Government Rate Setting, there’s got to be a joke here somewhere.

😂😂😂. This is all so stupid it’s laughable. I don’t understand government rate setting, and I’m no medical expert and not even the smartest guy in a room of three... but this sure makes you think.

[@super_slo]

I gave this video a thumbs up, but consider it a thumbs down for America's effed healthcare system.

[@mrrolandlawrence]

ye recently ive started to see US healthcare as 2nd tier quality. shame as they were once quite good.

[@davemason6501]

$200 market rate, or $500 deductible on $1600 insurance rate. US medical is more twisted than I thought. At least the cash price was less.

[@robertkressaii7046]

It's a huge problem but most of America is too busy consuming Budlite ™ and watching American Idol ™ to do anything about it.

[@Obesimusillegitimus]

Nailed it.

[@nelsonashbrook765]

Agreed

[@john8451]

To be fair, if you offered most Americans a fully socialised, public health scheme they would turn it down. So when you elect to have a health system based on profit not need, please don’t complain when you see people profiteering from your health.

[@TMB247]

My EX had Kidney Stones and they needed to be addressed immediately and it was covered by my Insurance but... they would not be able to get to her for a couple of days ... Deductible was $1,100 for a $2,200 procedure. She was in severe pain so I asked what it would cost if we just got her in that day ... Wait for it ... $960 and they could start in 15 minutes. It took me longer to walk across the street (Big Multi-building Hospital), pay and walk back than the procedure, basically by the time I got back she was ready to load and go. Doctors HATE dealing with Insurance Companies

[@ivansemanco6976]

Friday after midnight I get kidney stone fever. Huge pain, emergency visit, take some medicaments, pain supressed feels OK. At Saturday morning pain is back, again emergency, treatment, feels better going to work... At 18:00, back at the emergency, they imediately send me to hospital, monday morning surgery without any questions, CT check before. Tuesday I go home. And no payment, no bill from hospital no questions from insurance company. Bad for you is that I live in the middle of the Europe, in post communist country... I pay few percent from my incom as health insurance, which not cover some parts of teeth treatment. Anything else is free... Im have a Crohn desease and my treatment is payed by insurance, 0 bills for me. Sounds horrible for me what you write...

[@TMB247]

@@ivansemanco6976 Freedom isn't Free

[@ivansemanco6976]

@@TMB247 Do you think that freedom mean that you must pay huge bill at hospital? If we have same system as you in my country(and politicians like your system) than Im death. I cant pay bills for my desease and my wife heart surgery. No chance. What is your definition of freedom?

[@TMB247]

@@ivansemanco6976 I cannot explain it to someone that has never truly lived. I have never lived in a Collective, I have always done what I want, when I want and how I want... that includes poor choices, I am responsible for my poor actions and choices as I own everything that I create and the good decisions that I make as well. I had the assets to pay and it was cheaper than the Insurance, My Choice was the better choice. It is Government that always screws everything up. The less Government the better The word Mandatory immediately puts me in a defensive mode ... I want to know Who made it Mandatory and just How they intend to enforce it

[@ivansemanco6976]

@@TMB247 Make sense for me, but I dont feel to be limited in any way. This insurance what we are paying is very low in comparison with prices that medical care costs. Example, when my wife became very sick due to heart failure, one day care on the intensive care plus treatment costs aproximately 6-8 thousands Euro. For you, average salary in my country is nearly around 1000Euro brutto/month. My treatment costs monthly more that 800... No way for us to pay it. I agree with you about government, believe me, we have same troubles with them as you. We have a bad things in medical but not like Mark describe, the difference between comercial price and government price for it, it has its price and sometimes insurance company pays less than full price, like I describe about dentists and you pay the difference.

[@JonasMarcinko]

Our system is so messed up! I was in a serious Mtn bike accident. punctured lungs broke a piece of my neck. I spent three days in a hospital bed. I had insurance. I then received a bill for $30,000.00 just for the hospital stay! The insurance company said they would not pay because the doctors shouldn't have had me stay overnight. After months of phone calls, letters, etc the insurance company finally paid the bill!

[@MX304]

I ended up in the ER a few months ago. Cash price was about 60% of what my deductible would have been. No brainer there. Plus the hospital gets all of the $$$ when I pay cash. They would only get about half that if I used my insurance. It's a win-win.

[@tmdowell]

I’m diabetic, I have to have blood work every year for my medical. I figured out the same thing about 3 years ago. $196 if I pay cash. $1300 through my insurance and I pay the $250 deductible. That should be a crime!

[@Jimidan1000]

There is lots of sucky private insurance plans out there.

[@Patriotgal1]

@@Jimidan1000 Wow. Just wow.

[@stevemyers2092]

i mean it just has no logic...i mean even an idiot is going to say HEYYYYYY i pay $250 if i use insurance or I save $54 if I pay you....? heyyyyyy!!

[@MotoFlightGuy]

The system is broken beyond repair. It needs gutted and a complete overhaul. Insurance is only useful for catastrophic instances at this point!

[@jayderwin1]

MotoFlightGuy that’s exactly right, general Dr. stuff should be paid for out of pocket and people should not go the the emergency room for a cold.

