Wuhan Coronavirus: Megathread - Got too big

[Arm Pit Cream]

You needed a hero and all you got was a court jester

 

[mdrop22]

because of inability to pay/fear of bill

Not to drag the insurance discussion out forever but, this is absolutely a problem with the US system. You have no idea how much treatment will cost until after receiving it, and at that point you're legally required to pay it back. Ive heard quotes for a single physical therapy session range from $35 to $300 "depending on coverage" but oops, we cant tell you until after youre on the hook! Again, the system favors people who this is not an issue for. Cancer patients receive bills in the hundreds of thousands after treatment and that's with insurance. That's indefensible.

If Americans really had all this freedom and choices regarding healthcare, we wouldn't need to find providers "in our network" and we would be given an itemized list of costs upfront. But they dont do that, because no one sane would accept the charges. So instead the US population gets fatter and sicker because they dont even know how much specialists are going to cost them.

 

[Fanatical Pragmatist]

You needed a hero and all you got was a court jester
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You're right.
If we had a hero for a president, he would have come out against lockdowns and mask mandates from Day 1 and done more to keep us open.

Instead we had a jester who failed to reign in the COVID D00mers.

Incidentally, is the American healthcare system actually overpriced garbage or is that just propaganda?

Bit of both. It depends really.

Shit can be mad expensive, but that has to do with the insurance industry. Basically hospitals charge based on your ability to pay. If they know they can squeeze $$$$$ out of your insurance company, guess what? The price is $$$$$. If they know they can only get $$ out of you, then the cost is much closer to $$.
I went into the hospital for an issue (which I knew what it was and told the damn nurses but they didn't believe me) and they ran extra tests that they didn't need to run, but I ended up with a $6,500+ hospital bill. Well I end up contacting the hospital's financial branch to see about getting the cost reduced and the minute they learn I have no insurance and aren't on any government coverage program (Medicare or Medicaid) the cost is dropped to $900.

The case of drugs being overpriced is a true issue, to the point even uber-"far right" greedy billionaire Drumpf tried to negate high insulin prices. If you want a semi-detailed explanation of why snake antivenom costs so much, DM me.

So in reality its a mixed case; and that's without the issue of what amounts to scientific imperialism of other countries taking drugs made in the US and handing them out for less than what their worth while US consumers pay the costs.

 

[NoReturn]

Got the JJ poke last week.
It was me vs family and I'm just too fucking tired to fight.
Felt like absolute death the first morning with the worst joint/body pain of my life and was slightly delerious, which totally wasn't terrifying at all. Thank fuck felt better after sleeping it off but I still feel weak and achy and have 0 apitite. On the period topic that was brought up before, tmi, but I just finished a few days before the poke and I'm feeling a bit crampy and getting pre-period symptoms.

Fuck this shit. I'm still pissed as fuck about it all. Also mildly disappointed in myself for just spreading my cheeks for daddy fauci

I've been avoiding this thread, social media, news, etc bc I am legitimately so fucking tired. I am so....so fucking tired of this shit. But I can't escape it. I'm wearing down and I'm not sure if I can take it anymore.

Sorry for all the venting.

Wondered why I hadn't seen you around for a bit.

 

[Kiwi Lime Pie]

That's the main crux of what people bitch about, Americans actually see the cost of medical care directly (unless you're on medicare or something).

It's also more noticeable for people that have to purchase their insurance on an individual basis (aka the Affordable Care Act/ACA/Obamacare). Because premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are all based on income, there is a point where someone whose income increases by $100 per week can see their deductible (amount they have to pay out of pocket before insurance covers anything) triple and that doesn't even include the increase in monthly premiums. It's ironic that the people who need individual coverage for whatever reason end up paying the most out of pocket when they tend to be the ones that can't always afford to do so despite the insistence that coverage would be more affordable for them.

Some people will point to how hospitals are often required to treat people, but that pretty much means everyone is already subsidizing the poor getting emergency medical care.

