Medicine in the USA: Getting Sick Can Be Really Expensive

Medicine in the USA Getting Sick Can Be Really Expensive

In the United States, the average income is quite high, but at the same time, medicine is so expensive that it becomes scary to get sick. It happens when a not very serious illness led a person to bankruptcy, and immigrants from other countries fly home for treatment or take loans, especially when it comes to surgical intervention. The most popular lending option chosen by people who need fast cash is payday loans. This is due to fast online application, same-day funding and relaxed eligibility criteria. For instance, to get accepted for online loans in Virginia, you only need to be an adult US citizen or permanent resident who has a steady income (any type of income is suitable). Basic information about payday loans in your particular place of residence can be obtained online. Thus, if you reside in Colonial Heights, you will need information about payday loans Colonial Heights VA. Here you will also find user reviews and lender’s ratings.

How much does medicine cost in the USA?

In 2009, a reform of the health care system was implemented, medicine became practically free, but only for a narrow circle of people. These include the poor, who earn less than $10,000 a year, and retirees.

For you to understand, this is $800 per month. Given the cost of living in the United States, this is too little, such a person can be called a beggar.

Like the pension system, the health care system in the United States is confusing and difficult to understand for some people, there are many different clauses, subclauses and conditions.

There is compulsory health insurance in the country, this is enshrined at the legislative level. You will not be able to purchase a prescription drug without visiting a doctor. In America, almost all drugs are sold by prescription, so you probably won’t be able to engage in self-treatment.

In theory, people may even be fined if they have no insurance. The amount of the fine is 2.5% of the annual income per person. Some people who rarely get sick pay a fine so as not to buy insurance because these are regular premiums, and the fines are written out one-time and not so often.

Without insurance, you can still get emergency help, but only if something really threatens your life, and it’s not a fact that you will not be sent a huge bill later for the services rendered.

A US citizen spends on average about $ 7,000 a year on medical services, but almost 90% of this is covered by insurance.

What difference then how much medical services costs if you don’t have to pay out of pocket?

First, you will pay for the insurance itself $250-$740 per month. Its cost depends on a huge number of factors: are you tied to a particular hospital, how much the insurance pays for you, what services and doctors are covered by the insurance. Even $250 is not a small amount for a monthly payment, and it only covers 60% of your expenses.

Secondly, only the most expensive insurance for $740 per month covers 90% of your treatment, the rest is less, which means that you will not be able to forget about the cost of the services provided.

The cost of medical services

A visit to a good medical specialist will get you anywhere from $200 to $600. Of course, you can find it for $50, but the level of competence can be low. The country spends a lot of money on medicine and on training doctors, so the prices for medical services are consistently high, but treatment is also very expensive.

The USA loses in this indicator to some European countries, for example, Germany, but in general, medicine is very well developed.

Blood tests will cost from $300 to $7,000, depending on the number of monitored parameters.

There are also blood tests that are expensive and inaccessible for an ordinary person, for example, genetic tests or allergy tests.

A tooth filling costs about $50-$200, an X-ray can cost $1,500, a simple ultrasound may cost $350. Do not forget that before and after these tests, you need to see a specialist in order to get a referral and learn how to treat it.

Moreover, not everyone can call an ambulance home because this service costs $400 or more. The cost of the service varies greatly from hospital to hospital. One ambulance will arrive for $400, and the other for $1,000.

In the United States, there is an option of receiving a subsidy from the state for the purchase of insurance. This is available for pregnant women, foster children under 26, the elderly, families with children, people with disabilities, and the poor.