The $12,000 Ironman. (Page 3)

I can't help but think that tort reform would solve a huge portion of the problem here.

We have had a few examples in this thread. One was the concussion and broken arm. MEDAVAC?!?!?! REALLY?!?!?! There is no reason that should have happened other than one place trying to cover it's butt.

Heck my friend was in a car wreck, I got to the scene first, he was out with a huge gash on his head and had lost control of his bladder when I got to the car. Opened the door, he came to and asked me what I was doing there (we had been together all night) he couldn't remember anything before or after for a few hours, kept asking me why he was in a car. I took him to his house, cleaned up his wound, bandaged it and watched him. He eventually came around, was lucid so I put him to bed. Guess what, he is fine. 

My dad wrecked his motorcycle, broke 8+ ribs, dislocated a shoulder and punctured a lung. We got him home, put him in bed and had him stay off his feet for a few days. He hacked up a decent amount of blood, but he came out just fine and it was free. If we had called an ambulance it would have been $80k in "treatment and therapy". Total BS IMO. 

I am not saying there is no need for doctors and that people shouldn't get treatment when they really need it but it has gone way past that in recent years IMO. 

A person should be able to go in, have the absolutely necessary stuff done (set and cast the broken arm) and then be sent home and be done with it. But everyone from the hospital to the doctor are so concerned with covering their hind quarters that everyone has the have the full 3 day stay, every test and every follow up procedure. 

Heck, my sister went to 8 years of school to become a physical therapist, she wanted her own shop. But once she got quotes on malpractice insurance there was no way she was ever going to make enough to have her own shop. So now she works for a local school district. 

People's greed and lawsuits is what is wrong with healthcare in our country. 

Hi Fred!

Torn meniscus, and the wait was much less then 6 months. And keep in mind that the ER and regular stuff is free, and for the long wait, one can always travel to the states, pay, and get it done quickly.

These days, I understand that for the really expensive things, one travels to India, or a few other places, and has it done for much less.

My husband spent the night at the hospital in Kona when we were there for vacation.   It's really old fashioned, by the way.

It was his first brush with what has turned out to be not very critical heart arrhythmia, but he was worried enough to go and they kept him until his rhythm went back to normal.  He was there about 8 hours but came back the next day for an EKG. 

Sadly, this hospital was out of network and even after his insurance company paid what they could, and talked the hospital out/down on charges, we still paid about 5k.  This was a lesson to me about out of network providers.  You'd think Hawaii would be covered but most wouldn't have the time/luxury of heading to some place in Waikiki or wherever might be the one place that's in network.  Even a drive to Hilo was too far. Even though I doubt they'd have a better hospital option, talk about old fashioned...

As long as you continue to pay SOMETHING every month, you will NEVER hear from a collection agency..

Really amusing seeing foreigners try to disparage our system, where they pay a fortune in taxes and think that a 1-2 year wait for treatment is acceptable.  Or, you can pay for private insurance ON TOP of that, or fly to America where the best talent in the world is.