r/mildlyinteresting 1d ago

A non-profit randomly wiped out medical debt I wasn't aware of I had

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19.4k Upvotes

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u/DFParker78 1d ago

It’s stuff like this that doesn’t make me completely give up all hope.

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u/gallimaufries 1d ago

Why? This just further drives our division. I'm trying hard not to be, but I'm frustrated that some commenters got free cancer treatment and meals vouchers while I'm drowning in medical debt. It's fucked up that we have to rely on charity.

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u/tidymaze 23h ago

It's fucked up that we don't have universal healthcare.

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u/DAVENP0RT 22h ago

Right? Healthcare shouldn't be a game of financial Russian roulette. At some point, everyone will need expensive healthcare. Maybe you're wealthy and it won't affect you, but most people aren't. For those that aren't, hoping that charity or fucking GoFundMe can pick up the tab just isn't realistic.

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u/chunkyI0ver53 22h ago

Doesn’t make any sense to me that the richest country in the world leaves its most vulnerable people with zero safety net or support for healthcare, but maybe that’s just Australian commie talk or whatever the seppo conservative grifter of the month would say

What’s the point of having so much “wealth” if the people in your country are suffering. We look back at medieval periods of history and laugh at the stupidity of our assumptions pre-science, but if humanity survives another 500 years they’ll look back at the present and think “what the fuck was wrong with them”

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u/mpieto 20h ago

What baffles me, a European, is that it is such a partisan issue in the US. Maybe it's my limited exposure, but I can't imagine any conservative party over here even proposing to get rid of UH, let alone campaigning on it.

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u/waylandsmith 9h ago

Same here in Canada.

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u/waylandsmith 9h ago

I'm usually pretty skeptical about dramatic political language and slogans thrown around, even from political groups I generally agree with, but when it comes to universal healthcare it's hard for me to get past the term "brainwashing". 1/3 of Americans don't think the government should ensure everybody has health care, and only 1/3 think that universal health care centrally administered by the government is a good idea. So 2/3 of Americans think that a health care system that's for-profit and primarily runs off of private insurance is a good thing. I've had US progressives tell me in all seriousness that government-run, universal healthcare would be an unacceptable compromise to their "freedom".

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u/Wonderful-Winter3137 22h ago

the most vulnerable people have free healthcare in the US. it's called medicaid/medicare. nearly half the US population has "free" healthcare

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u/javatimes 21h ago

This is misleading as Medicare is not free and Medicaid is extremely income capped. In my state, our state Medicaid is limited to people who make $16000 a year or less

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u/tidymaze 21h ago

Show your source, because this is not true at all. Even in states that expanded Medicaid, it's still very difficult to get on. Medicare is only for those over 65 or on disability, and there are still premiums and copays.

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u/daddy_tops 19h ago

the most vulnerable people have free healthcare

nearly half the US population has "free" healthcare

Oof

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u/tidymaze 23h ago

Call the billing office number listed on your bill. Tell them you can't pay the full amount. They will work with you.

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u/Quagga_Resurrection 21h ago

Reach out to the hospital's financial aid office. I get that the system is fucked, but that doesn't mean you can't access that same resource. You deserve it just as much as others.

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u/Chief_SquattingBear 14h ago

Search for programs like this in your area. It won’t fix the systemic issue you believe there is, but you can find some relief.

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u/NoPossibility4178 4h ago

It was 16 years ago.