[@Bgearmcgee]

MotoFlightGuy if you read some of these comments even then it's not that helpful it sounds like to me.

[@Jimidan1000]

@@Bgearmcgee The US system today is not working, we need Medicare for All, like every other country has.

[@MEOIT83]

My insurance for a family of four if fully used would cost us around 30k for the year.

[@Patriotgal1]

@@Jimidan1000 Yeah, when FedGovCorp got involved, it really made things 500% worse. So giving them 100% of control will surely help? Idiot.

[@garrygballard8914]

I always enjoy hearing from you Mark. I grew up at my dad's FBO and piper dealer in Michigan when I was a kid. Ya you are on the money. Health care has many hands in the pot. It's insane.

[@garrygballard8914]

@ "O" Ya. Thanks.

[@garrygballard8914]

@ Don't you think he's more like a Mike instead of a Mark ? 😃

[@garrygballard8914]

@C L ya, and that’s Utah for ya.

[@drewt3210]

You're absolutely right, Mark. My father forgot his insurance card at the pharmacy & opted to pay cash. His prescription was $2 cash instead of $57 out of pocket WITH insurance--mind boggling!?! We pay more and more monthly for insurance, then have to pay even more for services with "coverage." On top of this, our insurance actually covers less and less--it's down to "emergency coverage" currently. You are correct using the word "scam."

[@stevenlanders4919]

That poor drs brother in-law the assemblyman isn’t gonna get his cut now. He has boat payments to make and a addition on his vacation home to pay for. How dare you his kids have private school uniforms to buy. Did you know his wife only can buy 10 designer purses a month now?

[@seanryan7895]

Think how much money would be saved on insurance and healthcare if Congress would address this BS.

[@groachslayer]

They are addressing it... in the wrong direction.

[@seanryan7895]

@@groachslayer Ain't that the truth.

[@rjrfletcher2355]

The question surely is who is making the money ?

[@rudolfabelin383]

Mark, I'm glad I live in Sweden. What you describe is $20 in Sweden, including the visit to the doctor. My daughter lived in the US for 10 years, so I am somewhat knowledgeable about your system. Oh, by the way. If you have to wait more then 30 minutes after your appointment. You don't have to pay at all.

[@groachslayer]

Exactly! Thanks for being outspoken and posting this!

[@JoystickTX1]

When I was in the Air Force at MAC HQ, I used to buy Avionics test equipment for the government. I bought a lot of things at prices that would make the old $700 toilet seats look really cheap. I complained about how we were getting ripped off. The government eliminated my job "to save money." Someone else does that job now, but they don't complain about it. Knowing how much money is wasted by our government makes me really not want to pay taxes.

[@MrWATCHthisWAY]

Welcome to the AMA system that has been built over time. Everyone wants to put all the blame on anyone individual but it’s difficult because they are all to blame for the runaway system that is currently in place in the US. I just wish I would have studied the medical field instead of Mechanical Engineering. But I feel your pain too Mr. Patey. I happened to receive a payment document by mistake one day after having a procedure by a cardiac specialist. One 30 minute procedure with 4 people in the room just to check by blood flow and it cost the insurance company $135,000. One procedure that took 30 minutes and that was it. I asked my primary care doc and he told me; the doctor doesn’t receive that and they only get a small portion of that amount. I don’t care, someone is getting that check. 30 minutes and that was it!! People will blame this party, or that party or these people or these people. It’s everyone in the system and if you try to do something the system is setup to destroy the characters of the people trying to change the system. Now that you posted this evidence on the web the system my even try to come after your character. The system really doesn’t like it when people bring facts or pricing into the mainstream media. Let’s see if your channel gets reported as misleading information or harassment or some other complaint that gets you dropped off of UTube. The system doesn’t like it when you bring facts to other people. Stay healthy my friends.

[@rayfletcher3683]

😱 😤 more people need to think for themselves!

[@MrWATCHthisWAY]

Ray Fletcher - yea if they are allowed to??

[@rayfletcher3683]

John Paul Lafferty Mike did , its a start.

[@MrWATCHthisWAY]

Ray Fletcher most don’t know because they don’t ask. They think insurance will be lowest.

[@reevinriggin3570]

Thanks Mark for being vocal and reporting the bizaro upside down world we live in. The more people that get educated the faster people will fix the BS our medical industry/government complex has developed into.

[@stuart4858]

For a First World country the US is a market leader in scamming. The typical blood tests for the average joe in Australia (can't comment on aviation) is free being fully covered by our universal healthcare system. Private Health Insurance usually only applies to hospital admissions, and if you don't have insurance you normally get the same service forfree, but you may have to go on a waiting list. Lots of things I love about your end of the world but health care cost are not one of them. By the way, any updates on your "scappy" twin? Stu.

[@spaus65]

Im an aussie its not free i pay a 2.5% medicare levy on my taxes. Plus a large sum of my 40k PA income tax bill is paying for medical so its not free unless your on the dole. but i agree its better than the US system but we are a country of 20 million mostly comfortable citizens. The US is much bigger in population. Australia's healthcare price ticket in the US per capita would send the US broke in weeks.

