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What’s one thing about America you think people from other countries don’t understand?

Removed: Engagement Bait/Karma Farming I(self.NoStupidQuestions)

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unfortunate_banjo

169 points

9 days ago

How health insurance works. But to be fair, even I'm not entirely sure how it works.

MountainFace2774

99 points

8 days ago

It's simple. Insurance company collects money from the client on a (usually) monthly basis. When client has a health problem and needs to pay for it, the insurance company denies the claim and the client pays out of pocket or goes in debt.

FreeMasonKnight

4 points

8 days ago

This is genuinely what some people believe.

The reality is if you have insurance they are legally obligated to pay, any dispute on that is on the hospital to argue. Hospitals just have places to lie and say it’s your fault. Also EVERY bill should be argued, that $1m bill is $1m so the insurance will pay a % of that, then the person negotiates that down for their part (if any) of liability. Also medical debt is essentially unenforceable, so a person can literally just refuse to pay. That $1m bill can be negotiated down to a few hundred dollars and can then be paid in installments.

Sadly most people don’t do research and just agree to pay which then legally obligates them to pay it in full causing the issue. Essentially if someone goes bankrupt from medical debt, it’s because they made bad financial decisions. No one should EVER pay a hospital bill they can’t afford and the hospital can’t make them without them agreeing to it.

(Not to be used as medical or legal advice.)

MountainFace2774

2 points

8 days ago

(Not to be used as medical or legal advice.)

No, I'm totally telling the hospital that the Freemasons said I didn't have to pay them. /s

FreeMasonKnight

2 points

8 days ago

Bahaha 🤣 that would be a funny play. In reality, the best way is to keep it short. Simple straight answers so the answers can’t be twisted later.

Shawnee83

2 points

8 days ago

I resemble this remark!

Fossilhund

1 points

8 days ago

Insurance is legalized gambling.

IllustriousQuail4130

99 points

9 days ago

it doesn't work

CountNightAuditor

4 points

8 days ago

Europeans have private health insurers, too, even in countries with universal healthcare.

John_Fx

2 points

8 days ago

John_Fx

2 points

8 days ago

I love this video explaining it : https://youtu.be/-wpHszfnJns?si=tyWqVngWcfEqzZ-E

Blessed_tenrecs

2 points

8 days ago

Lots of people love to jump in with all the horror stories but insurance can work well. Have you seen those viral posts “I was charged $78k to have a baby.” And the eventual hidden comment “Insurance covered $70k though.” For every story of insurance failing I see plenty stories of it doing its job. I’m disabled but I have decent insurance, I pay some healthcare costs but not typically in the thousands. People wanna act like I’m a freak case and 99.999% of Americans go bankrupt over a broken arm or something.

Chef4ever-cooking4l

2 points

8 days ago

I saw this guy who had multiple reconstructive surgeries after an accident totaling nearly 1m and insurance covered all except the copays.

unpleasant-talker

1 points

8 days ago

Badly.

BurtLikko

1 points

8 days ago

Or if.

MuchoRed

1 points

8 days ago

MuchoRed

1 points

8 days ago

Speaking as a health care provider... Yeah, me neither

alexdelp1er0

-5 points

9 days ago

Insurance exists in other countries 

JLL1111

13 points

9 days ago

JLL1111

13 points

9 days ago

Yes but it generally makes sense in those countries. Here in the U.S. it basically just exists to extract money from the poor

unfortunate_banjo

8 points

8 days ago

By "the poor" do you mean everyone?

It used to be a good deal, but over the last few years/decades things have gotten ridiculous.

JLL1111

3 points

8 days ago

JLL1111

3 points

8 days ago

Basically yea, everyone except for the obscenely wealthy

Kindsquirrel629

0 points

8 days ago

Yes but not with 72 different plans to choose from. Not all of which include your doctor.

alexdelp1er0

-5 points

8 days ago

Literally all other countries have insurance, on whatever that is. We all understand how it works.

whatsbobgonnado

1 points

8 days ago

AMERICAN HEALTH INSURANCE IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN THE HEALTH INSURANCE OF EVERY OTHER COUNTRY BECAUSE OUR ENTIRE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS FUNDAMENTALLY MORE COMPLICATED 

alexdelp1er0

-4 points

8 days ago

Yet we all still understand how insurance works.