Craziness! Why is it that only (ok maybe not ONLY) in the United States, the preeminent country of the "Free World", is obtaining basic healthcare so expensive?
I never used to think about this kind of stuff before, I just wandered through life knowing that if I got sick or injured I could go to the doctor. After two years of unemployment, and now back to school, I am keenly aware that i'm screwed if I get sick or injured.
In fact, I recently called my family doctor, of whom I have been a patient for 14 years, to see what it would cost for a basic examination. Just to say hello to the doctor costs $106. Now if I were to have any blood work, x-rays, or in-office surgery I could expect the the price to go up significantly -- like in the range of $400 - 600! Where in hell am I supposed to get that kind of money?
Fortunately, I'm generally healthy. I have slightly high cholesterol levels (as of 3 years ago), slightly high blood pressure (as of 1year ago), 15 pounds over normal (as of now), and an inguinal hernia. I work out 3-5 times a week and generally keep an eye on my diet. Not perfect but pretty good.
As for the hernia, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed it does not worsen. . . a $20,000 surgery! But not all is lost, a friend made an off-hand comment about going to Mexico for the procedure. I laughed heartily at that, but later looked into it. He was completely right! I can go down to there and get the same care at a quarter of the cost! Still $5000 is a lot of money, but a heck of lot better than 20K!
More on this later... Thanks for reading and understanding... or not :)
Next: The other side of the coin.
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