[@spaus65]

For the record the australian tax payer pays 7.5k per person on healthcare per year. In US terms that would be 2.5 trillion per annum if they adopted our system.

[@Jimidan1000]

@@spaus65 The US folks pay far more than any other country for its healthcare, for far worse healthcare outcomes. Size really isn't important, as we already know how to do it, as we have a fine Medicare system in place now. It is not that we can't figure out how to do it, it is that the lobbyist for the healthcare and pharm won't let our elected leaders do it. Big money talks.

[@sizzelot]

With technology what it is now, that's why the Constitution should be changed to require approval by we the people before any legislation that comes out of Congress is passed on to the President for his signature to become law.

[@patdaly5769]

Amen, I have my blood work done once a year here in Illinois. 15 years ago our Hospital charged $ 880 bucks ( Insurance ), local Drug Store has the people who do the lab work for the Hospital in 3 days a week to offer private work, you guessed it, 85 bucks cash. Been paying out of pocket for 15 years now myself. The Government needs to get OUT of Healthcare, not further in.

[@justin.s9783]

I had to have a cist removed on the side of my nose close to my eye. I had to go to a eye surgeon. I lost my job just before the surgery so i asked him how much would it be cause i lost my insurance, i had money but not alot. I went to his office on Saturday and was in and out np maybe took an hour or so. It was at a doctor's park type place with a bigger "surgery " building across the parking lot where they do most of the stuff, but mine was simple. He charged me $300 total. He told me if it was in the main building it would be over $10k .....but politicians say health care is fine, ya ok sure.

[@Bgearmcgee]

I went in for a therapist appointment, I lost $90 of possible income because there are no options for weekend or post bankers hours appointments. Then the appointment started late, even though I was 30min early per their request. I spent $30 co-pay and, though I don't have a number for how much my insurance paid, I'm sure it was more than $150. Top it off I waited nearly 6 months for that appointment and left in worse shape than I went in because the only question I was asked repeatedly was if I was suicidal? There are resources for that state of ,indeed and they are far more available meanwhile I'm suffering from depression and anxiety and can't get help even with insurance. Crooked as heck if you ask me. Something is definitely up. Medicine should not be a for profit industry. I feel like the insurance industry is lobbying for higher prices to make it seem like it's more necessary than it is. Would Medicare for everyone fix this or just open new avenues for morally corrupt individuals to take bureaucratic advantage?

[@josephbarnes7217]

I’ve seen that with airline tickets and hotels room. Most of the time government rate is higher than the market price. This was a real problem for me when I was in the Army Reserves.

[@kevinm3751]

Yea its a total SCAM! I went to the back doctor with insurance I had to pay $70. A guy walked in while I was in the waiting room was getting the exact same thing as me, said he didnt have insurance it it cost him $35. Got pissed went to the nurse and said I wanted to change my visit to NO INSURANCE. I was denied because I had already been processed. The moral is it is CHEAPER to NOT have insurance than it is to pay an absurd monthly rate!

[@DanielDauphin]

Pay no attention to the man behind the green curtain!

[@coryturner9140]

Two months ago I went to an urgent care for a tooth ache on a holiday.. Self pay was $79. I made the mistake of using insurance and it cost me $130 after insurance paid their portion of the $230 bill that they sent them. Unbelievable. Had I known it was cheaper for self pay I would have done that! Now I know!

[@FatherTech]

Prior to the affordable healthcare act(obamacare) My monthly premiums were much less. When I did have to go to doctor, I paid a $20 copay and went on about my life. Now I pay twice as much in monthly premiums. When I go to the doctor I spend over $150 out of pocket. I continue to pay full price till I spend over $5000 in one year to meet my premium. What about Obamacare had made healthcare more "affordable"? Total failure of our government.

[@rustypanels1917]

Hi, I"m from melbourne, Australia. Blood tests here for anything are free, with insurance or without insurance. Any medical treatment for anything is free in a public hospital. If it's life threatening, there would be no waiting time. I don't understand USA medical system.

[@NancyHiggins]

Yup, it’s very messed up. My family is also a victim of the “family glitch” (look it up). This forces us to pay for insurance that’s overpriced, that many families can’t afford. People quit full time jobs over this...

[@HaywardFamilybuilding]

Timothy Higgins one word MEDI-SHARE. Family of 6 people, $ 275 a month. We pay cash for everything under a grand. Priceless

[@NancyHiggins]

Thanks. I wish it was that easy. www.healthinsurance.org/obamacare/no-family-left-behind-by-obamacare/

[@jayderwin1]

Timothy Higgins thats a good article very informative, aca was and is a disaster perfect example of government getting involved is a bad thing

[@f2air]

That is insane! $200 if you don't have insurance and $500 if you do? And they can get away with it because there's no public outcry and no one can be held accountable.

[@BirdyinBOI]

Thanks Mike for describing your scenario. My wife and I talk about this all the time. “Fortunately” as a retired ATC I have great insurance which would cover all if not most of what you had done but this scenario really pisses me off. The system is really broken. We need big changes here. And if I don’t pay, the bottom line is that someone else is paying a lot of money.

