'My bill was paid in full': Clever hospital patient uses logic and sarcasm to pay for his astronomical health insurance bill

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    Font - Posted by u/Dawn Beaver 2 days ago Don't want to pay for my ambulance? How about a helicopter instead? S OC
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    Font - I had an anaphylactic reaction a few months ago and recently received a large bill for being taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Apparently, the ambulance company (while owned by the in-network
  • 03
    Font - hospital) was out of network, so the bill was on me. Wanting to avoid this situation in the future, I called my health insurance company to ask what ambulance companies WERE in network. That's when I learned that
  • 04
    Font - absolutely no ambulances for a 150-mile radius are in network, except for three helicopter ambulance companies. So I live in a fairly rural area, where many folks are hours away from the nearest hospital, and farm accidents are common, so it
  • 05
    Font - makes sense that we have helicopter ambulances. But I live in town, and a ground ambulance is by far the cheapest and easiest thing for everyone. But it's not in network. The
  • 06
    Font - insurance representative said that the reason the ambulance wasn't covered was to encourage members to use in- network services. So I said, "The in-network option is a helicopter, and I live 3 miles by road from the hospital. Are you sure you want me to use the in-network
  • 07
    Font - option?" There was a long pause, and she said she had to check with her supervisor. A week later, I got letter from my insurance company saying that my bill was paid in full. Looks like they did not want that in-network option after all.
  • 08
    Font - Disastrous_Bell7490. 2 days ago Appeal every claim no matter what insurance it is, they all try to not pay on any technically they can.
  • 09
    Font - . dalgeek 1 day ago The major issue is that the people who often need the most care are those least able to pay for it. Chronic illnesses or cancer can lead to medical bills in the millions of dollars, which nearly no one can afford. Tying insurance to employment was also a disaster, basically stating that only people with jobs deserve medical care.
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    Font - thirdonebetween - 1 day ago My country has universal health care so I don't have first hand experience, but watching my friends be forced into the insurance their company offers - no matter whether it suits their needs - is both mind boggling and infuriating.
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    Font - kingeryck +3 - 1 day ago Medicare for all? No thanks, I don't want to pay for other people's healthcare! I like private insurance, where I pay for other people's healthcare AND the salaries of bloodsucking middlemen whose entire purpose is telling me no when I need medicine.
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    Font - dragon34 +1 • 1 day ago It's an absolutely mind boggling amount of cognitive dissonance. I don't want medicare for all. I just want to pay for the most expensive people to treat (elderly and disabled and a spattering of the very poor) and let the corporations profit more easily off of the rest of us.
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    Font - Turbulent-Jump-4884 1 day ago . I used to work with them as part of a healthcare network. We told people we were meant to manage costs for patients, but really we were in bed with Cigna and double-charging patients / artificially hiking rates. Cigna is straight up evil.
  • 14
    Font - graemefaelban 1 day ago Private insurance is straight up evil...
  • 15
    Font - • 1 day ago Alternatively, vote for politicians who promise socialised healthcare for all. WokeBriton Toum 44 Reply Share duvie773 +1 - 1 day ago Both, not alternatively.
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    Font - deterministic_lynx +2 - 2 days ago I feel like "ambulance ride for anaphylactic shock" may have a good chance to absolutely get you there, albeit with a legal fight. Then, again, your health care system is mind boggingly stupid.
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    Font - +3. 2 days ago your health care system is mind boggingly stupid. RivaTNT2M64 From a patient care perspective, absolutely. From a 'financial vampire looking to drain all he can' - genius. Can this be considered /s?
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    Font - Crash 1 day ago Bannedicoot +1 . It isn't stupid, it's driven by profits. Purely side effect of capitalism. As long as we think the system is "broken" nothing will change. Because the f ed up thing is that it isn't. The system is working exactly as it's intended to work. To make some rich people richer.
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    Font - deterministic_lynx +2. 1 day ago A health care systems working for profit is stupid. Don't care if it's stupid by design.
  • 20
    Font - BuffaloSafe2173 2 days ago Does your area charge for ambulances? That sounds just like a dystopia.
  • 21
    Font - unspecifieddude - 2 days ago I've taken a friend in an Uber to the hospital in order to avoid an astronomical ambulance bill.
  • 22
    Font - DumE98764 • 1 day ago I took the bus. Driving or taking an Uber/cab wasn't an option for me in that moment, so city bus it was. At least that route stops in front of the hospital.
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    Font - SmileyFace Havanna22 1 day ago I've had coworkers tell me that if they faint or are non-responsive, to NEVER call the ambulance. They can not afford it. You are correct. The USA is a dystopia.
  • 24
    Light - Posted by u/Dawn Beaver Don't want to pay for my ambulance? How about a helicopter instead? S OC JUS

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