My next door neighbour and close family friend (when I used to live in the states) had a freak accident and required a heart transplant.
The cost of the transplant surgery and all related medical expenses would have put his family into astronomical medical debt for the foreseeable future. He opted to just die and donate the rest of his organs instead of putting his entire family in debt forever.
He left behind a wife, a daughter, and a special needs grandchild who him and his wife were raising because their daughter had some drug problems.
I remember reading a news story from the states once about a construction worker that got into an accident that took three of his fingers. When he was in hospital they talked about his treatment and discussed with him how much each finger would cost to reattach. In the end he was only able to afford two out of three fingers.
And if you think these stories are made up or untrue, most Americans are so normalized to all this that it would shock anyone else in the world. There are so many stories like this in the US …
My next door neighbour and close family friend (when I used to live in the states) had a freak accident and required a heart transplant.
The cost of the transplant surgery and all related medical expenses would have put his family into astronomical medical debt for the foreseeable future. He opted to just die and donate the rest of his organs instead of putting his entire family in debt forever.
He left behind a wife, a daughter, and a special needs grandchild who him and his wife were raising because their daughter had some drug problems.
I remember reading a news story from the states once about a construction worker that got into an accident that took three of his fingers. When he was in hospital they talked about his treatment and discussed with him how much each finger would cost to reattach. In the end he was only able to afford two out of three fingers.
And if you think these stories are made up or untrue, most Americans are so normalized to all this that it would shock anyone else in the world. There are so many stories like this in the US …
https://www.buzzfeed.com/morgansloss1/18-stories-health-insurance-claims-being-denied
I hope one of those was the middle finger.
It’s crazy to me that needing a heart transplant doesn’t make you eligible to enroll in Medicare but needing a kidney does.
The point is moot! Since the GOP is gutting medicare/medicaid anyway.
The debt would go with the person. A kid is not responsible for a parent’s medical bill.
(At least that’s my understanding)
They will still try to collect and hope you fall for it.
Yes, the good Ole corporate greed and ignorant humans not knowing thier rights.
It was a state with filial responsibility so he was concerned that his daughter would be held liable for the unpaid dues. This was in 2002.
TIL that’s crazy. I wasn’t aware of this term.