Native /5 wrote:$10k/day is not unheard of. Could be more, could be less.
That sounds like a good number, perhaps not counting certain specialists such as an ambulance, wound clinic, and rehab.
My brother, who has no insurance and no money got run over by a tractor with a scraper blade a little over a month ago. They had to go into his belly twice, once to repair internal bleeding and again to straighten out and remove a section of his gut. I'm guessing he spent a total of 7-10 days in the hospital, including some intensive care. His total bill to date is $140K.
He's looking at medical bankruptcy, or possibly a negotiated settlement with the hospital and care givers.
There is also a fairly unique Idaho state program called Indigent Services where the state evaluates his and his wife's earning potential, negotiates the hospital bill down to Medicare levels, and assigns a 6 year repayment program. If it goes that direction the State will eat the unpaid part of the bill after 6 years.
The purpose of the state program is to keep people working and off of welfare. Presumably, all things considered, it works to the benefit of the state and even to the benefit of the creditors because they will get more money than they might not get from a bankruptcy procedure.
I was a bit gratified that, though the hospital and caregivers were aware that my brother had no money, there were no noticeable deficiencies in care giving. Depending on your political and social points of view that's a good thing or a bad thing. Certainly, for many aliens and people who can't or won't work, druggies, and assorted social misfits who use hospital emergency rooms as their doctor's office, it's a good thing. For people paying taxes it's either a good thing or bad thing depending on their sense of social responsibility.
The best case scenario for my brother will be a 6 year agreement with the state where he is allowed to keep earned money to cover mortgage expenses, a vehicle to go to work with, and household expenses. The rest will go to the state.
Ken
