2 Americans held in MANDATORY hospital isolation for Coronavirus face $2,700 in medical bills.

[MelissaB]

Outrageous. This #coronavirus is a PUBLIC HEALTH threat. All #COVID19 testing should be FREE, as should medical treatment for those who are uninsured or whose insurance won’t cover it (out-of-network, etc).

Link to tweet

Two Americans were held in mandatory hospital isolation for suspected Coronavirus.

They now face $2,700 in outstanding medical bills.

The C.D.C. won't comment on who is responsible, or commit the federal government to paying.

Link to tweet

[rampartc]

1. that sounds like a copay for just a few days

i have a feeling these horror stories are only beginning.

and every doctor that looks at the chart sends an "inpatient physician" bill

[MelissaB]

4. It's a great way to spread the virus instead of containing it.

Somebody needs to make the decision and let the public know it WILL be taken care of by the government if people can't afford to pay or don't have insurance.

[shanti]

22. I can see

some people who can't pay for the care, doing something spiteful in retaliation. They'd better get on top of this issue!

[appalachiablue]

25. NEW YORK Gov. & Mayor new press release: call them for testing help:

- NY has the capacity to test for coronavirus without going through the CDC says mayor and governor.

Barbara Malmet@B52Malmet·1h
#Coronavirusnyc the mayor and the governor say NY has the capacity to test without going through the CDC. De Blasio says anyone who has concern about their own health, no matter if you have insurance or not, call 311. You will get help. Community spread is real. NY is ready. https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213036515

[Farmer-Rick]

28. People already check themselves out of the hospital against doctor's orders. It's quite common

Because they can't afford the bill.

Try keeping people in hospital isolation units when they know they have to pay a bill that will put them into bankruptcy.

The $2,000+ hospital bill sounds like a co-pay.

[IronLionZion]

17. Some doctors outside the network will look at the chart

and send some hefty out of network bills

[rampartc]

20. i've gotten a few of those

[EarthFirst]

2. The vulture capitalists need bibs to contain their drooling...

While supply chain and consumer goods flounder; the insurance industry has become aroused by the potential profits soon to enter their coffers...

[Newest Reality]

26. As long as there is

As long as there is any meat or sinew on our bones, they will pick them clean. You can count on that.

Their is a lot of money to be made from people falling down the slippery slope pit they have dug for us.

[Mike 03]

3. This is the best way ever to DETER people from seeking medical assistance

or even speaking up if they believe they may be infected. You might not say anything because your neighbors/friends/family would urge you to go to the hospital and you're thinking, "I can't afford that, I'll take my chances with the virus."

Something like half of all Americans don't even have $500 put aside for an emergency (and some of them are spending that money now to stock up on essentials).

Is this how we treated our suspected Ebola patients?

[dewsgirl]

7. They seem to be doing everything possible to encourage community

spread.

[Cal Carpenter]

5. This will discourage people from telling their doctors they have symptoms

Our health care system needs to change. So does our sick leave policy.

[UpInArms]

6. And who will the bills when people cannot work and have no sick leave?

This country is so freaking backward.

[Newest Reality]

27. Think of the implications...

We already have a largely ignored boom in people going homeless, which is more often the result of an economic catastrophe, (which doesn't have to involve much these days).

Now, imagine the large numbers of people, (and the statistics are significant) who are hit with no paycheck and huge bills at the same time. Evictions and homelessness may skyrocket and there is no safety net allowed anymore. Or, can we count on the sheer compassion and altruism of thousands of landlords here?

This country is very vulnerable in that sense and a pandemic may bring that to a head for all to see. However, that still won't bring any help or solutions from the current regime. Those people will then be vulnerable to scapegoating, which is a tool and treat for Fascism.

[mr_lebowski]

29. And then they get fired for being absent ... and then they don't have insurance anymore (nt)

[Hortensis]

8. Blame all who didn't vote Democrat. EVERY one of them.

Don't blame the poor public hospitals. They've been struggling and going backrupt by the thousands due to Republican budget cuts. Every person who didn't vote every election to keep them out of power is culpable.

And don't blame the ACA. Democrats lack only the power to finally finish developing it into a universal healthcare system. Even so, and in spite of attempts to destroy, it will pay the hospital bills of many millions who wouldn't have insurance without it.