Uncompensated care (i.e. treatment rendered that will most likely never be paid for) has been a huge topic and issue even before the ACA was passed. It was claimed that the ACA would somehow reduce the amount/percentage of uncompensated care hospitals would incur, but I'm not sure if that goal has been realized in any sort of noticeable way. Even if some hospitals see uncompensated care as a form of charity or philanthropy, it still affects everyone needing medical care. This is why the fees for services for the uninsured are so sky high such as $2000 for a stress test even though an insurance company might say it's only worth $1300 and that they will pay $1000 of that.

I'm also curious how much COVID has messed up hospital finances in terms of elective procedures that have been postponed or cancelled versus the reimbursements they're receiving for COVID patients and their treatment.

To me, I'm not seeing how paying more in taxes is a losing bargain if you pay $0 for emergency/basic services, and *still* have workplace benefits/the option for private coverage of stuff that goes beyond that.

The biggest issue is that one of the proposals coming from the Democrats to "tweak" the ACA/Obamacare is to eliminate private insurance altogether and put everyone on government issued/sponsored healthcare. Those Americans that don't believe in gibs hear this and think about countries whose nationalized healthcare is ran so poorly that those who can afford to do so come to the US for various medical procedures because there's less red tape involved even if it costs more than it would back home.

The case of drugs being overpriced is a true issue, to the point even uber-"far right" greedy billionaire Drumpf tried to negate high insulin prices.

This is all too true. Someone I know needs to take prescription eye drops. There is a drop that contains the two different types of medicine they've been prescribed but insurance won't pay anything towards it. However, the insurance company will instead cover two bottles of eye drops with each bottle containing one of the two medicines found in the combined drop. Stuff like that makes no sense to people and it reinforces their belief that they're being pushed into paying as much as possible for the medications they need.

As you said, insulin prices are absolutely ridiculous, and this is part of the reason seniors living on low or fixed incomes often have to choose between paying for prescriptions or other essential monthly expenses.

 

[Yeeted Teet]

Some lunatic is actually claiming that the vaccine cured their long covid

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/covid-vaccine-miracle-womans-long-20362519

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archive.is

 

[Lichen Bark]

Small news. Person I know just got it, they are asthmatic. They said their lungs hurt a lot and they had chills. They are also in ass shape, overweight. Says stomach flu is worse than this, the puking is worse than the not breathing well. They weren't tested for it, but I expected this person to get it eventually, they are over it now. Take that for what you will.

 

[Local Fed]

Saw this and thought I'd share some Branch Covidians seething over a harmless video of a kid smacking a Covid sign with a stick.

Video:

https://twitter.com/ppIfucking/status/1381157594232852485

https://twitter.com/K_Goodmann/status/1381298935684231168

 

[Bakarina]

I'm sure the libertarian crowd has their issues with car insurance being mandatory too, but there's so much less vitriol dedicated to that by freedom-lovers at large, despite it being a system where the good drivers who never get in accidents, have to pay for the bad ones who do.

Paying 50% of my income to taxes places my income to the point that I would starve, now factor in I have a family. With car insurance, you can shop around and look at different prices. And even then, the only times you truly NEED car insurance is for inspection/registration and if you get pulled over by the cops so a lot of people don't actually have car insurance.

 

[FadeIntoBolivian]

Paying 50% of my income to taxes places my income to the point that I would starve, now factor in I have a family. With car insurance, you can shop around and look at different prices. And even then, the only times you truly NEED car insurance is for inspection/registration and if you get pulled over by the cops so a lot of people don't actually have car insurance.

Getting off topic here but, you do understand that 50% effective tax rate is not actually the baseline/what everyone pays in Canada, or basically anywhere in the world? Like, if you make 40k before taxes you do actually take home more than 20?

Doesn't having a family and not being rich actually make one think it'd be a good thing if, one of their kids falling off their bike or w/e and going to the hospital - in an ambulance, even - didn't create the possibility of getting hit with a massive bill that fucked them over bad enough to have to cancel other plans for their family? Like regardless of what that situation would do to YOU, personally, wouldn't it be preferable if nobody actually even needed to worry about that, felt like they needed to stay in a job that made them miserable and shitty for their kids to be around, just to protect their insurance that's the only thing between them and that reality? I'll never be convinced that it actually decreases the amount of freedom and choice you experience to pay a few % more a year in taxes if it meant you didn't have to spend thousands of dollars a year just to have insurance, which unless you pay a shitload for it or have an amazing job won't even keep you safe anyways from massive bills.

finally, I'm not sure that "A lot of people actually break the law by driving uninsured, it's not like you actually need it unless you ever get pulled over, get in an accident or need to go to the DMV" is making this seem as truly optional as you think it does.

