Do Americans have to pay for COVID treatment?

[Rosmac]

I'm from the UK so having the NHS we don't have to pay. I was wondering if you have to pay for COVID related treatment or would you be covered by health insurance? Do you have to pay for the vaccine?

The vaccine is not charged for during the current pandemic but the pharmacy can charge for administering it - which is covered by some health insurance companies or you can pay it yourself. There is no charge for those who have no insurance. Many pharmacies issue them free of any charge if you are in the current eligible group.

If you ended up in hospital with COVID and didn't have insurance would you have to pay for your treatment or would that be free too?

Even with insurance you have to pay your copay. That is typically 20% of the fee. So being hospitalized for Covid can be very expensive, even with good insurance.

Hospital you'd have to pay for, for those without insurance there is often a cheaper price than for those covered by insurance. But you're still going to be stung for $$$$

In short, yes.

@GherkinsOnToast

Hospital you'd have to pay for, for those without insurance there is often a cheaper price than for those covered by insurance. But you're still going to be stung for $$$$

What if you were so poor you couldn't afford to pay? For example you were homeless and you didn't have a job, would the government pay?

It varies by state and by person. There isn’t one simple answer. Some poor people are covered by government programs, some are not. Often the hospital just has to write off the cost aka pass the cost on to the paying patients. The hospital does not have to just keep providing services to people who can’t pay. They have to get people basically stable, but they don’t have to fully treat everything. I don’t know where the line is drawn exactly on Covid.

Insurance covers it if you have insurance. CARES Act covers your hospital bills for COVID hospitalization if you don’t have insurance,

@Pinkpaisley

It varies by state and by person. There isn’t one simple answer. Some poor people are covered by government programs, some are not. Often the hospital just has to write off the cost aka pass the cost on to the paying patients. The hospital does not have to just keep providing services to people who can’t pay. They have to get people basically stable, but they don’t have to fully treat everything. I don’t know where the line is drawn exactly on Covid.

There is no line drawn with COVID. See the CARES Act.

What do American posters here think of their health system? Would you prefer something like the UK NHS or do you think your system has advantages.

Americans seem to have more regular health checks and scans than us
At least that is what I hear. Whereas we only tend to go to the doctors when sick or after a certain age for screening.

I've always thought that Breaking Bad would be a very different show if it was set in the UK.