Btw, those same culpable people who help elect Republicans helped them over the past FOUR decades slash hundreds of billions of dollars for medical research alone. Money DEMOCRATIC majorities had allocated for treatments and cures we SHOULD have right now. A billion and a half was cut at one swipe by Republican majorities during the Obama administration, forcing the destruction of years of studies that couldn't just be put on a shelf until later. People are now dying who could have been made well as a result.

Since 2016 Republicans in federal and state governments have gutted all the healthcare agencies and budgets they can, including those whose job is to control communicable disease! They also put their agents in charge to destroy them from the inside. Trump was going to close down the already badly hurt CBC, but apparently self-protective instincts cut in among the Republican leadership kicked in and he was talked out of actually getting rid of it altogether.

If Trump is reelected, he plans further huge cuts across healthcare, including to the NIH, which uses our taxes not to enrich the wealthy but to fund research to develop vaccines and other ways to keep us all alive and well.

Hopefully this time more people will realize who to get out of power and vote Democrat as if their own lives really could depend on it. Btw, Sanders has the senators' pot-of-gold healthcare and retirement plans, and exactly as in 2016, he can afford the consequences of electing Trump/Repubs because he'll always have the best healthcare available no matter what. Even the huge economic disruptions Putin plans that would be absolutely devastating to many of us, wiping out jobs and retirements by the millions, wouldn't interrupt the flow of big government checks to Sanders.

[58Sunliner]

12. +1,000.

[IronLionZion]

18. I blame everyone who had the capability to vote for Hillary/Dems, but chose not to

[Hortensis]

19. They can't undo, they can only do better. Fortunately,

voting even once for liberal Democratic candidates is INCREDIBLY better than all the alternatives.

[IronLionZion]

31. Forward!

[Coventina]

9. I wouldn't pay it.

I don't care what it would do to my credit.

Fuck that shit.

[Bayard]

10. I'm wondering if this is going to affect voter turnout....

Especially in areas where you have long lines waiting.

[Delmette2.0]

15. We all need to sign up for mailed ballots.

If enough of us do this perhaps states will adopt bit by mail for everyone.

[shanti]

23. 3 million mail in ballots

already received in California. And it's free to mail now (didn't use to be). Lots of new drop off locations too. One is a car dealer!

[Delmette2.0]

34. Awesome. Now for every state to follow this!

[irisblue]

11. Frank Wucinski, up in the tweet, is the one who shared a bottle of water w/ his girl on fox news

Frank Wucinski (@FWucinski) Tweeted:
@cali_toad I had a dry throat from being nervous. It’s the first time I coughed like that in days.

Link to tweet

?s=20

Water bottle sharing after coughing


CaliToad (@cali_toad) Tweeted:
@FWucinski Stop sharing water bottles with your daughter when you are coughing. Think about her 1st!
Mom of 4

Link to tweet

?s=20


And of course a GoFundMe.

[peoli]

13. It's ok because they like their private health insurance!

[Timmygoat]

14. Also

Trump's supreme court once again considering the challenge to the Affordable Care Act, Trump hopes he can get it cancelled before the election.
After all, he did so well with Obama's people who were experts on pandemics, why not fire some more of Obama,s people.

[jalan48]

16. Obamacare doesn't cover this?

[mr_lebowski]

30. Obamacare is not a health insurance policy (nt)

[jalan48]

32. Yes, I forgot, it has nothing to do with our insurance industry coverage.

[IcyPeas]

21. LOOK who this is.... the coughing guy from fox news the other day

it's the same guy and his daughter!!!


https://nypost.com/2020/02/28/man-cleared-after-coronavirus-quarantine-cant-stop-coughing-in-tv-interview/

[Grokenstein]

24. Profits over public safety is just Free Market, y'all

Anything else is just socialismist!

/painfullyobvioussarcasmbutofcoursesomeonewilldeliberatelypretendnottounderstandthat

From the party that brought you "Mexico will pay for it!" and "Coronavirus is a liberal hoax!"
VOTE AND VOTE BLUE OR SCREW YOU

[Sophia_Of_PlanetX]

33. Hmm. That's another issue I didn't think about.

If the Coronavirus infects a large segment of the population, what are we going to do about the mass collection of sudden bankruptcies, job losses, and company closures? I really can’t see the government giving a shit, when this is exactly what government is made for.

When you’re thousands of dollars in debt and can’t possibly ever pay those bills, even bootstraps to pull yourself up by become an unaffordable luxury. Yuck...