I wonder if everyone wanting to sue in America and high malpractice insurance costs might be a reason we pay more with less quality of care in America? I mean sure if you get hurt, you want some sort of recourse but I wonder if that's why American medicine is so high.
A lot of the full time RV community parks and walks over to Los Algodones, Mexico for eye care/glasses, dental and some medicines that aren't a certain schedule they can get and are allowed to take back a certain amount. They pay cash directly, no insurance is needed.
I guess they don't drive because of needing a separate auto insurance policy for Mexico. I believe most US policies cover only Canada, but not Mexico for trips across the border. Plus it might be quicker to just walk back and forth for a day trip. There's a official border crossing back and forth on foot for pedestrians, compared to cars which has a lot longer line.
However I'm not too sure what kind of recourse you have if a dentist or some other doctor messes up. Haven't researched it too much personally. There's some YouTube videos about it though, they have like a entire block of just dental offices back to back. Kinda amazing, but it's a popular area for medical tourism. A lot of them even speak English in that town, accepts US dollars and everything. Some people just visit for lunch and check out the town.
When an OB doc pays 6 figures a year in malpractice insurance — that’s why.
The party on the left who complain the loudest about health cost are incidentally heavily supported by the plaintiffs lawyers. Look at who opposed tort reform in Texas — it wasn’t Republicans, they are the ones that proposed it; it was plaintiff lawyers and the candidates they purchase.
Literally billions a year is paid in malpractice claims and punitive damages in the 7 figures is common. Who pays those awards? We do. Try suing the NHS. Or in the case of Alfie, try even having someone else willing to pay to leave the hospital — not happening.
There is also cross-subsidation as well. When an uninsured “undocumented” person visits the ER for a sore throat — that money is almost never collected, hence the $100 bed pan. When services are effectively shoplifted, everyone else covers the loss. For data on this, look at the finances of south Texas hospitals compared to a hospital in Wyoming. Or better yet, go work in a hospital billing department. Those that disagree with this have never worked in an ER.
Ironically, in Mexico, if you need an emergency surgery, you better have proof of funds or they will literally let you die in the waiting room.
But the US? Pregnant woman walks in to any US hospital, they’ll be treated regardless of ability to pay or citizenship — which is a good thing, but then we can’t be surprised when we get to pay for that when we visit the ER.
