A Father's Medical Visit Reveals Costs He Can't Afford | Chicago Med | MD TV

A father comes to the hospital for a check-up, unaware that his condition is more severe than he anticipated and that his insurance can't cover the treatment.
From Chicago Med Season 3 Episode 15 "Devil In Disguise": Dr. Daniel Charles and Dr. Reese are at odds when trying to diagnose a patient whose mother claims that she is possessed. Meanwhile, Dr. Rhodes and Dr. Bekkar have a difference of opinion when trying to save infant conjoined twins. Maggie faces the disciplinary committee following her recent actions. Also, Dr. Choi's sister asks to move in with him.
Chicago Med (2015) The doctors and nurses who work at the emergency ward of the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center strive to save the lives of their patients while dealing with personal and interpersonal issues.
Watch full episodes Of Chicago Med on Google Play: bit.ly/2yGCdvP
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[@andiehernandez1995]

First time I see a medical drama talking about how expensive is to treat illnesses in the US. It's good to depict the truth.

[@Tomgoldgamer018]

Give New Amsterdam a watch

[@andiehernandez1995]

@@Tomgoldgamer018 I will. I've seen short clips here in KZbin and it looks good. I like the psychiatrist, he's very nice.

[@rachelefra6339]

Scrubs did too

[@moonlitkitsune7638]

That last line really gets to me. My father told me I should've let him die... 8 hours later, he did.

[@lorddude123]

Nice he got what he needed

[@kimberlybellard6972]

My Pawpaw told his doctor to let him go bc he was tired & within 30 minutes he passed away

[@moonlitkitsune7638]

My dad was only 62. He just didn't want to try to regain his skills. He was always the "work-hard" kind of guy but with his health issues and mental health, I guess it was easier to tell his daughter that she should just let him die instead of helping him live.

[@lorddude123]

@@moonlitkitsune7638 the Lord needed him back

[@scootermom1791]

That's too bad. No one should be worried about the money aspect of medical treatment. Hospitals are more than willing to work with people - even accepting small payments. And in worst case scenario, there's bankruptcy.

[@LauraW102]

Welcome to America. Where people have to chose not to seek medical help because they can't afford it.

[@malikguzman9132]

Simple solution: stop being broke.

[@chrichrixd9859]

Simple solution: Make a healthvare system where big pharma doesnt make everything so unneccesarily expensive and put real prices which people can afford

[@malikguzman9132]

@@chrichrixd9859 then do something about it. If you don't like it, change it.

[@LauraW102]

@@malikguzman9132vote democrat

[@malikguzman9132]

@@JamesFriya 👍

[@SparDanger]

He should have told his wife and son he swapped insurance plans. Not ragging on the doctor. Shame on him.

[@yucol5661]

Idk. Doctor would have destroyed him financially either way. Not his fault of course, he is in a bad situation too. Imagine knowing that for every test you order you might be inflicting incurable financial damage to your patient. Money does impact your life expectancy and quality of life negatively

[@SparDanger]

@@yucol5661 Very true. I still think he should have shared that info with his family though.

[@scootermom1791]

No kidding! That was really mean.

[@scootermom1791]

​​​@@SparDangerit's not like his family wouldn't have found out anyway. He should have been up front with them. And medical personnel are NOT in the business of letting people die. I guess the patient could have outright refused treatment altogether, but IDK if the hospital is required, legally, to follow the patient's request or not. IMO, if I was a doc and someone like this patient came along then refused treatment, I'd want him declared legally incompetent to make that choice. Hospitals - at least the ones I've dealt with - are typically pretty lenient about payment plans. They're usually more than willing to work with people. I was even told I could pay as little as $10 a month towards a bill just as long as I was paying on it. That was a hundred years ago...just kidding...more like 20. But still...they don't want to risk someone filing bankruptcy. Plus there are payment plans - like freezing interest rates - on bills. Idk if hospitals charge interest though. I would hope not. But for other bills like credit cards the interest can be frozen. I used to work with a credit card company, BTW.

