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intensely_human ,

Congratulations on not having breast cancer, and on living in a society where it only takes a few days’ wages to afford a test that can detect death lurking in the future so you can avoid it.

ComradePorkRoll ,

$644/$7.25 (minimum wage) is 88.8 hours. That's two weeks of gross income. A giant chunk of us cannot afford that. Your snarky comment is stupid and you should feel embarrassed.

intensely_human ,

So ten days of work. And in return you avoid death. It’s still an amazing deal, and nobody is forced to do it.

My comment is here to remind people to be thankful for the world we live in because it’s better than the lives of most humans who have ever lived.

whatwhatwutyut ,

So what should they do without 10 days of income they likely need for food, shelter, etc? Not eat? Get evicted? Sounds like a great way to not avoid death

intensely_human ,

As I said they don’t have to do it. I haven’t had any cancer screenings, for instance, and I’m
not bitter about that.

I just paid $1600, which took me a year to save up, for a surgery that left my bellybutton fucked up and itchy, but at least it won’t slowly tear open now like it would if I lived in nature.

I’m thankful to be here. Others don’t have to be thankful for the incredible medical options we have around us, but my advice is that they do.

$600 to potentially avoid death is incredible. And, if it’s not worth it to someone, no one is forcing them to do it.

Thank god I was born here instead of a any other moment of human history. That is all I have to say.

You seem very deeply invested in bitterness, so I’m not willing to put any more effort into changing your mind. Take it or leave it, and maybe look up the health effects of different emotional states if living well is important to you.

Goodbye.

whatwhatwutyut ,

I'm deeply invested in bitterness for leaving 1 comment pointing out that it might not even be a choice for someone if they couldn't afford it? Lol. Get a grip. I can simultaneously be thankful that modern medicine exists and also advocate for it being available to everyone, not just those that can afford it.

meep_launcher ,

So I consider myself an optimist, but even I know it's stupid to say "I'm happy I only suffered a little bit so I will ignore solvable problems". Also I find it very weird and disturbing that the argument "you are free to die" is being used to promote what I assume is a free market approach to healthcare. Or maybe you don't have an angle other than to tell OP that they aren't in pain, when obviously they are, and that's fucked up.

Yea, there's a lot we have going for us with medical advances, but let's not forget the reason millions die every year is not because lack of medical advances, but rather lack of access to those advances. Those millions of people didn't choose not to afford it. They didn't choose to die.

Being an optimist isn't about ignoring the problems of the world and calling people who are upset about these problems bitter.
It's about looking at these problems head on and believing you can address them. If you are an optimist, the light you shine should allow you to see.

SatansMaggotyCumFart ,

This is called Stockholm syndrome.

hark ,
@hark@lemmy.world avatar

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but shit like this is what prevents people from taking preventative measures.

ComradePorkRoll ,

Its purposeful. It's done this way so that there are legal ways of justifying the death of millions per year as they are deemed unprofitable.

cheesymoonshadow ,
@cheesymoonshadow@lemmings.world avatar

Can confirm. Had my mammogram last month and they recommended an ultrasound because my breast tissue is dense. I've had it once before with no problems, but my husband's company switched insurance providers and it kicked in January 1, so now the lab where I normally go isn't in-network and every lab that is in their network wants to charge me hundreds of dollars. This is with good insurance. (My husband always picks the most expensive insurance package because we're getting older.)

Money is a little tight right now because I'm in between jobs, so at this point I've given up. I'll look into it again when I'm employed again but it's just not affordable at the moment.

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Oh, but we have the best healthcare system in the world (which is why I'm thousands in medical debt despite having good insurance with no sign of a diagnosis or treatment) and you have super long wait times in other countries (which is why I had to wait almost a year to get a new neurologist when my old one retired).