[@Rubberweasel]

We went uninsured for 2 years and had money left over compared to having insured and not just me, the whole family of 4. The big local medical group around here give a 30% discount for as they call it "self pay".

[@Patriotgal1]

I had some major spinal surgery in 2005. Since it involved "lasers" my insurance considered it "experimental" and refused to pay. Cost: $320K USD. After a talk with the surgeon, we settled for me paying 312 TOZ in Au. Which was about 30% of the bill. Of course, Au was $400/TOZ back then. Still worth it.

[@flyingkub]

I am from the UK, so I am struggling to get my head around this: so with insurance you pay $500 and some how $1650 goes in to the system (Gov and Insurance company) yet the test cost $200!! Now if you had to pay $100 and the insurance paid the rest it would sort of work for me (even then it sounds bent out of shape) but to pay $300 more when using insurance! I don't know how much you pay for your insurance each month but someone is making a lot of cash for doing Zip by the sound of it.

[@Jimidan1000]

It is some kind of health insurance scam. UK knows how to do it right, USA is bought and paid for by the giant corporations.

[@rjrfletcher2355]

@@Jimidan1000 Seemingly not for much longer 😥

[@lapoint7603]

Follow the money and you'll get the answer. Back in the mid 60's my mother's Dr. told her that he didn't think medical insurance was going to be the boon many thought it would be. He was spot on.

[@wildtimbrown]

Reagan did his buddy Kaiser a solid and let the for profit world take over medicine.

[@gregotterson6724]

That’s ridiculous, Mark. I spend winters in Thailand where the medical services are amongst the top in the world and the prices are very reasonable. They don’t have this kind of crazy set up. Here, you go see the Doctor, no appointment needed, they speak perfect English, most Doctors are trained in the US or Europe, and they lay out the price, and you pay. Knee surgery cost $2,200 at the top hospital in Bangkok. My American mom was in intensive care for 4 days for low blood pressure, cost $1,200. The American medical system is broke, and I don’t see any reasonable fixes in the works. If you have serious medical issues I recommend a trip over here.

[@DavidDavid-jb1cy]

That's funny because a lot (dare I say "most") doctors in the US don't speak perfect english anymore.

[@Jimidan1000]

Ever heard of Senators Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren? They are kinda in the works right now.

[@AviationNut]

I don't even have insurance, I just tell the doctors if my bill is about to be more then $2000 to shoot me on the spot.

[@ivansemanco6976]

Imagine that shooting bill will be more than 2000$ for example. You are lost.

[@CaptainCurt07]

CRAZY PART ANYONE WHO CROSSES BOARDER GETS IT FOR FREE!!!!!!! I worked in law enforcement and I get shit insurance as does my uncle 25yrs with sheriffs Dept My wife when to make appointment same thing n they said “ if your on welfare” we can see you! My wife said is this what I get for working and contributing to the system!!!! Lady said yep! WTF is wrong here

[@joedmac78]

So the insurance companies like it when someone gets sick ? So they can charge more? And the government says how much more they can get?? My favourite story was about about the politician in TX who voted against , what he thought was frivolous law suits. He went in for a simple procedure the Dr really messed up almost killed him. Politician sues lawyer says you won't get hardly anything.. politician says what!?? Lawyer says you passed tort reform. Lol

[@winzie5764]

Another scam that is being perpetrated against us humans is the cost of a helicopter ride to a trauma center. One of my students was in a motorcycle accident and was airlifted 6 miles for a $42,000 charge. He was a minor and couldn’t refuse transport. The hospital had a trauma team paged, another $10,000. The trauma team didn’t do anything. The hospital put a sling on his arm and released him to his parents.

[@Ozarkprepper643]

Mark you and your family are real down to earth, and your Insight is truly appreciated. How is your current airplane build progressing? I missed this when reviewing old posts. Came up this morning as a suggestion. How's that saying go. Follow the money. Just what companies do politicians invest in through the stock market? Likely all of the big farma. (Misspelled on purpose) Who then in turn make donations to politicians. And that comes in many forms. Want to make money? Become a politician! Lol 🙄. And unfortunately that's spread across the board, not just from the medical industry. Laws and "policies' aren't passed for Citizens, their past for corporations. Some of which they may sit on the board.🤔 The game is rigged. I have refused to play their game. I am certainly not rich in the traditional sense. But Net worth is several times my lifetime earnings. Which were meager to say the least. I made sure I was debt-free and self-sufficient decades ago. Only paying taxes, utilities, (which we could get by without) and insurance. Covering property and liability. Health is minimal. And we have never made it health insurance claim. None of our "homes" are larger than needed. But I do have two ranches. One in the Ozarks, and one in Arizona. Haven't bought a new car for well over 25 years. Although I do have a few dozen old nice classics. I also have three airplanes, all experimental. So it's not how much money you make, but how we manage it. Unfortunately people spend much more than they earn! 🐂🤠🏞️🛩️

[@kstricl]

Ouch! Canadian health care has issues too, but that is just {insert impolite words here.}

[@TMB247]

I remember quoting someone back when this whole Obamacare crap was being floated ... "If you think Healthcare is expensive now, wait until it is Free" That is initially how it was sold ... it was going to be as Free as an Obamaphone, everyone else was going to get a $2,500 reduction.