 

[Lemmingwise]

I thought about this, and I have been lying about all the "high risk" shit I've been doing, like frequent travel and shit, but honestly it just gets tiring. Lying about this is probably the smartest thing to do, but for some reason this is where I'm at my limit. I'm not getting the vaccine and if you want to know why you can eat shit and die. My personal health decisions are none of your god damn business and the first dumb bitch to step over the line and set off the pent-up aggression I've been building about this issue is absolutely going to regret it.

Reminds me of that ole communist propagande position that goes something like this: "we don't need people to believe it, we just need to people to lie and act like they believe it, so that they habitually debase and humiliate themselves with lies and remain demoralized."

 

[Flowerpot Pencil]

Reminds me of that ole communist propagande position that goes something like this: "we don't need people to believe it, we just need to people to lie and act like they believe it, so that they habitually debase and humiliate themselves with lies and remain demoralized."

Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to. - Dalrymple

 

[Lemmingwise]

Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to. - Dalrymple

Ah yes, that's the quote I was too lazy to google.

 

[tulskij_tochnyj]

So we are about a week into the third wave nonsense, hardcore lockdown territory yet again. They are essentially preventing people from getting supplies that are deemed to be not essential, such as clothes, baby stuff, toys, and so on in a lot of businesses. I have seen bunch of posts of stores around town that have had big fucking X's a crossed things like shoes or anything of that nature in the stores. I have seen many of the lefty cucked Leafs seethe over this new wave of lockdowns as soon as the weather began to get nicer. Seems to me that people are finally beginning to realize the ramifications, though there are a fair share of Karen's and vaccine peddlers.

My Chef buddy of mine said the restaurant was doing good and was finally going to get me back on the schedule because the hours where there, but then...BAM, Doug Ford shut down the whole fucking provience again. Hence I still await my job to have me back, yet for another wave of lockdowns. Apparently there is a rumor that most of the restaurants, bars, and small businesses a like a currently in talks of doing a full scale resistance, just opening their fucking doors and telling the province and the mayor to get fucked. I have never seen so many closed businesses, even 2008 wasn't this fucking bad.

People are super fed up, I'm super fed up. I try to get out as much as I can, but only can do so much when nothing is open, you are limited of where you can go, and especially for the levels of comfort people have with each other at the moment. You don't know how hardcore most people have been blasted with propaganda or not.

Currently in the process of finishing my first year of digital school. I can admit despite the not being in person thing has its disadvantages, I like not having to take an hour and a half to get to school. Though the lack of socialization and seeing people has fucked me up hardcore. I was outside just going to the store the other day, first nice day of Spring, and I was tripping about the fact it's been a fucking year of this. Like the psychological effects are ridiculous, I couldn't imagine what prisoners feel like though. The feeling I can imagine would be some what similar.

This is how the government, and globalists view the respective populations of the community. Cattle, no empathy, and disconnected from the common ones. I've been fortunate enough to maintain somewhat distracted because of my post secondary endeavors, so I haven't really had the ability to dwell on it, unlike this time last year when it all began. The shit that we've all seen over the last year is unfucking believable, I can't imagine talking to me two years in the past, and tell him what the twenties where going to involve.

I have a strong feeling that this shit is going to be coming to an end soon, just feeling the energy of how fed up the general population is with all of it is exciting. Though at the same time, the amount of brute force anger is something to behold. May this finally be the tipping point for people to take their constitutional rights back??? Probably not lol, just going to seethe, bitch on Twitter, and still not go out and vote. Or still think the same globalist card carrying factions are still going to be their saving grace, meanwhile still indulging in the slop from the gatekeepers trouth.

