My friend was admitted to a hospital emergency for Chest pain and was ultimately released after 3-4 days with stent in one of his arteries. The Hospital Bill was more than 70,000 dollars. This did not include the bills of the doctor, cardiologist, lab tests, X-ray and emergency doctor which probably amounted to additional almost 12,000/-. The insurance company paid the contracted almost $45000 and the balance of deductible and co pay of almost 5000/- was paid by patient. How can you justify such outrageous bills??
In Thailand you can get this kind of procedure for less than $2000/- , In India for $600/- and as per National Public Radio, in Japan the ordinary per room charges in the hospital is only $10/- per night.
In USA even with generous overheads and profits, the bill should not have been more than $7000- $10,000. Some body should do work/cost study on each and every procedure in the health care industry. We all end of paying for this rip off. Similarly, the research costs of a drug are not more that 15% of big Pharma budget. Therefore they should only charge an extra 15-25 percent. Instead these guys charge you almost 500% to 1000% more than the actual cost of manufacturing and overheads.
My hat is off to Wendall Potter. Potter places the responsibility for our nation's healthcare woes where it clearly belongs: the healthcare insurance monopolies.
Congress, and the White House refuse to acknowledge what most of us already know: the gross injustices in our healthcare is due to corporate greed! 18,000-22,000 Americans die annually because the HMOs reject needed treatment or because the victims cannot pay for needed services!
Given these facts one can only wonder why our president and Congress cannot bring themselves up to calling a spade a spade? Given these facts why are they allowing the HMOs and other corporate interests continued control or even participation in our healthcare??
The fact is our elected officials are as useless and untrustworthy as any enemy real or imagined. They respond only to huge campaign contributions and our needs are quickly ignored! The rest of the world should bring our government up on mass violation of human rights before the United Nations! The fact that our elected officials can be so easily bought off should be a known fact to the rest of the world! HEALTHCARE IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE OR COMMODITY!
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