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> In the US you have to be worried about taking an ambulance or visiting the ER may cost you thousands for nothing.

No you don't. For one, if you are insured that is not a possibility. And 100% of the people I know who are not insured save more money than insurance would cost them given their incomes are higher and taxes lower than Germany. They choose to accept the risk because they are relatively young and healthy. All of them could cut down on luxuries and pay for insurance if they wanted to.

I once took an ambulance to the wrong ER, not understanding that I had to go to one that took my insurance. When the hospital found out my insurance wasn't going to pay, they lowered the bill by 90% and it was completely manageable.

Meanwhile in Canada I have family members that have to wait nerve-racking months for life-saving procedures or even imaging. In the US, I've had a few MRIs the same week the nurse practitioner ordered them for things that were absolutely not urgent.



"No you don't. For one, if you are insured that is not a possibility"

It's totally a possibility if you have a deductible. A few years ago I paid $500 for a 2 minute consultation with a doctor because I had a bad fever.


how does $500 (likely from your tax-free HSA) compare to the taxes you would pay in a monopsony system?


The US spends way more on healthcare per capita than any other country. So I would expect my total expenses in taxes to be lower than US premiums, deductibles, copays and whatever other way they are finding to get more money.




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