[Graybeard58]

My wife had surgery about a year ago and the total bill for hospital and surgery was around $75,000.

We do have good insurance and had zero out of pocket expence.

I can see how a few of those could really hurt people without good insurance.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

My uncle has $28,000 in medical costs that insurance doesn't cover. He can't pay it, told them he'll pay $200 a month just to keep the bill collectors away.

It's come to the point that you have to be careful getting out of bed in the morning.

[Ima Lurker]

I can see how a few of those could really hurt people without good insurance.

People with "good" insurance can be hurt also. In the case of cancer (and probably lots of other diseases) so many drugs are classified as "experimental" by the insurance companies and therefore not covered. What do they consider experimental? Anything they don't want to pay for.

[drt1]

Yes the costs escalate rapidly and ripple out into higher insurance costs everywhere.

I do my absolute best to stay as far away from hospitals nd doctors offices as possible! I mean geeez - talk about an incubator of diseases. Just take a look around your typical Doctors Office - People hacking and wheezing, some with communicable diseases. Hospitals are even worse!

Best only to go when absolutely, positively necessary or for a preventive checkup. So far it's worked for me - Haven't had a prescription or any medical thing for over 30 years.

Hope the wife is well.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

My mom and my brother were in and out of the hospital for years, due to manic-depressive. The bills were enormous and it took my dad the better part of 2 decades to pay them down. I was the 4th kid and there was no money for me to go to college - I got there entirely on my own. It was tough times. But we didn't go begging to the government for help!