of hospitals will waive the cost if you apply for financial assistance and have limited income. Granted, they're not going to see you for physical therapy, and other required follow-up care, but they administer unprofitable healthcare all the time. In poorer neighborhoods people use the ER as a primary care facility, since that's the only place they can be seen without money or insurance.
Do you think a government-mandated exception for dire circumstances is a meaningful counter-argument to the fact that the healthcare system is run for profit not care - even as you acknowledge the gaps in care created by affordability?