[@Jimidan1000]

@niftertube I have lots of friends who live right across the border in Ontario, they don't have any problems with their system compared to the horror stories of those who have commented here. Mark and his brother are millionaires and they still have problems, imagine what the average Joe has.

[@douglasthompson2740]

Gotta tell you I have been down that rabbit hole and there is no "market rate" each provider can and most do set any kind of rate they feel like. It ranges from reasonable to outrageous and there is no standard by which they set it. Took a provider to court to make them justify a huge billing and that was the result. There is no national 'bluebook' of rate guidelines and there is no oversight on gouging. The medical field is a 'wild west' of rate charging. For instance in my small town with one hospital (who have a practical monopoly with all the doctors under one roof excepting only one or two on an island where the airfare to alternative care is 600 miles and $600 away) if you pay cash you pay multiple times what the insurance rate is for a procedure. Even then it is two or three times what the going rate is in a city. Gets better. The municipality owns the hospital and does all the expansion and upgrades (several hundreds of millions over the past 70 years) and building then gives it to Peace Health (a catholic entity) for one dollar per year!! We as owners do not share in one nickel of profit and on top of it we have to pay those triple rates of a hospital run by the same outfit in other towns in the Pacific Northwest. Just as topping we often do not get a specialist who generates the fees in other locales. We get a general surgeon or a 'reject' traveling doctor no one else wants. We could also venture into car insurance where the government requires it but puts no caps on the premiums but space doesn't permit. Isn't a corporatocracy great!!!

[@merkster12]

Bro, welcome to my world. I'm in healthcare and it is crazy!!

[@jojoAW101]

well in Germany going to the doctor is (almost) always paid by insurance... and the employer pays the insurance but we have a huge problem with private/statutory insurance as private insured people get their doctor's appointment months earlier, sometimes they tell you they don't have any free appointments in the next 5 months but if a privately insured guy walks in he gets his appointment for next week

[@tb1951]

What is your tax rate in Germany? 40%?

[@jojoAW101]

@@tb1951 depends on income. I don't pay taxes as I am a student. But I also don't pay study fees as the country pays for it

[@copythatchannel]

Welcome to the fiesta… it really is a circus

[@williamnottbusch8024]

When I was a kid in the 60s when we went to the doctor we paid our 5-10 dollars and that was it, no insurance involved. We had what was called major medical or hospitalization in case you had to go to the hospital Or had some other major issue. Same with the dentist we paid out of pocket. Funny that now we have insurance and the price is higher than it would be without. What a scam.

[@MX304]

That is exactly what caused the problems we now have. As insurance companies covered more and more things, the prices went up. Then the government mandated we had to have it, and the prices went completely out of control. Much the same way college tuition prices skyrocketed when government funded student loans gave colleges a blank check.

[@jayderwin1]

That how insurance should work cover major medical/hospital visits i mean u dont file a car insurance claim to get your oil change. Insurance is to cover unforeseen events not general maintenance human, vehicles, property.

[@RealRickCox]

Thanks for pointing out the insurance SCAM! Imagine what would happen if healthcare providers were forced to disclose these rate differences to the public without having to be smart like you were and ask the right questions...

[@asiasmells71]

From a Canadian that live abroad and used systems in Thailand and the Philippines.. Your system is way way broken... And I'm sure it will just get worse as more people get on the money waggon.. Cheers

[@askeletonsdaisy2440]

A belated Merry Yuletide Christmas to you. 2020 is gonna be banging!

[@ianmooney213]

What the? I’m from Australia and our health care systems are different but nothing you said makes any sense. $1100 for a blood test? Do they send it in a rocket ship to test in zero g or something? And $200 for the same thing if you pay cash! How much are the money-men making on this scam.

[@jayderwin1]

Ian Mooney way to much

[@Jimidan1000]

The US system is "different", as the rest of the civilized world has single payer insurance. The healthcare and big pharm make billions on us, and they own nearly every lawmaker in the land. There are good politicians who are trying to change it, but they can't get the votes or win elections around here any more. Too many knuckleheads.

[@fiedlertimify]

I am in sales, and one of the best things you can do when selling a product is get someone emotionally invested. Customers get the best deal when they make informed decisions that are void of emotional investment in the purchasing process. With health care it is almost impossible to remove emotion form the decision making process. Particularly if a life is on the line and decisions were not made ahead of time. In the UK the government negotiates rates for medication and treatments based on quality of life, survivability, and length of life after treatment. This means some treatments are not covered, but also that a monetary value that is void of emotional reasoning in the decision can be made. This rationalizes options and drives out cost. So long as we consumers demand from government and insurers that we have every option open to us cost will be dictated to them by the providers and health care companies. It’s harsh to say, but very true. As for your treatment I would be interested in the economics of why this is often the case with blood work. Cost of running the insurance? Lot more hands in the pot? Or good will of testing companies trying to make sure those who do not have insurance who are often at the lower end of the economic spectrum are taken care of? Certainly strange.

