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Comment by sethammons | Hacker News Reader

I have that gold plated US insurance that you pay a lot for. Just last week, I was rushed to the hospital due to my heart. We don't yet know what tried (or is actively trying) to kill me. The cardiologist ordered an emergency MRI.

Three weeks. I am told to wait three weeks. The doc wants it last week. We are having to call around and mess with coverage questions. Similar for my dad and a specialist. Waiting a month while having breathing issues.

People wait already for emergency medical situations, but we pay a premium. And I am still not sure what my 20% shared cost is gonna be for the ambulance and hospital stay. And yes, that factored into my decision to even be treated, which, had I stayed home, may have killed me.

Fuck our system. Medical should not be for profit. It should cost money to run because it should be a service.

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My mother waited for 3 months for imaging on her heart. 4 ER trips in that time, she spent much of it afraid she could die at any minute. We tried to comfort ourselves with the idea that her GP and the cardiologist knew what she was experiencing, surely if it were as critical as it felt to her something would be escalated right? But when they finally got a lock at her heart they all but handcuffed her to the hospital bed, and scheduled emergency surgery for the morning. 4 valves repaired and I don't recall what all else. She is doing well now, but our conversations during those months where she was simultaneously trying not to scare me, but also make sure her affairs were in order will undoubtedly be with me for the rest of my life.

Our system is broken.

How long did you wait in hospital, before you actually talked to doctor? Did you actually had MRI the same day?

In UK we had to wait 10 hours in ER before talking to doctors. Only passing out would get us some attention! Getting MRI was impossible in system. We had to pay privately for MRI, as part of building up case to get surgery approved.

And we also pay good money to NHS.

I went at night and there was no line, so I saw a general doctor immediately. I've gone in the past and had to wait hours for less critical issues. I was shipped to a larger hospital with a cardiac unit. I was seen for catheter placement the following day.

I still need an MRI. Haven't had one. It has been over a week and I am still waiting on a back up option to open up next week. Meanwhile, nobody knows what my heart is doing aside from EKGs that a nurse can run that say something aint right yet.

It might help if congress allowed more doctors and hospitals to keep the ratio per capita the same it was a century ago.

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