is going to cost at least in the low 5 figures ($10,000 - $20,000 or more). This is what sends people over into Medicaid.

Around here (northern California coast) most air ambulance flights cost at least 40K.

I know that plain old ambulances will set you back a good chunk of change as it is!

Flew me to Albuquerque- 90 miles away -cost $5,000 then - probably double now. Medicare paid 100 percent. Also, antivenin cost $80.000 - Medicare paid 100 percent too. In my small town we only have a physician assistant who works 8 to 5. After that time, you are screwed - so you need to rely on volunteer ambulance workers.

My friend has scratches on her cataract replacement lens from having Bell’s palsy- she is an artist and now can’t see well. It’s hard for her to drive if it starts getting dark. She waited 4 months to see her eye dr - and he just diagnosed her and made an appointment for December. So - 9 months of not seeing well - waiting for a procedure that takes minutes. .

I feel bad for her. What kind of health system do we have ?? 9 months for a 5 minute procedure. Basically -“ we don’t care if your sight is bad for 9 months - screw you!”

Unregulated capitalism is going to destroy the world.

He got a bill for $50,000 for the helicopter ride.

I know in any high cost area, forgeddaboutit -

He had a massive heart attack that he barely survived even with the helivac

This IS what a majority of the people in the rural areas that I have lived in voted for. They just didn't think it would apply to them. They said they wanted it to happen to those people in the cities. They voted for this to happen to "those" people in the cities. Yeah, I'm conflicted.

* or die, but I remain hopeful that those deaths will have a lasting impact on the survivors and that the voting habits will change. So, it's sad, but I remain optimistic.

Wow! Who overwhelmingly voted for that???

It took 6 months for them to replace one that we had who definitely had the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. OMG! I went in for antibiotics for an infected cut - asked her to look at a brown mark on my arm I was concerned about. She said - one problem per visit and would not look at my arm which would have taken a few seconds. It was melanoma. My friend had a bad squamous cell cancer on her face and she told her it wasn’t cancer. She wasn’t acting normal and the whole town knew it but they couldn’t find anyone to replace her for months. Then we got a very arrogant PA man who was obnoxious. Town ran him out and so far we have a new woman who people seem to like. I haven’t met her yet as I rarely go to drs.

That sounds like care in the 1800s. These are problems government can solve, but when you're brand is "gubmint is bad" solutions are passed over.

And sure, there are incentives for health workers to seek employment in rural areas, but those incentives are all "lefty, pinko, commie" solutions that republicans hate like student loan repayment and such. So the incentives are probably being defeated by the very people who need the care.

I've been in treatment for resistant/persistent/essential hypertension for most of my adult life which requires multiple follow-ups every year. It's a pain, but I'm grateful for the regular care. The Dr.s in my health network are formulaic and by the book, but at least I'm being seen. One recent specialist has been trying to get me in for a newer therapy which the insurance company is fighting (of course). But the appeal continues.

Wishing for your good health and and adequate health care.

Trump/MAGA is only making matters worse. Cuts to federal programs will result in many rural hospitals closing. There won't even be understaffed ERs. A lot of Trump voters are going to die en-route to distant hospitals.

Cutting off funding to colleges and universities is going to decrease the number of new doctors.

The anti-scientific and progress in general attitude of many rural areas is going to repel the few available doctors (and other healthcare professionals).

Medical students fret over the new student loan cap in the 'big, beautiful bill'
The bill will cap total medical loans at $200,000 — far below the more than $300,000 median cost of attending medical school.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/medical-students-fret-student-loan-cap-big-beautiful-bill-rcna217228

"... Medical schools have warned the loan cap could discourage students from going into medicine at a time when the country is already on track to have a shortage of as many as 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. The group said that medical school tuition increases have slowed since the introduction of the loan program.

“This will intensify challenges for medical students to finance their education due to some of the complexities of private loans, and we believe it will result in an additional financial barrier to attending medical school,” said Kristen Earle, AAMC program leader for student financial aid services. “This added barrier could deter qualified candidates from pursuing a medical degree altogether, ultimately worsening the existing and expected physician shortage.”

residency /sleep deprivation slavery system

As if the problem we were solving was having too many doctors.

Turn it upside down! Somehow.

Can't have poor people thinking they can become doctors. /s

And their requirements make it hard to have enough Residency slots to even handle more students. So we have a chronic shortage of doctors and no easy way to rectify it beyond drastically reforming the whole system.

As if the problem we were solving was having too many doctors.

Turn it upside down! Somehow.

Nobody deserves this.

Look inward.

Best,
The Horrible Crime-Ridden Blue Cities

For providing services you get this.

Insurance CEOs collecting millions to run fairly small operations.
Cash for the stock holders who just seek rents.

It is going to get worse in the US, especially the rural areas. We are already seeing the increases in insurance rates. After mostly holding for 2 years.

While said patient is lying on the bed dying. They can even put that on their tombstone.