[@ReneeR877]

You know they're acting right....

[@acolytetojippity]

the actor who played the son played a main character on Chicago Fire, starting in the same year this episode aired. Odd. He actually pulls off being a college age kid rather well.

[@ThatFATbannana]

Only Mouch believed in ritter

[@jessijohnson8579]

I know the first time I heard him talk I was like "That's Ritter from Chicago Fire"

[@charlesdavid4106]

Father with holding information on his family stubborn and reckless all because he wanted to give his kid a better future.. swapping insurance and taking out doctors truly reckless you dont gamble on your life and scared your family

[@joshipp6439]

In real life,,,,, I've never had a conversation with a dr or nurse about the cost. They refer u to billing dept

[@burimfazliu3102]

If he was misdiagnosed by his previous doctor or hospital he can sue them for a large amount of money.

[@Sniperboy5551]

Not necessarily. He can sue for anything, but doctors make mistakes all the time and have deep pockets, so it’s hard to win any malpractice suit.

[@heatherjunker967]

Good luck finding a doctor to testify against another doctor.

[@poodypooroo]

Hahahaha noooooo he can’t. Not for a simple misdiagnosis, especially if he was refusing tests

[@magnigames1256]

What are you talking about lmao no you absolutely can not...

[@schfuchs1]

Exactly what I and so many face - the cost of health.

[@JeffHulkHemp]

Well this is why he should talked to his wife and son about his issues .

[@fala7971]

His wife sure, but i also understand not wanting to burden your family.

[@runsoncaffeine]

@@fala7971"burden your family" is such a dumb excuse tbh

[@SnarkyMcCarthy]

And yet people say Medicare for All would be worse.

[@karyannfontaine8757]

In America, insurance costs a lot of money and pays for very little. Doctors cannot treat patients properly, patients cannot have treatment. Industrialized medicine is a wonderful windfall for Insurance industries who's clerks decide who lives or dies.

[@daanishrasheed]

Still can't afford my asthma medication because my work's insurance only pays for medication relating to diabetes.

[@marinam.2293]

My friend is diabetic and is playing Russian Roulette with her insulin by cutting the dose in half to make it last twice as long. She's operating on the theory of "Well, nothing has happened yet..."

[@jlang]

@@daanishrasheed So sorry to hear that. :( What state are you based in?

[@melissaharris3389]

It also means that people put off going to the doctor until they require an ambulance or are so ill they either can't be treated or the treatment will be more extensive (and costly). Prevention, or at least early intervention, is often cheaper.

[@BorikeTheBlackDragon]

@@melissaharris3389 Cheaper but still too expensive to afford

[@sineadduffy8253]

nice doctors

[@Yaska194]

I don't think a doctor's oath says let the patient die! 💔

[@raphaelledesma9393]

Well the problem is that everything happened so fast that the man couldn’t give written advanced directives. Naturally, the doctors did their best to stabilize him. Now this is ultimately a systemic tragedy due to a poor healthcare system but nobody is at fault here… except politicians.

[@dancepiglover]

It's very sad that being poor means poor health or death. Everyone deserves life.

[@christopherlyles4817]

The fact that he would prefer to be dead just to put his son through school makes me mad. I'm sure your son would prefer his dad over an education any and everyday of the week

[@florinaslan5482]

But the dad wanted his son to have a future

[@runsoncaffeine]

he wouldn't rather be dead to put his son through school, he would have rather died to avoid the costs of the medical bills.

[@MysticClaws100]

Really you should be mad at the system, not the dad.The fact that any human thinks they’d be better off dead because the healthcare system will otherwise bankrupt them shows how broken the US is

[@mystiquesword]

That’s entirely on him for a couple reasons: Should have told his wife long time ago. Should have refused consent at the start. All halstead got was “help me dad/please save him” fro the family & …..nothing….from him until well after it was done.

[@RocketRoketto]

This is literally my problem, I have insurance but they won't cover an MRI I need to have for my hand, since I just had a CT for the same hand 2 weeks ago, despite it being recommended on the CT results.

