The American Healthcare Story. Part I

The American Healthcare Story.  Part I 

Chang Won Choi, MD

The single most frustrating thing about the American health care system is the lack of transparency.  Let’s imagine this scenario.  You are really hungry; you walk into a restaurant; you tell a waiter you need to eat; he brings a sandwich; you finish the meal; you get a bill 2 weeks later and it’s $2,000.  That’s what it’s like to receive health care services in the U.S.  Nothing is transparent and unreasonably expensive. 

Many years ago, I took care of a Korean immigrant.  She was hospitalized for 3 days.  The bill was $40,000.  The hospital told her that if she put a lien on the house, they would reduce the bill by 40%.  So she did. 

Horror stories like that abound.  You can just google them; I just googled “American Health Care Horror Stories.”  The search returned with 4.3 million hits. 

How can a system like that exist? 

Firstly,  a lot of people are just used to it.  It’s always been that way, and they accept it the way it is.  It’s like South Korea living with North Korea only a few miles up north who seems to ready to start a war at any time.  Aren’t South Koreans afraid of a war breaking out at any moment?  Well, it’s been like that forever ? as far as many people could remember…  It has been part of their life. 

Secondly, the majority of people (nearly 90%) in the U.S. have some form of health insurance.  Those over 65 years of age or disability have Medicare; those who fall below the federal poverty level get Medicaid; and those who are employed get a commercial health insurance (sold by a private health insurance company) through their employer.  Hence, those without a health insurance are usually the small-business entrepreneurs (or those who work as employees for such small businesses) ? like many Korean immigrants.  The Korean immigrant woman I took care of was also a manager at a Korean supermarket in a major city in the West Coast; she did not have a health insurance.