Outrageous medical costs.

[warrior queen]

So.... In the past year, my eyes have deteriorated and I need new glasses.
New ones are going to cost $1400. And that's with the rebate!
Also need some dental work.
Cost? $2500. I had the same work done on another tooth while living in South Africa. Cost $140.
Recently a friend had cataracts removed. Cost her almost $4000.
Call me crazy, but the Fred Hollows Foundation does cataract surgery in poor countries for $25 per eye.
So why are we paying so much?

 

[Super-Surprise]

Capitalism: An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

 

[HisArpy]

Two reasons;

One is that the higher medical costs here subsidizes the almost-free and free medical for poor nations over there.

The other is your medical costs reflect the political tampering that's happened because of the ACA debacle. The ACA requires health insurers to pay out 80% (I think it's 80%) of premiums and keep only 20% for overhead costs. You want to justify a cushy salary and overhead costs in excess of the 20%? Raise the amounts you'll pay to medical providers and drug companies. The result is that costs went through the roof. You're probably better off not having insurance or telling the doc you don't have it even if you do.

Lots of places do eye exams for <$200. Take the script to a discount glasses place and you're out the door for under $500 for 2 pair of designer frames.

 

[Noor]

I got some glasses at Zenni for about $35.
They only lasted about a year, but they worked.
I tried superglue and extended their life another month.

 

[Noor]

Google cheap eyeglasses, Australia has a bunch of them.

 

[warrior queen]

Two reasons;

One is that the higher medical costs here subsidizes the almost-free and free medical for poor nations over there.

The other is your medical costs reflect the political tampering that's happened because of the ACA debacle. The ACA requires health insurers to pay out 80% (I think it's 80%) of premiums and keep only 20% for overhead costs. You want to justify a cushy salary and overhead costs in excess of the 20%? Raise the amounts you'll pay to medical providers and drug companies. The result is that costs went through the roof. You're probably better off not having insurance or telling the doc you don't have it even if you do.

Lots of places do eye exams for <$200. Take the script to a discount glasses place and you're out the door for under $500 for 2 pair of designer frames.

My eyes are fucked.Standard lenses won't help me see.
The lenses cost me 650 each after all the modifications/additions are added. If they weren't, I would have glasses that are almost 2cm thick, which I wouldn't be able to use in daylight. As she was totalling up I saw + $140 for this mod, + $190 for that, + $165 for something else...... each thing cost extra per lens!
Mind you - these are the first glasses with several modifications in the one pair. Until now, I have had separate sets of glasses for day use, night use, etc.

 

[Hard_Rom]

So.... In the past year, my eyes have deteriorated and I need new glasses.
New ones are going to cost $1400. And that's with the rebate!
Also need some dental work.
Cost? $2500. I had the same work done on another tooth while living in South Africa. Cost $140.
Recently a friend had cataracts removed. Cost her almost $4000.
Call me crazy, but the Fred Hollows Foundation does cataract surgery in poor countries for $25 per eye.
So why are we paying so much?

Totally special eyeglasses I have no idea what costs could be. My very heavy prescription goes 180+ frames. About 400 for a good set of glasses.

2500 on one tooth! Seems a bit much. That should but heavy work on many teeth.

Cataract surgery is free here.

 

[Ms_Ann]

The Mayo Clinic portion of my cancer treatment is up around $70k. Beats being dead I guess.

 

[warrior queen]

The Mayo Clinic portion of my cancer treatment is up around $70k. Beats being dead I guess.

I had all my cancer treatment free under our health system. I had treatment begin 3 days after the positive biopsy result. Paid $6-20 per prescription for some pain meds and that was it.
So I guess I shouldn't complain.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[girlsmiley]

I've often asked myself why things cost so much.

I have discovered that it's because I'm a cunt.

 

[warrior queen]

I've often asked myself why things cost so much.

I have discovered that it's because I'm a cunt.

You are so not a cunt!

 

[warrior queen]

I am going to have some dental work later this year. I am estimating about 9 k. But my new dentist is less expensive and is yet to quote. I am hoping I am pleasantly surprised.

