We're getting screwed!

[Playinghardball]

Look at this! Everyone should know this. THIS is what the media is supposed to talk about, it's called "journalism".

[Gothmog]

1. This cost differential is crazy

[Octafish]

3. Well said!

Corporate McPravda diverts the proles from seeing what's killing them.

And a hearty welcome to DU, Raleighsdog!

[Blus4u]

33. Raleighs dog got booted???

That apparently didn't last long....this is like kindergarten.

[Betty Karlson]

5. glitter, distraction - and a flag and a cross too, or was that another bright mind? n/t

[appalachiablue]

21. "It Can't Happen Here" (1935) by Sinclair Lewis, fictional political novel, fascism comes to

the USA wrapped in a flag, maybe holding a cross.

[zeemike]

8. It's kind of a mix between Brave New World and 1984

We live in a dystopia world of the Sci Fi fiction of the past...it is as if they used it as a blueprint.

And Welcome to DU Raleighsdog.

[Rex]

4. That is the way our plutocracy works.

The most vulnerable, get shit on the worst. Whereas those that are above the law and untouchable, get treated like gods.

[eepatt]

7. Re: Getting Screwed

Nobody wants to talk about it, but:

Viagra in USA--$15.00/pill

Generic from Canada--$0.65

The stuff from Canada works better, too. Perhaps the feeling that one is bypassing Big Pharma partially cures ED.

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. USA! We're #1!

[rhett o rick]

18. Bingo!

[NJCher]

24. yep

and insofar as pharmaceutical costs go, the U.S. citizen is underwriting the cost of the development of the drugs. The way the pharmaceutical companies see it is that the income is higher here, so here is where to make the money.

The rest of the world's citizens are smart enough to have a gov't negotiate, as you say in your post ("sole negotiator&quot . Our government won't do that for us, as they've been bought off by the pharmaceutical companies. We just pay our legislator's salary. The real money is in the the corporate donations, so we're mere peons in the overall scheme of things.

So not only do we finance the cost of researching the drugs, we pay more for them once they are on the market. The rest of the world benefits, and we pay.


Cher

[hifiguy]

25. Indeed it does.

But in 'murka profits trump everything. And I do mean EVERYTHING.

[WillyT]

11. K & R !!!

[MisterP]

12. sometimes the media acknowledges this--only then to blame it on eldercare

[olddots]

13. a good chunk of the 1 percenter's money comes from

The Medical Industrial Industry .

[Glassunion]

14. You think that's bad? Try getting bitten by a snake.

[Sunlei]

19. people should start posting their bills

[Glassunion]

20. I recently had a $3,000+ bill for "nothing wrong".

[appalachiablue]

22. +1. Glad for you but 3K?! Good people are posting the truth about 'care' USA.

[Glassunion]

29. Yeah. I was in a bad way.

I felt dizzy, nauseous, shaking, sweaty and an overall feeling that I was dying. It was really weird. I started driving to work, then about 45 minutes after I left, I hadn't a clue where I was. It was like I was outside myself.

So I took myself to the ER. They took every fluid x-ray, and reading they could. Nothing was wrong. I felt better in a few hours.

X-Rays, urine sample, blood work, and ER visit came out to about $3k+. Thankfully work covered it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

31. My total bill for sinus (day) surgery last november was $50k.

Insurance allowed something like $10k. I paid about $2k.

1 hour on the table, three hours in recovery. Yikes.

[Sunlei]

32. Is that where they drill out your sinuses so you no longer get infections & breath better?

I've known people who had that 'day surgery' and their sleep apnea went away and they no longer had to use that machine, C-pap? mask.

[lumberjack_jeff]

37. In theory.

It definitely helped, but not a panacea.

They also did polyp and deviated septum surgery while he was all up in my grill.

[LibDemAlways]

15. The $3949.00 strikes me as low. A

relative's recent one night stay for observation was $6500.

My daughter has a friend who will undergo heart valve replacement surgery soon. The cost is a half mil. Fortunately, he has good insurance but will still be stuck for thousands in co-pays and deductibles.

[Sunlei]

34. looks like the 'bed/room charge' is one of the higher profit items our healthcare Corps enjoy.

Not every item has the same profit revenue, but everyone needs a bed or a rooms use when they need medical care.

[gregcrawford]

16. Time to dust off the guillotine?

[hifiguy]

26. And the tumbrels, too.

[Sunlei]

17. even the USA Vet Specialists charge higher then human cost treatment in other countries.

[wildbilln864]

23. no doubt...

in more ways that your pic shows too.

[TBF]

27. It's ridiculous but the hospital/insurance co. scam

needs a chart as well. Recently I was hospitalized for over a week. Surgery et al and bill about $200K (no joke). But the first thing the insurance company and hospital do is work out "discounts". After that it's less than half. Then the insurance company looks at coverage. We are down now to where I may have to pay about 4% of the bill (when the invoices are all eventually sent) but I haven't yet requested any appeals. I have about $1000 worth of invoices that are finalized and I will likely pay next month.

[IDemo]

28. Info looks a bit dated (2011)

The average cost of an MRI in the U.S. is $2,611 per a 2014 source:

http://time.com/money/2995166/why-does-mri-cost-so-much/

[airplaneman]

30. medical costs are why I will retire at 70 and not 62.5

My MRI was $2000.00. Epidural shots (one shot) with insurance is $700.00 ($13,000.00 without insurance).
-Airplane

[Enthusiast]

35. This is what I'm talking about!

They® moved our manufacturing jobs out of the country, just because. They® simply didn't care if it hurt the American worker. The American workers cost too much, They® said.

But we are saddled with this horrible health care system because all the players are addicted to the profit inherent in the US system.

Why can't the American health care consumer say. Enough with this shit! We are going to enact single payer and deprive you of your unfair profiteering on the health and lives of the American people!

[Enthusiast]

36. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!