An Australian TikToker was shocked to hear that the bills from his American hospital experience were only the beginning after originally posting a video saying it was “not as bad” as he expected.
In the TikToker’s original video posted Monday, the man explained that he recently broke his wrist. After hearing about the American healthcare system and its notoriously expensive costs, the TikToker said he had prepared for the worst.
“It’s not as bad as I expected. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible,” he said. “I thought I’d be in the hole for thousands of dollars after breaking my wrist … I spent $250 on the urgent care visit and the initial x-ray for my hand.”
The TikToker went on to say that they were billed another $350 after visiting a hand specialist, meaning he paid about $600 total. While he explained that in Australia something like this might have been free or cost “maybe $40,” he expressed that this experience was “not terrible.”
However, as the TikToker’s video picked up traction online, dozens of American users took to his comment section to warn him that another bill was likely headed his way.
“I am so sorry for the shock you are going to receive in the mail,” one user laughed. “I knew there was a misunderstanding immediately,” one user commented.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m [going to] hold your hand when I say this… that not the full cost, the bill is coming,” another user wrote.
The TikToker, whose video has since reached more than 690,000 views, was stunned by the comments. “What do y’all mean a bill in the mail,” he wrote in a comment.
Although the TikToker has not received the full bill, he was dismayed to learn that his initial estimates of having to pay “thousands of dollars” for his treatment was likely accurate based on the comments from users.
“So you’re telling me, that in America, you can get hit by a car, go to hospital, you have insurance but you get like a $50,000 bill and you’ll actually have to pay that $50,000 bill?” the man said in a followup video Wednesday. “That’s insane. Why don’t you guys riot more often?”
While the cost of healthcare in the United States may partially be attributed to the aging population, the advancements in technology and inflation, healthcare also remains more expensive in the U.S. compared to its peers because it largely views healthcare coverage as voluntary, according to a May 2024 report by KFF.
Compared to similar countries, the U.S. does not do as much negotiating to reduce the price of medications. The country also does not have a main healthcare coverage format, as coverage styles vary between public and private.
Originally published on Latin Times