But hey, we keep the health insurance industry making money for its shareholders, so there's that.

chemicalwonka ,
@chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

Empire aka "The Land of the Free" "sarcasm"

bababatman ,

America is well overdue for a revolution.

lemmesay ,
@lemmesay@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

the idea of a revolution is dead. there's no way people are going to keep their digital limb aside for a moment to think that they are getting scammed by corporations everyday.
we're frogs in the boiling water

f4f4f4f4f4f4f4f4 ,

The "frogs in water slowly brought to a boil" meme is totally false. The frogs jump out when the water gets too hot for them, which is long before it's boiling. Just saying ;)

lemmesay ,
@lemmesay@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

thank you for the heads up, dark grey colour(or is f4 some musical note?).

f4f4f4f4f4f4f4f4 ,

All I can say is that there was once some site where I had great difficulty finding a valid username that wasn't already taken, and this name worked.

olutukko ,

I think this is one those situations where "I did all that for nothing" is way better outcome

RGB3x3 ,

Sometimes it feels like you should get something for all that money. Like maybe just a little bit cancer, to make the tests feel worth it.

This is sarcasm, obviously.

deaf_fish ,

I feel like you are missing the point of OPs post. I think OP is complaining about the price.

olutukko ,

I mean yeah by all means that amount is ridiculous and not acceptable in any level

GiddyGap ,

I thought a yearly mammogram was always covered with insurance after the ACA was passed? Or maybe that's only after a certain age?

ALoafOfBread ,

It's only after like 35 or something, iirc

Ranvier ,

An annual screening mammogram is automatically covered. If it's a "diagnostic" mammogram following up some specific issue or complaint, then it would then fall into whatever normal policy rules you have with your insurance company for imaging tests. That's more likely the case here since this person had to go on to have an ultrasound as well.

If you have insurance but get billed for an annual screening mammogram, it's possible it was coded improperly by billers and you should definitely check up on that before paying.

GiddyGap ,

Makes sense. But also sad that's the way Americans have to live.

Blackmist ,

Could be worse. You could have paid that to find out you do have breast cancer...

JayObey711 ,

Honestly that's kind of on you for having breasts

Honytawk ,

Yeah, a knife is only like 5€

Viper_NZ ,

Since September my wife has had about ten CTs, three MRIs, two major surgeries (the last one 7 hours long), one emergency surgery, weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments and about 8 weeks hospitalised including some time in the ICU.

Total cost: $0

Unless you count the cost of parking when I visit her in hospital, in which case I’ve spent about $170 USD

This is in New Zealand with a publicly funded health system.

whoisearth , (edited )
@whoisearth@lemmy.ca avatar

In Canada and something similar. My aunt got breast cancer and my mum has since been diagnosed with leukemia. Of all the stresses they have dealt with, money has never been one of the things.

It's absolutely cruel that we would do that to a human being in such a tough time. Why any nation would prioritize profit over someone's well being is beyond me.

That said, Canada isn't perfect either my son is diabetic and we still have a lot of profit inducing flaws. It's just when you compare them with "the greatest country in the world"... Well nothing really compares.

Edit - changed pancreatic cancer to leukemia. No idea why my brain wasn't working this morning. Point being fuck the BRCA2 mutation.

mexicancartel ,

Man what the hell is your wife going through...

Viper_NZ ,

A cancer diagnosis and complications from chemotherapy. It’s been rough on her but she’s an absolute trooper.

kent_eh ,

My wife's experience and costs were about the same for similar breast cancer treatment in Canada.

Our parking fees are a bit more expensive...

victorz ,

Come live with us, mammograms and shit is free.

Evil_Shrubbery , (edited )

Healthcare can't be left to the free market. Simply because the demand part of the market isn't free.

My country screens like 10% of total (mostly) boob-havers per year for free (the number would heve been higher if more ppl decided to get tested). So basically everyone is invited, with mobile test units (just big containers/trucks) roaming around the country for the elderly, or for a bit more remote villages, or just to spread awareness & make someone get screened out of convenience.

Carighan ,
@Carighan@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah luckily that is free over here. Every few years, and always if a doc orders it.

Laticauda ,

Wtf, as a Canadian who had a breast reduction and a revision for free this sort of thing seems like a nightmare to me.

mojofrododojo ,

Congrats tho. Just lost a friend to breast cancer that was suspected years ago but not confirmed until december. Seriously, congrats.

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