[@AshleyBehr]

Aww its a baby Ritter from Chicago Fire! Its so crazy that we pay so much for insurance yet everything is still so expensive that people are afraid to get help!

[@sheraydunbar729]

Yep I agree with you

[@DaughterofBabaYaga]

Annnnnd this is when you know a system is broken.

[@lizholden3939]

Well, the doc should have listened to him too instead of doing all the expensive tests

[@tristyy404]

Wow Chicago pulled a Law & Order the son is deff a firefighter on Chicago Fire as a whole different character 🤣

[@Kira1Lawliet]

The dad's frustration is understandable, but ultimately misguided. Life is always more important than education, especially when you live in a society that no longer values things like BA degrees as much as they used to. That kid would get a lot more out of having more years with his dad than he would a few years of school that would give him a degree that would be effectively worthless in the job market.

[@stephenking5852]

The dad would sacrifice his life to give his son a good education. The son would sacrifice his good education to just save his dad’s life.

[@crucisnh]

It's not the society that doesn't value college educations. Society is royally PO'd at the woke BS that college students are being force fed by their ultra far left professors. I don't blame law firms and other companies for wanting graduates to have degrees that are worth more than the toilet paper they're printed on.

[@mckenzie.latham91]

Meanwhile saddled with medical debt for the rest of both their lives as the son inherits the debt after the father dies

[@AdamSelvig]

The father does have a point as soon the dr walks in there’s no telling how much it’s gonna cost

[@panzercreed5417]

"Sir, with all do respect, I pretty sure your wife and son would rather be poor with you alive, than be rich without you. Sir."

[@ChristopherSchweizer]

I'm glad I live in Switzerland.

[@diosoth]

FINALLY a moment where these shows get called out for doctors who operate on a "but at least you're alive!" end goal. That doesn't mean much when the debt collectors take your home & car because you can't pay. Likewise for patients who have to live with physical or mental impairments, which they're expected to deal with because "at least you're alive!", of which they may not wish to deal with. Believe it nor not but the "every life is sacred" mantra isn't true & getting mad at someone for not wanting the hardship just to breathe more air makes you either selfish or someone who thinks they should tell others what to do. You can't stand personal choice or freedoms.

[@wil-fri]

Is similar to a DNR. You are not only looking for being alive, you are looking a good quality of it

[@AgentGolem50]

The problem is, if you want that Theres a way to get it, the idea is if you see someone unconscious, more than likely, they would have agreed to get help if they could, so we go with that assumption and help. If you were to assume anytime someone needed help they might as well die, than ambulances and ERs wouldn’t exist. Ah their leg is gone guess they might as well die, not like prosthetics exist

[@dude12394]

It doesn't matter what they think cause at the end of the day, which do you think the family would rather have, the doctors purposely not save a father's life to save money or have them save him and make him better? If he was a single person with no ties i might be saying something different, but its not just up to him anymore. He was thinking of the debt and money but never imagined what his son would think after loosing a dad at that age or how his wife would be able to stay together after loosing the person that made her whole.

[@BorikeTheBlackDragon]

@@dude12394 Kind of dishonest to reduce homelessness, destitution, hunger, a complete sacrifice of a good future, and the perpetuation of the cycle of poverty that'll haunt the family for generations to "just save money. Perhaps he doesn't want to subject his family to a hard, stressful, miserable life just so he can get 10 or 20 years of that same life.

[@zilesis1]

@@BorikeTheBlackDragon well then he should have said so shoudn't he? what were the doctors supposed to do? pull out a calculator and sit down the wife to go through their budget while the guy was literally drowning in his own lung fluid and coughig blood? they guy lied to his family and didn't tell them he switched to a different insurance plan. he never talked to them about what he'd want them to do if he became seriously ill. and he never took out a DNR or anything remotely similar. so how was anyone in that room supposed to know he would have rather died?

[@FullTimePatient37]

Yeah 2:34 performing this In front of his family...how is THAT acceptable!