[@flyingrandpa5989]

This is not the only corrupt business out there, look at the National Debt, 23 T and climbing...STMS (sick to my stomach).

[@chrisbowpiloto]

Wow, that is the crasiest one that I have heard yet! There are a lot of self-pay people in my area, so the local hospital gives a 60% discount on anything for self pay

[@wurstofall]

I had no idea this was a thing. I don’t see a doc too often thank God. Thank you for the info!!

[@kevinengle2728]

I went to urgent Care for an ear infection. I asked the lady how much it would be with my insurance. She told me $75. I asked her how much it would be if I didn't involve the insurance company. She told me $50. Sounds like the insurance companies jacking the rates up to pad their own pockets!

[@Joe-qj7oh]

In Australia, the Federal Government, covers all basic Medical expenses, it's called bulk billing. 90% of all Medical practices, do bulk billing for there patience, the public do not pay one cent for blood tests, or any other check up procedure, if you are low income, operations are covered as well.

[@markthompson4885]

I donated my blood plasma got payed $60.00 and let them do all my blood work and let them tell me what they found!

[@cactusjack1806]

I got a bunch of blood test done in Mexicali, can't remember exactly how much it was but i want to say it was less than $10 US. Then to see a doctor to go over the results and write a couple of prescriptions was like $5. If you need anything done, take a trip down south to Los Algodones or Mexicali.

[@kerrytodd3753]

I’m sure you get the best doctors there lol

[@cactusjack1806]

@@kerrytodd3753 i get the sarcasm, but if it was life and death situation i wouldn't go unless i was just that desperate. Same thing goes for the VA hospital. Mexico is great for dental work and prescription drugs, past that you gotta research and make that decision for yourself.

[@Jimidan1000]

@@kerrytodd3753 What does it matter if you "get the best doctors" if you can't afford to see them. Doohh.

[@rogerjohnson378]

Things that make you go hmmmm... Carbon Cub.

[@DISOPtv]

Yep, just went through that this year, cash pay is cheaper than deductibles a lot of times.

[@DrCreightonShute]

Hey Mark, you should check out Direct Primary Care or “DPC” clinics near you. It’s what freedom in healthcare looks like. If you think $200 is fair, you should see what DPC practices are charging for bloodwork, and if the laws in your state allow it, then they’re probably dispensing medications at wholesale prices too.

[@ozziepilot2899]

I'd hate to get sick in the US. In Australia for me a regular checkup at my GP is $A37 co-payment and any blood work is free (Govt pays for it through Medicare) . In fact I never use my private health cover at all except Dental or Eye glasses.

[@JustPlaneSilly]

The system has failed.

[@nemo227]

"We're from the government and we're here to help you." The earth is flat. We have determined that money is being held for you in a Nigerian bank but we can't release it to you until you pay the $2387.00 tax on the transfer. Santa Claus is bringing you toys. The Easter bunny lays colored eggs.

[@nemo227]

@@RWBHere Well, we HAVE a flying pig. It's a plaque hanging on the wall.

[@nemo227]

@@RWBHere Yes, and they were delicious on the grill. Next flock I'll call you. Penguins with Guinness or Bourbon or Scotch.

[@TurkishKB]

It's a scam. So is vehicle registration and the 5 extra fees on top, and building permits. Total scam

[@trytolookbusy]

It is so bad! And needs a complete overhaul. The trouble is that big Pharmaceuticals as well as very profitable hospitals and highly paid doctors are greatly affected by any kind of overhaul. If you follow the money Trail you'll find that most of the Senators and Congress members were paid for by these industries. So far two presidents have tried to overhaul the system and it is just left us in a worse position. By the way I'm absolutely loving reading your book!

[@JamesBond-xq3tw]

Vultures of the new world order ? Insurance,lawyers ,accountants,!!!

[@dennyliegerot4021]

It's unbelievable how wrong this...I was written a presciption for a knee brace because of a dirt bike injury to my right knee.. I went to a "specialists" office where they measured my knee, pulled a stock carbon fiber brace off the shelf and after paying a $600 deductible was sent me home. My insurance company was billed $1600... later I wanted to get a matching one to protect my left knee and use the pair to race with. I contacted the company that made my prescribed brace and because this was not an insurance issue I was able to purchase the exact brace (for the left knee) for $425. ...and we wonder why medical insurance is so expensive. This is criminal.

[@jamespkeane]

I ask anyone who believes government sponsored healthcare is a good thing to tell me how much they enjoy their DMV visits. “Oh, but healthcare will be different!” Right. Yeah right. Good video Mark. The morale of the story: Free markets and capitalism should always prevail!

[@matcausey1778]

500 for bloodwork Thats disgusting In Australia we have basic healthcare that covers most things called medicare, the patient doesnt pay anything for what is covered

[@crammydavisjr5813]

it's a damn health care syndicate... and it's good you asked the question!!! That's crazy!

[@ZachSwena]

My dad is a doctor, and I would say that price differential has to do with how much extra paperwork, billing staff, and and overhead dealing with insurance requires. The government insurance places also tend to reimburse less than 50% of what is billed also... Still, it is crazy to have market rate below copay...

