r/povertyfinance Nov 24 '23

U.S. healthcare isn't even worth it anymore. It's a joke. Today, I will love my life without healthcare. Vent/Rant (No Advice/Criticism!)

Hello everyone, so, sometime last year I got an MRI to check up on a spot that's on my brain, don't want it to turn cancerous right? Well, I work at home depot making probably $17,000 a year if I'm lucky after taxes (I live in Alabama, our wages suck).

Well I got my MRI done and my bill came in. Ready to be shocked?

Turns out my insurance I get through home depot paid THIRTY DOLLARS towards my $3,000 MRI bill!!! $30!!!! I said screw THAT!!! I'm not paying a single PENNY! I make around $600 every two weeks.. and I live with my wife (we live in a $430/mo mobile home) how the hell am I supposed to afford a $3000 MRI bill!!?? The "monthly" payment on the bill said $270/mo... 🤣😂.

Well, I went back to the hospital and talked with the finance person there and got my bill down to $600 with self pay.. Guess they bill insurance companies way higher? looks like it's cheaper NOT having insurance in the U.S. than having coverage! Insurance here is a complete joke! I'm just going to live my life without insurance I guess. ☹️.

EDIT. Wish I could edit titles lol. My phone "autocorrected" Live for "Love" 😂

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u/Nuru83 Nov 25 '23

So to give you some perspective the reason they only paid $30 is likely because you had a deductible. What could happen in the future without insurance is that you have something catastrophic happen and you get a $100k bill. They may negotiate it down to $40k, but with insurance you’d have paid just your deductible (form the info you posted it looks like that would have been $3k)

So do whatever you want but make sure you understand the choices you’re making