Costs in different places also reflect different costs of living and doing business. Spend les, but often also earn less.

I need a new implant. The implant costs 1,800. Associated dental work on the teeth either side makes up the rest of the cost.
My first implant was cheap as! Different country, different price.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Noor]

My pony gifting friend's son had an implant with no bone graft recently, his cheapest quote was ten thousand pounds. He went for that and it's all gone terribly wrong

My implant with bone graft was about $2000 but the crown will be done separately, I imagine that will be quite a bit too. I didn't price shop, I looked for the best oral surgeon I could find.
We are going slowly to make sure my body deals with it. So far, I have only had a reaction to the tooth rinse used after.
Crown soon...

 

[Suppository]

So.... In the past year, my eyes have deteriorated and I need new glasses.
New ones are going to cost $1400. And that's with the rebate!
Also need some dental work.
Cost? $2500. I had the same work done on another tooth while living in South Africa. Cost $140.
Recently a friend had cataracts removed. Cost her almost $4000.
Call me crazy, but the Fred Hollows Foundation does cataract surgery in poor countries for $25 per eye.
So why are we paying so much?

http://gif-finder.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/AubreyPlazaNo.gif

"Thank you for sharing your personal problems."

 

[HisArpy]

http://gif-finder.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/AubreyPlazaNo.gif

"Thank you for sharing your personal problems."

That's cold. People come here and share their lives with the community. If you can't hack that, there's an exit plan. All you have to do is ask Laurel to delete your account. Sometimes she'll even do it before you ask.

 

[HisArpy]

Hey Noor, what the hell does this mean?

hoo mchm huq h khz xw ncfaj

PM me if you don't want everyone else to know, but it's driving me crazy.

 

[warrior queen]

That's cold. People come here and share their lives with the community. If you can't hack that, there's an exit plan. All you have to do is ask Laurel to delete your account. Sometimes she'll even do it before you ask.

Heh.
Once you realise that some people have much larger internet balls than real ones, none of the snark has impact anymore

 

[HisArpy]

Heh.
Once you realise that some people have much larger internet balls than real ones, none of the snark has impact anymore

I don't mind the difference of opinions and debates that come from that. I don't even mind the huffiness that happens from emotional overload on subjects that are strongly felt. That stuff happens. Ce la vie.

But, when someone makes nasty comments about someone's need to vent because of their health or genetics or whatever, it shows a basic character flaw that can't be solved with a shake of a finger or the iggy list.

It can occasionally be TMI, but that doesn't mean anyone should be free to berate someone for not having any other outlet for their problems. Or for feeling so comfortable here that they feel safe in letting us see deeply into their lives for that moment. It's actually an honor to be trusted that much by someone you don't really know.

 

[warrior queen]

I don't mind the difference of opinions and debates that come from that. I don't even mind the huffiness that happens from emotional overload on subjects that are strongly felt. That stuff happens. Ce la vie.

But, when someone makes nasty comments about someone's need to vent because of their health or genetics or whatever, it shows a basic character flaw that can't be solved with a shake of a finger or the iggy list.

It can occasionally be TMI, but that doesn't mean anyone should be free to berate someone for not having any other outlet for their problems. Or for feeling so comfortable here that they feel safe in letting us see deeply into their lives for that moment. It's actually an honor to be trusted that much by someone you don't really know.

If you look hard enough, you see some posters whose entire net-life consists of berating others, snarky responses, and downright nastiness.
I feel a little (only a tiny little, mind you!) pity for them, as their real life must be pretty bad for them to be like that.
I generally just pass on over their posts these days. In my early days here, I would reply to everyone who typed something to me. I learned though

 

[Noor]

Hey Noor, what the hell does this mean?



PM me if you don't want everyone else to know, but it's driving me crazy.

It's a simple cipher and most of the the GB knows now

 

[butters]

That's cold. People come here and share their lives with the community. If you can't hack that, there's an exit plan. All you have to do is ask Laurel to delete your account. Sometimes she'll even do it before you ask.

nope

you should read the FAQs

very very very few accounts get deleted, and it's for better reasons than someone deciding they've had enough here.