[@simon_ho8190]

Only in the US

[@Sapphiresenthiss]

Lmao. Try Poland where the elderly can't afford to buy BREAD and dig in trash cans in order to survive. Forget the medication and healthcare system, they starve even before that.

[@hiitsme6214]

Why would they have him lie back if he has fluid in his lungs? Shouldn't he be on his side so he doesn't choke on his blood?

[@honeybee2587]

The great USA where people have to choose between feeding their families or their health. Greatest country on earth my butt!

[@FCENT0409]

Thats Ritter from Chicago Fire

[@mattymurf26]

Yeah since it was an earlier season of this show Ritters quote character wasn’t incorporated into the show yet. Plus it’s also a little confusing when they reuse other actors who play different characters from the other shows

[@mbyrd6713]

Well tbh, his son didn’t have to go to northwestern just so dad could have something to complain about. Changing to a cheaper insurance plan only saves a couple hundred a month which wouldn’t make a difference in paying the tuition. Healthcare in America isn’t perfect but being reckless with finances does way more damage. He knew very well that doctors don’t keep track of the price of anything and if he wanted to be that cheap, he should’ve never went to the hospital. People do way too much. It’s ridiculous to want to abandon your family for an insurance check. The son would rather have his dad.

[@RocketRoketto]

He should of told his wife he switched to a cheaper plan especially because it will affect her and their son.

[@EmilioL12]

He shouldn’t be mad at the doctor, he was doing his job and he was the one keeping an important secret from his wife and son is no one’s fault then him, for making the cheapies option and keeping it to himself in a marriage

[@orlandobabe]

I can feel for that guy, going to the doctors is more frightening because of the giant ass bill we get. I went to see a dermatologist for a fungal problem in my hair, they wanted to charge me $400 just for a check up. A year ago I went to the doctors, for checking pulse, BP, temperature all came down to 200 dollars! All BTW with insurance but not enough to cover them. It gets to the point where no one wants to see a doctor, we just wanna die debt free.

[@kerbalt692]

Your insurance is really bad

[@Queen_Springsteen]

I’m happy I live in Sweden

[@ANT-jm4qx]

Same brother

[@Onlera]

Could’ve at least TRIED to have the doctor attempt to reassure him. Most big hospitals have things like financial help, payment plans, etc. The people who work at the hospital don’t want you to go bankrupt because you got sick either. And at least in my experience, they want to do what they can to help. Not saying the whole system isn’t broken, but the people on the front lines and those who support them aren’t the enemy you should be railing against

[@kms7527]

Thank god I live in Australia.. I've never ever paid for medical treatment..emergency room visits..surgeries...

[@ajc-ff5cm]

How much do you pay in taxes, though? Nothing is free.

[@ANT-jm4qx]

​@@ajc-ff5cm America spends more than other countries on healthcare to achieve less lol

[@rambofan334]

@@ajc-ff5cm Imagine choosing to go bankrupt when you need medical care over paying a little bit more in taxes.

[@millisagingerich1248]

The hospital has a fund

[@SneakyGreninja]

Mr. Krabs be like

[@runsoncaffeine]

"You should've let me die", you should've been honest with your wife.

[@sheraydunbar729]

I do agree...... He should've been honest with his family

[@Americanpatriot-zo2tk]

Oh the patient was very grateful😂😂😂😂😂

[@Kokoda144]

4:30 "everything I did was to save your life." This isn't a problem in a universal healthcare system. He would have got the treatment and gone home without the added stress

[@serafine666]

If he met the standards. If it was an approved treatment. Universal systems still do various forms of cost control and analysis, it's just that people find it more palatable because it's the government deciding that the MRI is unnecessary instead of a corporation.

[@Kokoda144]

@@serafine666 They do cost control. The doctor knew in the clip that the man needed healthcare and if it was a universal healthcare system he would have got it because it was necessary, He would have got it based on his urgency, I had one. It was not urgent so it was 2 months later and covered by my taxes into a system that is more efficient than the US pay-per-user system

[@serafine666]

@@Kokoda144 If it's paid for by taxation, it's not going to be efficent. Nature of all large enterprises, whether business or government. And he would have recieved the care in both systems. The question of whether he would be the one to pay for it would be answered later.

