Here is a case of why the USA needs serious health care reform. This case is around a person who suspected that he might have coronavirus. He went to the emergency room, got tested, and was released after determining he only had the flu. He then got a bill for $3270 – the cost of the tests. His insurance company would cover all but $1400 if he could provide records from the last 3 years that prove he did not have the flu as a pre-existing condition. His insurance company informs him that if, or more realistically, *when* he does not provide the requested proof, he will be on the hook for the full $3500.
To me, this just adds to the culture of “better to pay the undertaker than the doctor” that is in existence in many American families, and I’ve been there myself. When we face a possible pandemic and people hesitate to get treatment because of prohibitive costs, our nation is at risk for higher death rates from the pandemic due to delays in containing and treating the disease.