The US healthcare system fucking sucks ball

[Registration]

I'm having a hard time right now seeing how the healthcare system in this country isn't just an enormous money-making scheme.

I pay $89 per paycheck for insurance that covers just me. My company covers 50%, so they also pay $89 per paycheck. I get paid every 2 weeks, so that means I'm personally paying $2,314 out of my pocket every year. I've been covered at this job for six years, so I estimate that I've paid over $13,000 in premiums.

I am a young(ish) (32) healthy person who doesn't see the doctor too often. I think I've probably been to the doctor maybe 3 times in the past six years and haven't really needed anything.

I went to the doctor yesterday simply to have what I thought was a rash looked at. After a $40 co-pay, I spent about 4 minutes with the doctor who told me I have rosacea and gave me a prescription for Metrogel.

I went to the pharmacy, where I was informed that (a) the tube of cream I need is $270 (!!!) (b) my insurance has a $250 prescription deductible, and (c) for some reason the final cost to me to get this tube of cream right now would be $199.84. I told the nice lady at the pharmacy that that I didn't have a $200 budget for cream at the moment and left with my hands shaking.

Too-long story somewhat shortened... I went home and found an online pharmacy in Canada that was completely legit and they sold me a tube that was TWICE the size of the other tube for $70 including shipping.

FUCK. THIS. HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

Also, BTW, our esteemed congresspeople are about to pass legislation that would make it illegal to purchase drugs from other countries (even with a prescription) under the guise of both internet safety and public health. Unsurprisingly, the drug companies and health insurance companies are the ones pushing this legislation.

TL;DR Paid for health insurance for years. Finally needed it for something small. Something small was crazy expensive. Much, much cheaper to buy it from Canada with no insurance.

EDIT:An Imminent Threat to Continued Safe Importation from Canadian and International Pharmacies - RxRights.org Here is a link to the legislation I was referring to. I definitely recommend reading it. More bullshit from Congress, taking our rights away, preventing access to medication, and protecting corporations.

EDIT 2: I've got a bunch of people PM'ing me to find out where I ordered from (clearly this post hit on something)... search my comments below and you'll find it. For a bunch of reasons, I don't really want to advertise for them. Do your own research and only do business with a company you feel comfortable with. I called this company and asked them some questions that made me feel good about doing business with them... but that was just yesterday and I haven't received the order yet, so who knows.

EDIT 3: I will post an update when I get my order and let everyone know if it's for real.

[radnomguywfq3]

because it is a money making scheme. Move to Canada.

[4chan]

This isn't even true anymore for a lot of people (paying more taxes in Canada). Middle class Canadians pay about the same as Americans, even before health insurance is factored in. Not that all values below have been converted to Canadian dollars.

Using this calculator for Canada with a $60,000 input, I get $44,851 to $46,986 net salary depending on the province. This includes provincial income tax.

Using this calculator for the US (assumes no state tax) with a $60,000 Canadian input ($59,488 American input using today's rate), I get $48,908 Canadian net salary, but this is without state tax applied (states have anywhere from 0 to 11% in the top bracket).

I did the same exercise with other values:
•
$30,000 gross = $24,461 to $26,355 in Canada, $25,928 in USA

•
$40,000 gross = $31,571 to $34,444 in Canada, $33,619 in USA

•
$60,000 gross = $44,851 to $48,752 in Canada, $48,908 in USA

•
$80,000 gross = $57,418 to $62,937 in Canada, $63,363 in USA


I've done this exercise before with larger amounts, and above $80,000 you start to see American taxes decrease relative to Canada, but in Canada many people with high salaries are able to work as a contractor and take advantage of corporate tax rates for at least part of their salaries.

In both cases there are opportunities for deductions as well as municipal tax, sales tax and a lot of complicated rules. Personally I've done much "lower" than the rates above in Canada, and I'm sure many people pay less in the US as well. I've often heard statements like "yeah well Canadians pay 50% income tax", and this is completely inaccurate.

In Canada, corporate income tax is decreasing rapidly (and is currently 16.5% and I think 11% for small businesses). I think it's approximately 30% in the US, but more complicated, more deductions and there are lots of documented cases of negative corporate tax after deductions.

Hope that helps inform this discussion.

[Empire]

The healthcare systems always suck. You have too many conflictions on new medication and not enough focus on the people.

Doctors, while very important, are not worth hundreds of dollars an hour to tell you some bs and to buy meds. Its pretty easy to relate doctors to mechanics actually. They often will reccommend what you do not really NEED but what will benifit you, even if slightly. And they are sometimes ridiculously overpaid for the minor service provided.

Healthcare insurance is really focused on BIG stuff. Stuff like car accidents and whatnot.

The litte stuff is always gonna be fucked up. You can probably get twice the amount for half from china but hey, thats always gonna be there.

[Gamesata]

Yes thats why u better move on the some africancountry wich doesnt even have an healthsystem so u wont get screwed at all

[porygonzx]

Wow. That is pretty shitty of the government

[shax0r]

America is the only country that mass medicates its' children.
The whole healthcare system is of course, A JOKE.

Hope you get your meds alright!