[@arundathijayabandu3282]

How ungrateful

[@larry92adventure65]

Shouldn’t care about money just care about your own life

[@kibauno]

Life doesn't mean much if your living on the streets.

[@rezotydnic]

Father's fault. Short changed on insurance is never smart.

[@dubsss-_-6028]

American health in a nutshell

[@Unknown69874]

What happens if he just doesn’t pay the bill

[@ANT-jm4qx]

The hospital finds him and sends him to the mines to work off his debt for the next 30 years

[@mckenzie.latham91]

Debt collectors can repossess his house or car or assets.

[@Grova]

We should go with what the libertarians want-a healthcare system where the dad has to negotiate prices for each test and treatment while he’s literally coughing his lungs out before he can get treated

[@ZapFosho]

libertarians want the government to stop restricting the number of nurses and doctors which would drive the price of medical visits down

[@Grova]

@user-qy3vd9tz4y so do people who understand economics. We just know a free market approach won’t get us there

[@mckenzie.latham91]

@@ZapFosho The number of nurses and doctors doesn't matter compared to the cost of treatment at this point more people in the US avoid going to the doctor because of fears of costs and medical bankruptcy is the largest form of bankruptcy in the US

[@mckenzie.latham91]

@-el_bandito "Libertarians want medicine to be affordable for everyone not just the rich” Funny how they never support any universal healthcare initiatives that have guaranteed that in the countries. sorry but you don’t and will never have low cost or affordable drugs in a for profit market, there is no incentive to make drugs affordable when you can upscale the cost 400% and know people and hospitals will still pay it.

[@ZapFosho]

@@mckenzie.latham91 it does matter. More doctors means that more options are available lowering the cost of treatments as the compete with each other

[@fbbWaddell]

Foolishness. If you pay $10 towards the bill every month, they can't send it to collections and it won't go against your credit. You may owe the hospital for the next 20 years, but it won't ruin your credit.

[@Lucentcolors]

What is true about this, because I assumed it the minimum monthly payment is something you don’t get to solely decide on, it’s involving the medical provider as well. I doubt $10 would be acceptable for high debt.

[@ANT-jm4qx]

So why are Americans against taxes? You can just spend an extra $10 on taxes for free healthcare and not deal with all this Insurance BS

[@ANT-jm4qx]

Also lifelong meds like insulin are way more than $10/month

[@Lucentcolors]

@@ANT-jm4qx if the increase in taxes went toward programs that improved costs or (more socialized healthcare) there are many ppl who don’t oppose of it; however, many disagree feeling they don’t want to contribute to others cost of healthcare etc. Some might even go as far to anti “communism” rhetoric. As of right now - taxes, and the programs to which fund are allocated - there are few systems supporting healthcare (ex: Medicade I think) and that is only available to certain lower income families and for children in families with those incomes up to adult age (I think insurance for children via Medicade is denyed when the parents obtain an income threshold. I might be wrong, but I know a teacher I had experienced this with her children).

[@merricat3025]

Nope. Not anymore. I know of people doing that, and they still sent to collections

[@scootermom1791]

Please tell me they would NOT just cut into someone like that without anesthesia! That would be a thousand times worse than the other illness itself!

[@brandonmcglocklin9040]

I'll preface this with saying this is a show and filled with drama. But typically yes we sedate people for things like this. In the ep here they are given versed witch is a sedative, but yeah they are normally sedated in some way or another

[@scootermom1791]

@@brandonmcglocklin9040 thank goodness! I realize this show is full of drama, but it seems strange that they wouldn't try to be at least a little more realistic in their portrayal of events. I hadn't heard of this show before and expected it to be more like Diagnosis Unknown or Mysteries of the ER.