[@aciagriculturalconstructio2264]

Are you trying to tell us that the government made things worse? I'm sitting here in shock and disbelief.

[@drewt3210]

The great oxymoron of "Government Intelligence" in full effect.

[@flytoday]

Free market doing what it does best, make profits out of essential services

[@MarkNewtonFlies]

You know that if you want your government to be better, you can vote to make it better, and it’ll get better, right? The attitude that says the government has no part to play because it inevitably screws everything up is your actual problem. You have a government of the people, for the people, by the people. Who do you blame when it screws up, and why do you tolerate it? Make it better. FORCE it to be better.

[@drewt3210]

@@MarkNewtonFlies Perhaps at one time. But certainly no adult is naive enough to believe it is still so. In theory there is no difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is.

[@nelsonashbrook765]

@@MarkNewtonFlies you may as well pee into the wind. Voting has become useless. The Affordable Care Act was voted into law with the dems freely admitting they did not even read it! Furthermore, the act of passing bills into law has become nothing more than a means to insert extra pork and spending into play.

[@gistsc]

But hey, “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”. What a joke!

[@kevina8172]

Ya Mark, I started Medicare this year, and have Etna for life from Alaska state employment, They both SUCK! I just paid $65.00 out of pocket "Market rate" for blood work just easyer

[@thomaswinacott4785]

Time for health care like Canada!

[@MyHealthByDesign]

It's not only healthcare. Took 3 rocks to my car windshield. The replacement was going to cost my $500 deductible plus another $450 (for math challenged that's $950 for a new windshield). I asked about cash. It cost $350 cash - TOTAL!! Guess which way I went!

[@krissfemmpaws1029]

The more litigious a society the greater the corruption. And this is a simple proof of it.

[@TheVangerven]

ive had blood work twice this year, surgery and a few xrays....0$ get dual citizenship to canada were letting anyone in these days lol

[@JohnChvatalGSTV]

We've gotta stop using insurance for every small medical expense and shop for catastrophic insurance. We are paying people to sit in a cubicle processing medical claims on top of the actual cost of treatment. Insane!

[@HaywardFamilybuilding]

Completely agree. We have a medi-share plan for the whole family (6 of us) for major medical.... cost only $275 a month with a 1k deductible. Save Cash, buy used and Live free.

[@HaywardFamilybuilding]

Completely agree. We have a medi-share plan for the whole family (6 of us) for major medical.... cost only $275 a month with a 1k deductible. Save Cash, buy used and Live free.

[@FPVREVIEWS]

I don't have a joke, but the "FoneJacker" can make one out of it for sure.

[@v12tommy]

Insurance is a total scam. During the time that Obamacare forced me to buy insurance, I wasted over $24,000 to buy insurance I didn't need, nor want. When I tell people that I'm happily uninsured, they always say, "Well, what if you break a leg, then what?" I don't know how much a broken leg costs, but I'd be willing to bet it is less than $24k. Plus I could have invested that same money and it would be growing, for when I need big procedures as I get old.

[@hydrojedi]

Thanks for posting & explaining in plain english...very helpful. Thanks!

[@cheewurz]

Mike...if you were a Bank...the Gooberment would GIVE YOU a $1,000,000,000 for that Blood-Work!

[@davidkemp1585]

I am a retired doctor and my partner and I started our own pediatric practice and so we had to deal with private insurance and government insurance (i.e. Medicaid). I found myself dealing with caring for my patients and trying to fairly get paid for the work I did. As being retired I now have primary government insurance (Medicare) backed up by private insurance for what Medicare does not by law cover: drugs, certain out patient (doctor office) visits. If I saw a patient with private insurance for a problem and the parents wanted me to do additional things (like freeze several warts), I often did so because they hoped I could. I would check with our insurance clerk as to whether I felt I could bill for the additional work without increasing the parents out of pocket cost. Joyce knew enough about the various plans around our city that she could advise me. Oftentimes she would say "it doesn't look good, Dave. They have have "miscellaneous" insurance. I asked her what that meant the first time and she said "they won't pay us". I do not agree with the general tone of your post, Mark, nor of most of the comments that the problem is government involvement in health care. Your discussion about your bill did not inform you, you need to rather more information from non biased and informed sources. I lived this for 35+ years. It is simply amazing to me that since the Affordable Care Act came along and we keep hearing about it from good media sources and fake news sources that there so much continued confusion. I will make this statement: I would rather deal with government insurance than with private insurance that doesn't cover my patients medical expenses. I get paid less but the patient gets cared for. Enterprising private health care providers have the ability to make a living under these circumstances. If I get paid 60-70% of my usual and customary fee and the patient gets care, I am okay. Medicare covers a much larger percent of my doctor's care. You don't hear people complaining about Medicare except politicians and doctors and hospitals are not starving. Medicare is the absolute most economical support for health care because it puts limits on how much doctors & hospitals can be reimbursed for services AND DOES NOT ALLOW DOCTORS OR HOSPITALS TO CHARGE THE PATIENT FOR CHARGES IN EXCESS OF THAT AMOUNT. In addition, many big name private insurance companies base their compensation for doctors on Medicare rates, then allow for doctors to pass along what isn't covered to you. In addition politicians caved to Big Pharma by not allowing Medicare to accept bids for needed formulary drugs. The problem is private insurance, lack of insurance and healthcare greed. We are paying too much for people not being able to get adequate care. Miscellaneous cheap medical plans are attractive to folks until they get sick

[@GrantGrove]

Buerocrats should NEVER be involved with our Heath care and so much more...

