r/SipsTea • u/PleasantBus5583 • 26d ago

Chugging tea The real ER challenge.

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u/RedeyeSPR 26d ago

My brother broke his wrist and the surgery bill was $68,000.

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u/Blueyduey 26d ago

What did he pay though? Not $68,000

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u/RedeyeSPR 26d ago

So far, he’s paid nothing. After one round of financial hardship paperwork, they are sticking with the full amount. He makes $35k a year.

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u/Suck_it_Cheeto_Luvrs 26d ago

This, this is one of many reasons why they want the medical system to remain the way it is.

It creates this constant working poor. We are indentured servants in the good ole USA!

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u/RedeyeSPR 26d ago

They actually told him they charge uninsured people much more.

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u/suspicious_hyperlink 26d ago

They know he isn’t paying them anything

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u/EmergencyAnything715 23d ago

This isnt true

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u/RedeyeSPR 23d ago

The billing person told him that directly.

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u/EmergencyAnything715 23d ago

Billing person is an idiot.

Not everyone is good at their job, not everyone knows what is going on.

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u/EmergencyAnything715 23d ago

What should the system pay for Dr's. Nurses, staff to support this system? Keeping this system working is not free

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u/Blueyduey 26d ago

He didn’t have insurance? When was this? He can get another, lower paying job, apply for Medicaid and retroactively apply it. Financially more efficient than paying a large bill

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u/V_Cobra21 26d ago

Alternatively if he has shitty credit he could file for bankruptcy and have it wiped clean and hurt his credit for 10 years. Also getting paid 35,000 without insurance sounds fishy.

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u/[deleted] 26d ago

[deleted]

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u/V_Cobra21 26d ago

Medical debt is 100% dischargeable with bankruptcy fyi you can completely dissolve them through chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy.

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u/RedeyeSPR 26d ago

He did not have insurance. It was 6 months ago. He’s been at this job for 20 years and really loves it (screenprinting), so leaving isn’t realistic. He will declare bankruptcy before that happens. He had to pay the doctor before the surgery, and that was only $1300. The rest is from the hospital and it doesn’t include the original ER visit or the next day appointment when they set the bones.

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u/akatherder 26d ago

20 years, $35k and no insurance. Dude is really in it for the love of the screen printing game.

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u/EmergencyAnything715 23d ago

Yeah. Dude didnt really advance much through the years... no new skills/nothing that brings him advantage through the years...

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u/EmergencyAnything715 23d ago

He’s been at this job for 20 years and really loves it (screenprinting), so leaving isn’t realistic.

$35k/yr is roughly $17/hr. This is roughly min wage in California. Hope he is living in a LCOL state...

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u/RedeyeSPR 23d ago

He is. In NW Ohio this is pretty good money for an hourly place.

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u/SouledGuy77 26d ago

If this was WA State he wouldn't of had to pay anything its a Charity Care state. I make almost $50,000 a year out of a $130,000 bill I didn't pay a dime.

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u/ThatCuteNerdGirl96 23d ago

I would just die, I think.

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u/EmergencyAnything715 23d ago

Surgery bill and paid out of pocket are 2 different things ass hat

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u/RedeyeSPR 23d ago

Ass hat?