The health care system in the United States is based on profits, not on caring for patients.
Some health insurance companies have created a new policy in which patients are charged extra for asking their doctor “too many” questions.
In Minneapolis, Susan Krantz was charged $50.02 for asking additional questions about a sore hip at her doctor visit but was not notified of the charge until she got her bill.
CBS Sacramento reported that providers nationwide are charging patients extra for phone calls with their doctors and to reorder prescriptions by phone!
Doug Rischbieter, a Sacramento resident, after having not seen his physician for some time, saw his doctor for elbow problems and was charged a $164 new patient fee that his insurance company refused to cover.
Charging patients for asking questions adheres to a model of healthcare designed to profit off the constant flow of people with health conditions. Under capitalism, health care is a commodity to be sold for profit, not a way to make sure people are healthy.
The $2.6 trillion dollar health care industry is a for-profit business model that gives access only to those who can afford it. Under such a system, it seems logical to divide up health care into discrete units and charge separately for each “condition” treated at an appointment or for each and every interaction a provider has with a patient. The goal of such a system is to maximize profit, not to maximize wellness.
People in the United States spent the most per person for health care costs out of all countries surveyed by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2001.
Even if Affordable Care Act is implemented, this dynamic of a for-profit healthcare system will not change,
In contrast, the healthcare system in socialist Cuba covers all conditions and provides exceptional care. No one is charged extra for asking questions; in fact, healthcare is entirely free.