[@owenslanc18]

PREACH Brother! Preach!

[@jeffrogers2349]

Glad you are waking up and sharing... we need more people to wake up and ask the questions that need to be asked.

[@waynenocton]

We have lawyers running out country and wonder they we are always getting screwed. That’s what lawyers do.

[@edmahonejr.9364]

Yes _most ..not all ..lawyers are scum of the earth __then they become politicians...

[@travisk5589]

Of course it's cheaper if you pay cash. It's like bidding an insurance related job. I do construction. And if I need to do a remodel due to a water leak I can easily charge two to three times more than I would charge if the homeowner was just paying cash out of their pocket. Insurance is a friggin racket. And speaking of which a girlfriend just went to her doctor's appointment today and her copay went up again this year.

[@johnfriend862]

"The government gets a cut" of what your insurance company pays the lab to do the tests....? No wonder our healthcare is so screwed up. I had fantastic insurance for $250/month the day obamacare was signed into law. After being cancelled and slammed into a different policy 4 times (but remember "if you like your insurance you can keep your insurance) my insurance would now be $1,150/month with a $7,700 deductible, after that I would still have to pay 40%. That's $21,500 a year, then I still have to pay 40%? Needless to say I'm uninsured, as are most of the people I know. Even my doctor is uninsured, as he agrees it's just cheaper to pay cash than the premiums, co-pays and deductible. Obamacare has made an irreversible mess out of our healthcare system, as many of us knew it would. Why do you think the biggest supporters of it were the first to demand exemptions from it?

[@wynnfpv]

I'm uninsured also... Kinda scary thinking of having a huge bill if needing something done, but for me and my wife to get insurance through my work it is around 15k including deductibles.. just nuts..

[@patrico68]

Here in Britain we complain about our NHS (they don’t appreciate how lucky we are) but you poor guys just get buggered at any opportunity. It’s more than a Scam... should be unlawful but that’s capital hill for you!!

[@homertalk]

Who the hell would want a NHS. Losers! It stifles innovation and lets the filth in Government have control over you. Wake UP! We are trying here to get rid of Oshit care introduced by the filthiest President ever.

[@IanSeager]

@@homertalk Seriously? NHS is brilliant, particularly for acute care, and of course, free at the point of delivery. I'll take the NHS every single time please.

[@Bgearmcgee]

Homertalk is either a troll or being sarcastic. I hope

[@rogerolander458]

Something is amiss here, although I do find the prior comments interesting. I frequently need to get a blood draw every six weeks to get a medication adjusted. I simply walk in, sit in the chair, exchange pleasantries with the phlebotomist while she does her work and then I walk out when she's done. Cost = $0.00! Over recent years I've had my prostate removed, my thyroid removed, two hernias fixed and the left shoulder replaced. Sum total cost, less than $8000 out of pocket. And yes, the wait times can be slower than I like - the shoulder took months because I chose to go to one of the best Ortho Surgeons in Colorado. What's the magic you might ask? A government program called Medicare which I receive after having paid it ahead (mandatory) for years while working. That is combined with a commercial supplemental insurance policy which costs me about $50 to $120 per month depending on which level I decide to subscribe to at the time. So, in my view the government doesn't always screw everything up. Medicare is an older program and works reasonably well, so maybe the problem is the newer generation of politicians.....

[@henrikcarlsen1881]

Watching from a country where this procedure is a free governmental service (collectivly paid for by taxes, yes), it's a rather sureal experience this video.

[@necrosapien1]

Since I got hurt on the job. I have discovered that insurance is a scam. And a very corrupt system.

[@damham5689]

Without. The govt regulated rate youd pay a lot more. But as for market rate, I agree it should all be that price. However, here in St Louis some large medical providers charge more for cash payments to try to make up for the difference. I have a good doctor friend who has a successful practice who often complains she has a hire 11 people just to navigate all the different insurance company hoops. One wrong box checked or code number and it can be years to get paid. She has to employ 4 more people to handle insurance than nurses and doctors that work with patients. Without govt holding prices back no one would be able to afford a bandaid. Remember, in 2018 health insurance companies made a clear profit of over $23 Billion dollars. They dont do that by giv8ng discounts and being nice guys.

[@AustNRail]

Wow! That’s all I can say from Australia! Wow!

[@Utahdropout]

I said it before and I'll say it again.... The foxes are in charge of the hen house.

[@micbic008]

Far out that's Crazy numbers !!

[@hahnfelt]

It’s only ‘the real world’ in USA - here it’s free. Or, if I go private, 100 bucks w/o insurance and 15 with. Insurance for private care is 45 usd / month.