> "Last weekend my baby had a fever, and we contemplated taking him to the ER, and my first thought was - had to be - “Oh God, that could wipe out our bank account!"
For the sake of your family, consider moving somewhere in the world that treats you like a human. It is happening elsewhere too ("this financial system that establishes complete social and political control over us") but not nearly to the extent that a gainfully employed individual can't reasonably expect basic healthcare for his children.
When I was traveling in France I busted my chin. I walked to an ER and got stitches. They later mailed me a bill for 40 EUR, and I'm not a French citizen, just a random human.
When I got back home to the US I went to get the stitches removed. That visit cost me over $300. :sigh:
Kaiser charges a $100 copay for ER visits. $50 does not sound too outlandish.
The bigger question is why GenY thinks a simple fever is cause for helping to overcrowd our emergency rooms even further. A thermometer costs $20 and will help determine if the fever is severe enough to require medical intervention.
Four months ago, one of the VPs in my company called in sick to work. In the email he sent to his team, he said he had food poisoning and needed to let it run out of his system. The next day he sent another email saying he's still struggling with it and not feeling well, but had started taking some antibiotics.
He died on the third day.
Because you see, what he thought was a simple food poisoning was actually a rare form of staph infection that reached his heart and destroyed it. By the time his family realized he should be taken to the ER, it was too late.
You may want to think about that the next time you have a "simple fever." Because the fact of the matter is that people are not doctors and should not try to self-diagnose themselves when they feel sick. They should go to the doctor, or if the symptoms are non-trivial, the ER.
For the sake of your family, consider moving somewhere in the world that treats you like a human. It is happening elsewhere too ("this financial system that establishes complete social and political control over us") but not nearly to the extent that a gainfully employed individual can't reasonably expect basic healthcare for his children.