To start with I have a “good” health insurance plan that covers 80% / 20% of expenses after the deductibles of $2,400 per person are met.
In the last 2 months my wife fell and developed massive swelling on her shoulder where she had separated her collar bone a year earlier. X-Rays, Copays, and an MRI later resulted in one thousand two hundred dollars of out of pocket costs. I spent it without a thought because she’s my wife and it had to be done. Happily, the rotator cuff was fine and no significant damage was done.
Fast forward one month and on the way to our house closing there are two very young kids trying to push a car out of a very busy road. I watched about a dozen cars pull around them before I got close. I could not leave them there so I put on the hazard lights got out and helped push. With the aid of another motorist who stopped right behind me we got them safely off the road. I also experienced a “pop” in my left leg and excruciating pain (My wife made clear I am getting too old to be a good Samaritan). We were moving so I couldn’t really stop everything and put my leg up so a few days went by before my wife forced me to go to urgent care (because my regular doctor could not get me in until this Thursday). I went and saw a PA who said I may have damaged my Achilles tendon and wanted me to see the doctor yesterday – I went (another $80 copay) and was told I had definitely ruptured the Achilles tendon and recommended surgery but indicated it could heal on its own but would always be weaker. Surgery would require an MRI (already ordered and told I would have to cover $779 of the cost) and then the other costs involved would obviously mean I would hit the max out of pocket cost of $7,400 per individual. Needless to say the MRI was cancelled and healing on its own is the plan.
So as I go to work today with my foot in a walking boot in a great deal of pain it is very clear to me why I support Medicare for ALL – with no private insurance – and no copays. I can hope and pray that someday someone in America can still be a good Samaritan and not worry about going bankrupt due to injuring himself.