[@brandonmcglocklin9040]

@@scootermom1791 most medical shows are fairly unrealistic in their own terms, adds to the drama. I can attest that when and if at all possible we try to make sure the patients are as comfortable as reasonably possible, within reason and of course taken into consideration of what we can safely do. Hope that helps and makes sense :)

[@scootermom1791]

@@brandonmcglocklin9040 it certainly does! Thank you! 🙂

[@sjc4]

hey look it's the american health care system. what a joke.

[@princesspupcake1269]

Medical-care shouldn't cost an arm and a leg... especially not LIFE SAVING care/procedures. We spend more on making machines that krill than we do keeping people alive.

[@anjulikamins6420]

And that's why you have a DNR

[@ANT-jm4qx]

America moment

[@ninapants10]

This is exactly how I act at the mf hospital if I go LAST RESORT , they be like : we’re gonna do all these test and I’m like WOAH WOAH WAIT HOW MUCH THIS GONNA COST ?!!!

[@cheetavontiebolt9971]

Has i said before poverty is not a virtue

[@l.a.3479]

*as

[@ajc-ff5cm]

You may not "see a bill," in other countries, but what are you paying in taxes? How is access to doctors, specialists, and top-of-the-line care when you need it? Are you supplementing with private insurance? I would argue that countries that have a public/private "competition" have a better overall cost & quality control. US healthcare isnt obnoxiously expensive because its "private," but because insurance is complex and we dont force people to pay on top of ROI on research, technology, and quality. I dont blame greed, I blame the system's intrinsic complexity in how its managed. This guy will get a 100k bill, but he'll be allowed to pay pennies and not get pinched. Guess who pays that 100k instead? Those of us who do pay our medical bills.

[@tizianatabone7799]

Taxes are complex, I do pay more in taxes than an american, but my taxes includes a pension plan, and it is MUCH less than, say, the 700+ I would have to pay for myself and my two kids, considering my whole tax is 850 euros and, as i said, it includes my pension plan. doctors, specialists, and top-of-the-line-care is great. I understand americans believe that there is some sort of government equivalent of the insurance people who approve your treatment but... there just isn't. Your doctor decides your treatment. The end. I am having lower back pain, which is famously hard to treat. I am going to a pain specialist doctor who gave me opioids to tide me over for the time (one month and half) until I can get infiltrations done on my back to hopefully manage it. I also got MRI, RX, and physiotherapy prescribed. All of it costed me 22.5 euros (a copay of sort). The time to get my MRI, the longest test, was 3 weeks, but only because I wanted it in a specific time frame when I was already off work. I could have had it before. When my father got cancer, we didn't even have to THINK about cost. There was no maximum, no copay. When my mother didn't like her current doctor very much she... switched it. It can be done, you just need to get an appointment, and you get a new doctor (she wanted a female doctor, for preference). I love NHS. It is the best.

[@mckenzie.latham91]

World stats disagree with you, first of all private institutions that do exist in many public systems almost always remain with the same clientele, the top percent of wealth in the country who would be going there anyway the only people i know who have gone private are families or people with deep pockets, usually family or oil money people who can afford a $70k treatment at a private clinic and bypass the wait lists. So once again private only works for those who can afford it and no one else no matter which country or system. medical bankruptcy is the number one bankulpy in the US and actually no, this guy will have debt collectors sent after him, as tens of hundreds of families have had every year which is why 40% of the country refuses to go to or seek medical aid for fear of medical costs Insurance middle man syndrome has torpedoed US healthcare administration where people pay tens of thousands to millions of dollars a year for medical insurance which is deemed to cover less and less so insurance firms can pay their shareholders and give their CEO’s yachts we have numerous evidence of medical insurance companies actively scamming and or cheating their clients to not have to pay out their insurance claims.

[@grizzly6018]

Just a friendly reminder to everyone in the comments who doesnt like paying for healthcare-If it requires the labor of someone else, then its NOT a "human right". If you dont like american healthcare nobody is stopping you from leaving the country and living somewhere else. But be warned that free almost NEVER means free with good quality. Heed my warning, im an Australian and here we live under pseudo communist rule particularly the healthcare system which has you waiting for 6 months MINIMUM to see a specialist, only then for you to be misdiagnosed or have your appointment cancelled. Also doctors here call simply checking your lungs a "full physical". At least Americans get what they pay for.

