Even Insured Often Face Crushing Medical Debt

nytimes.com

8 pointsaaronkrolik2 comments

So this is what I don't understand about the American healthcare system.

When an ER doctor in America charges me $2,700 for giving my toddler a simple IV that takes less than 10 minutes overall (not counting the 3 hour wait at the ER lobby), someone must be systematically getting very rich very quickly. Who is it? The doctor? The hospital owner(s)? The company that produces the IV fluids?

Most of that $2700 goes to provide treatment for the others in the ER who never pay or are paid for only partially (due to artificially-low reimbursements from agencies like MediCare or the V.A.).

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