Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

AutoModerator t1_jdfnenx wrote

Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our normal comment rules apply to all other comments.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

CrayonDelicacies t1_jdftzix wrote

“A study shows that people are more likely to take care of their health if they could afford it”

There, fixed it.

441

lai-shxuan t1_jdfxpes wrote

the conclusion seems so obvious, what's the meaning of this study?

49

SaHFF t1_jdg0d0a wrote

Same study as another post I got a notification for, but different headline. Makes it much clearer.

Also, f paying for medical care at point of use. Universal healthcare is the only way forward for an equal society.

31

Kailaylia t1_jdg7ki6 wrote

When I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and given no chance of a full recovery, just the possibility of extending my life, the cost of treatment was not an issue, as I'm Australian and luckily had good public transport connecting me with a specialist hospital. The cost of medicines cost around $5 - $10 a week and that was my only expense.

But if I was in America - As I have two handicapped adult offspring to care for, and went through years of pretty well my whole carer's allowance going on house payments while buying nothing ever for myself so I could at least leave my kids with a home of their own, I would have forgone cancer treatment and died a few years faster in order to not lose the house.

Surprisingly, the treatment worked better than expected, now having no detectable cancer at all, saving the government the expense of supervising my sons.

321

Rocketgirl8097 t1_jdgcw9v wrote

A convoluted way of saying the poor will die of their ailments because they can't afford medicine.

78

ZootedFlaybish t1_jdh3tgk wrote

The medical INDUSTRY is a farce, along with the rest of civilization.

5

-downtone_ t1_jdh5cxi wrote

This is interesting. I'm currently getting medication from mexico to treat my terminal illness and live in the ghetto. Luckily my girl friend can pay for them or I'd be screwed.

6

macweirdo42 t1_jdh8mxx wrote

Huh... You tell people that their lives are literally not worth saving and you're surprised that they ended treatment?

19

Saoirsenobas t1_jdh97q3 wrote

Just because something seems intuitively obvious does not mean it is true, and it certainly doesn't mean government institutions will accept it as fact. If a credible, peer reviewed scientific study demonstrates a societal issue that is a small step towards real change.

92

Potentially_Nernst t1_jdhb0ym wrote

Imagine the amount of antivaxxers there would be if credible, peer reviewed scientific studies on the topic did not exist because vaccination working is 'the most obvious truth'.

On second thought, maybe don't imagine that. And stop thinking about antivaxxers, it's almost weekend ;)

9

random_shitter t1_jdhenyc wrote

Survival of the financially fittest. The system works as intended.

10

ResponsibilityDue448 t1_jdhetr1 wrote

People who are against universal healthcare are selfish detriments to society. You can’t change my mind.

8

miketdavis t1_jdhfkpn wrote

Oppositional politicians will say you can't make even an obvious claim unless you have data to back it up. Those same oppositional politicians will still ignore this evidence and enjoy the profit of the healthcare industry.

Those people now say you need more evidence, and when you get more evidence they'll ask for more. Hard to convince someone that something is true when they're paid to believe it's not.

5

thereign1987 t1_jdhj9a2 wrote

Hell government institutions don't accept facts as facts, exactly it's already an uphill task trying to get legislators to actually do their jobs, having facts goes a long way to helping, and it's still an uphill task.

11

largos7289 t1_jdhjye2 wrote

This study reminds me of work. It has upper mgmt with no freak'n clue all over it.

0

80088008135 t1_jdhkzk4 wrote

Currently in this situation. I’m no good to my 8 year old son dead, but I’m not much better if I spent all my money staying alive and I can’t feed him.

5

StockStrength1908 t1_jdhmk2m wrote

The healthcare system in the USA is broken. I have GERD and need to see a surgeon, but I'm currently in between jobs whlie in Graduate School so I'm just managing by drinking herbal teas and not eating much food.

Healthcare should be universal and free for everyone. It's a ridiculous system in a ridiculous country where people avoid healthcare they need because of money.

On the flip side, my mom HAS health insurance but got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in her late 60s. Her injections to try to save her life were thousands of dollars per injection even with health insurance. Damned if you do damned if you don't really.

13

DanYHKim t1_jdhn9jh wrote

What surprises me of that this study was done in Vietnam, not the U.S.

0

likhal t1_jdhrhf4 wrote

Even if the study showed that people accepted to be destitute in order to afford treatment, would that change the political outcome? Is it ok then?

I am eargerly waiting for the results of the studies that will finally shed some light on whether poor people sleeping in the streets live as long as well fed and housed people. Finally once we have these results we can show them to the political class, thay were only waiting for facts!

3

Emergency_Paperclip t1_jdhtxp7 wrote

That's crazy that's it's that high though. I would expect it to be a lot lower.

1

theonlyleedon t1_jdhuz37 wrote

American here, 30, never been to a hospital outside of one emergency treatment and birth. Parents are junkies. I think I have depression and heart problems but I won't check because I live paycheck to paycheck. Gonna die soon. Kill your masters.

6

Humble-Plankton2217 t1_jdhyjre wrote

My friend's mother declined lung cancer treatment because it would have used up all her savings. She knew she was dying and wanted to leave some money for her children and have enough to pay for the funeral.

She died a few weeks ago.

Doctors said the treatment could have extended her life for a year or more.