[@Frenzyshark]

Agreed. One of the things that contribute to the high cost of health care is the high demands for doctors/nurses to be trained. Supposedly so they won't make mistakes when finally being fully qualified doctors. So med school is expensive and high demands for acceptance requirements. And even if you get accepted to med school, high chance you'll drop out(you won't get your money or time back). Those doctors/nurses/etc that get through medical training and maintain their jobs deserve a bit of compensation for their struggles... and potentially losing their medical licenses/certifications at any time. And how do we repay doctors/nurses/etc for their services at times? Sue them for medical error regardless which further inflates the costs of med school or in general health care training. Don't get me wrong sometimes suing for medical error is warranted. But the issues of wanton medical error lawsuits are still present even when so many other factors contributed to it. You're right that at least American hospitals try to treat their patients as fast as they can.

[@Lucentcolors]

Yes, there are faults to many health care systems but this idea, “Americans get what they paid for” is so patronizing, bc the costs for many recommended procedures that insurance companies can often decide not to cover - if they believe it’s not medically necessary, or think there’s a “better” or “cheaper” option - cost so much money not everyone can afford, which means many often don’t seek medical intervention or health insurance because they can’t afford it. Please don’t project your own issues of your medical system, bc each system clearly has its problems, and this idea of moving as a simple solution is so condescending; as if many of those who can’t afford can just get up an move somewhere else, or be willing to leave family.

[@Frenzyshark]

@@Lucentcolors You're basically agreeing part of grizzly's comment(though not all of it). And at the end of the day Grizzly's comment is valid and worthwhile to bring up if you can exclude his suggestion of moving to another country. Read my comment as well. A big contributor to the costs of medical assistance is paying hospital staff. But we put ourselves in this corner by demanding fully trained hospital staff(expensive medical training)... and we sue hospitals for medical error. Then those doctors can lose their medical licenses for a variety of reasons. Sometimes no fault of their own. That's why I keep telling people take care of yourself in the ways you can. Eat healthy even if it's on a compromised budget. Actually get some sleep when you can and cut down on hanging out with people late at night. There's no need to spend so much time with friends/family if it cuts into much needed sleep. Doctors/nurses should be treating illnesses that happen out of control like cancer inherited from genetics.

[@Lucentcolors]

@@Frenzyshark the initial, idea I guess your right I agree with. I can understand if it directly references the labor of the doctor, then they deserve reimbursement, but its still hard for for many people; however, it doesn't apply fully to this situation of health insurance, because something like this - which comes at the cost of the seeker who purchases a plan ranging in price - can even be denied coverage bc they deem is "more effective" with consideration of cost is my biggest annoyance: that's exactly what you don't get what you pay for

[@Frenzyshark]

@@Lucentcolors That's why I think medical subject matter experts should be able to weigh in on costs and decisions of health care. Doctors would definitely like to suggest cheaper forms of medication if possible but at the same time sometimes more expensive methods are the only way to really understand the situation. Tests like MRI will get the readings to narrow down the doctor's estimations on what is wrong... or find out potentially other things that are hiding. Sadly we can't give too much affordable health care even if we wanted to since the cost of labor, years of medical training, and just in general medical equipment and materials is high. The cost of labor still came from high demands of medical staff being trained because we refused to tolerate medical error. I can't say for sure how other countries are but med school in the US alone is very expensive, highly restrictive, and high risk of losing your license just because a patient "disagreed" with an initial treatment plan... that would have prevented death. The high restrictions to getting in med school and the possibility of med school students not even finishing school also contribute to significant shortages of doctors. At this moment, I really suggest doctors/nurses/etc get to be consultants to health insurance companies to truly weigh in on costs and decisions. I agree health insurance companies need to be held accountable for denying health care to patients and insist it's not their fault a patient's condition got worse or even led to death.