Monday, January 11, 2010
ER
I tripped and hit my chin on the pavement today, so I went to a hospital, since the cut looked kind of big. They did charge me for the visit (Italians just pay into a government-run health care system, so they don't pay when they go to a Dr.). The nurse asked the Dr. why I had to pay, and the Dr. said it was because I was American. However, the total price for the visit and 2 stitches, without bringing insurance into it, was $51.03 (35.65 euros). My somewhat recent emergency room visit in the US, not including the price of medication or lab fees, cost over $600.
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3 comments:
Kristen: 2 stitches
Marc: 3 stitches
Marc wins.
Sorry to hear about your recent snuggle with the pavement. I think I will need to borrow your health care payment anecdote to tell all the idiots here in the US who believe a national health care system is the worst thing to happen to anyone. $51?!?!?!
Hope you're healing nicely. Make up a good story about how you got it (e.g., knife fight).
Marc: Indeed. However, mine were administered without anesthetic.
Arista: I wasn't able to find how much Italians pay annually for the health system. In Germany, they just take a percentage of your income, up to a certain amount. The maximum amount seemed comparable to insurance costs in the US. Yeah, knife fight is way better than the real story.
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