7

leftistpropaganja t1_jdhzmt0 wrote

"No one dies from their lack of access to healthcare." - Current Idaho Attorney General, Raul Labrador

8

nursejackieoface t1_jdi6gk6 wrote

>once we have these results we can show them to the political class

Bold of you to pretend they care. There is a sizable portion of conservative politics based on government NOT doing anything.

4

Akp1072 t1_jdieajh wrote

I’m in America and on the flip side of this story. One of the first pieces of advice I got from a good friend is: “you will go into debt. Accept it, and move on.” He was still paying off the debts from his very young daughters death 5 years later. And I will likely be paying off my husband’s medical bills long after he is gone. We’re focused on living and doing what we can now with the time we have.

7

Kailaylia t1_jdii3mc wrote

Thanks. It breaks my heart hearing stories from friends in America who have had to make really hard choices regarding health care.

There was no medicare in Australia when I was a child and one family I knew had a bunch of children die, one after the other, of an operable heart defect. They were a poor, uneducated, inbred sawmilling family in a remote area in the 60's and no-one who could help cared.

9

notsurewhattosay-- t1_jdj58s1 wrote

I'm American. My now x husband contracted cholera somehow. Racked up 45,000$ in hospital bills. But fortunately this hospital had a program for poor folks like us. The entire bill was covered by them. But there are plenty of horror stories about hospital bills that don't have a happy ending. I really wish American politics wasn't so cruel to the average person. Time again average people vote in these politicians who trick them and vote against their(average American) interests. Let's also give a shout out to the lobbyists who work so hard paying off and smoozing with our Congress to keep the status quo. Our own cancer institute has a website that promotes eating cold cuts!. We allow tons of polluting chemicals in our drinking water. But currently we are too busy fighting against those drag queens!! It's like living in a crazy nightmare here.

4

notsurewhattosay-- t1_jdj6exx wrote

Keep dreaming!! Bernie Sanders has been trying for so long. The majority of Congress does not care about us. They have amazing health insurance and a fine pension and...can do insider trading without worrying about prison.

4

Petal_Chatoyance t1_jdj6ic2 wrote

The lack of universal health care in the US kills people. Period.

5

Chaseus_Clay t1_jdj7pmv wrote

And to think only a few Americans had to die to keep y'all safe from the Japanese! For real, it's frustrating as a working class American knowing how much of my earnings go to protecting the rest of the world. People overseas have no idea

−6

worktogethernow t1_jdjcd9g wrote

Uhhh. People with more money spend more money? Am i missing something.

0

ncktckr t1_jdji853 wrote

You're focused on the wrong boogyman. We spend obscene amounts of money on military power and soft power, yes. It benefits some people outside the US, but it benefits us the most geopolitically. We should spend less, or at least not continually increase the amount, and put money into programs that help people, yes.

Isolationism and xenophobia aren't as nice as they sound to some on paper. They would not improve the condition of our country's people; in fact, they'd likely worsen many of America's ills… see Brexit as an example.

Instead of focusing on what political leaders want you to focus on—arbitrary large numbers you have no influence on or control over—maybe try understanding the world's bigger picture, the benefits and harms of an international economy, what chess pieces are on the board and why. Perhaps most importantly, focus on participating in your local government (city, county, state; not federal) to advocate for issues, or at least vote for like-minded leaders.

There are no quick fixes in such an extremely complex and interdependent system, unfortunately. Not ideal, but it is what it is.

2

Chaseus_Clay t1_jdjq002 wrote

You typed a lot but said essentially nothing past "participate at local elections" which doesn't focus on the problems of not having time to research candidates or that only a certain "type" of person gets the chance to run for local office. I really think that you aren't as aware of and educated on the issues you pretend to care about

0

redditaccount71987 t1_jdkj9l3 wrote

I actually put my money and time into getting treatment and they served fake reports with it and didn't treat till I was broke leaving hundreds of thousands in care needed.

3

Kailaylia t1_jdl3u1i wrote

That's a strangely aggressive and irrelevant reply to someone who feels sorry for Americans for their abominably cruel health-care system.

Your medical insurance companies are ripping you off. They inflate the costs of services, then add on their own charges, and the result is Americans pay exceptionally high costs for substandard health care.

1

Kailaylia t1_jdl4eg6 wrote

Obviously it doesn't matter how many people are impoverished by this system, suffer and die horribly, so long as they die heterosexual.

Even the "food pyramid", indoctrinated into us as the model of healthy eating, was constructed to appease grain farmers, and is a recipe for disease and diabetes.

1

Chaseus_Clay t1_jdl4idt wrote

Money that could go to our healthcare instead goes to keeping the world and international trade (which in a capitalist system is the world) safe for all. The security provided by the US isn't charity, but it might as well be if you're European or Japanese or Australian etc

1

Kailaylia t1_jdl64os wrote

You're not getting it - as in reasonably priced health care.

Your medical system is costing both your government and your people obscene amounts of money.

Free medical care for all does not cost more, it costs less.

You need to free medicine from the greedy leeches, (health insurance companies,) using health-care as a way to siphon money from hospitals and from those needing medical care.

2

Potentially_Nernst t1_jdsop4d wrote

And I was literally replying to a five-word comment out of which the most important word was 'antivaxxers'.

Would have been a bit strange if I were to attempt naming 'the worst corner of society' simply out of nowhere, don't you think?

0