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by Alkim 2456 days ago
"Why should I take a 125% hit when I'm providing a convenience for the patient by doing all their scans on the same day?"

You don't see what is wrong here? If your mechanic told you he wanted you to come to the shop 3 times instead of one for his convenience, you would find another mechanic.

I'm from the US and I've lived in Singapore and the UAE for many years. And I've had to deal with the US system from time to time as well. Medical services cost a fraction in Asia and the Middle East compared to the US and the paperwork is much simpler. And most of the doctors are educated in Europe. And lately I've seen more US doctors moving abroad simply out of frustration.

One time I was in West Virginia with my family and I had trouble catching my breath so we went to the ER. 1.5 hours of waiting, literally a 5 minute visit from the ER doctor and a 3600 USD bill. No treatment. No meds. Later I had to negotiate with the hospital over the bill. Eventually they told me that the insurance reimbursement rate for my vist would have been 600 bucks, but because I had no insurance, I was expected to pay 3600. I eventually got it down to 2200 after much angst and effort. Sick people don't need this aggro. Nor do they need the pain and discomfort for visiting the medical facility 3 times instead of 1 because of the vagaries of the US insurance/hospital billing system.

The US system is broken.