Canada is a failed state at this point, which I can see it resemble a communist bloc country at this point. Anything not associated with the state has been wiped out, property values have risen too high, inflation has set in driving up prices to suck astronomical rates it is sickening. All of the main line parties represent the same oppressive anti human rhetoric. I think the good thing out of all of the bad are the sensible folk are more focused and United despite the year of suffering. Blue check marks and the same Globo-Hommo troons have killed all creditably, blowing their load too quick. Trying to get as many people in their clown world level of control as possible. I pray that as a society we learn from this, and we remember the lessons.

The question is will we? Seeing most of those on this forum are of mixed demographic, I suggest that the sentiment from the coof was that it was the biggest propaganda campaign I have ever seen in my life. I've lived through September 11th, Iraq War, Obama Years, and Arab Spring. Those where all campaigns with their own effects, but this was a joint effort between the usual suspects. Get the jab and eat their bugs they say, is beginning to remind me of the sentiment of let them eat their cake. Maybe we can finally cut the head off of this hydra for good, one spergy shit post at a time.

Reject whiteness, embrace niggerdom. Delay paying your taxes for as long as possible, collect as many gibs as you can, if you live in governmental housing - pay rent and utilities only if they're gonna kick you out (and they probably can't because MUH COVID). Shoplift at large chains (and support small business), drive to soup kitchen in your nice car to leave genuine poorfags seething and charitable people demoralized. Make your own booze, quit smoking (so you don't pay excise tax). Buy stuff off the counter so you don't pay VAT. Find some shady pajeet/chink marketplace that they keep for diaspora, it often sells contraband for cheap and doesn't pay taxes, too. If healthcare system is "free", abuse it. Don't report victimless crimes (also don't report crimes if victim is a cop or state employee).

 

[Yeeted Teet]

Paying 50% of my income to taxes places my income to the point that I would starve, now factor in I have a family. With car insurance, you can shop around and look at different prices. And even then, the only times you truly NEED car insurance is for inspection/registration and if you get pulled over by the cops so a lot of people don't actually have car insurance.

That's not how tax bands work in countries with income taxes that high. Eg. My country has a 40% higher tax rate and a 20% standard rate, so a single person earning 50k with no other benefits or special circumstances would take home just under 37k, not 30k. You pay the standard rate up to a limit, in this case €35,300, then 40% on everything over that. You can get credits and deductions, and benefits for dependents. Low earners can be exempt from income tax.

I know it's still a lot, but it's not straight up 40% of your income no matter what.

 

[Fanatical Pragmatist]

That's not how tax bands work in countries with income taxes that high. Eg. My country has a 40% higher tax rate and a 20% standard rate, so a single person earning 50k with no other benefits or special circumstances would take home just under 37k, not 30k. You pay the standard rate up to a limit, in this case €35,300, then 40% on everything over that. You can get credits and deductions, and benefits for dependents. Low earners can be exempt from income tax.

I know it's still a lot, but it's not straight up 40% of your income no matter what.

See here I am screaming to bring back the American tradition of tarring & feathering tax collectors over an 11% income tax...

 

[Dude Snakes]

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Its clear that squinty eyed fuck wants the restrictions to be permanent, vaccine or not.

 

[FatalTater]

Some people will point to how hospitals are often required to treat people, but that pretty much means everyone is already subsidizing the poor getting emergency medical care.

Hospitals will treat people, and send them a HUGE bill. Why the youth of today don't know that they can go to the hospital's financial office and ask for help I do not know. Most of the time if the patient is actually poor as fuck they can get the entire bill written off, or at least set up a payment plan.

Lots of poor people misusing the hospital for every ache and pain then not paying the bill might be contributing to the high costs, since hospitals might be making up the loss by charging more.

America's poor have access to health care. Some of them aren't savvy enough to know how to get it, but anyone giving a sob story about being near death but too poor to get care like a character in a Dickens novel are usually being dramatic.(Or they have a GoFundMe they're trying to promote.)

 

[The High Prophet of Truth]

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1381594112693055491

 

[knobslobbin]

Good lord Canada, riot police for people trying to go to Church? I hope people start realizing that peaceful protests aren't accomplishing anything soon.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/protesters-rip-down-government-fencing-around-alberta-church-police-show-up-in-riot-gear