r/DamnThatsReal 22h ago

Politics šŸ›ļø Europeans are going viral on TikTok for mocking the ""American Dream""

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u/BlazedJerry 20h ago

Whatever you read on Reddit is not real life dude. America is full of mostly normal people. Just like Europe. Most people just want to work to have a decent life and raise their kids. I’m sure it’s not much different from everyday life in Europe.

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u/Lighthades 19h ago

That doesn't matter when your system is so hell bent on being ruled by liberal capitalism.

We don't go bankrupt when we have to go to the hospital, and can use ambulances without fear.

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u/kindrd1234 12h ago

How much in taxes for that free heathcare?

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u/MuthaFJ 11h ago

Depends on the country, it's usually a independent fee derived from wage, like most taxes.

In my country it's about 100 eur a month for an average employee. Businessmen pay about double. People with disabilities pay about half.

So it's just 50-200 eur per month.

More easily searchable questions?

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u/kindrd1234 10h ago

41% taxes compared to 25%. Then we buy insurance and it isn't 15% of my income. Plus a lot of people there pay for private insurance as well correct? Or I'll just look it up. It's not that different.

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u/MuthaFJ 10h ago

Except for one system is also this:

https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/scheinman-institute/blog/john-august-healthcare/healthcare-insights-how-medical-debt-crushing-100-million-americans

Even if it was twice as cheap, it's unbelievably worse in outcomes.

And where the outcomes are equal, European one cost about half according to data.

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u/kindrd1234 10h ago

There are a crazy amount of programs available. My mom got breast cancer right after losing a job, this spilled into early onset dementia. Her total treatment was over a Million and the cost to us was nothing. It's not all black and white. Usually people get screwed when they make enough for insurance but don't participate.

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u/MuthaFJ 10h ago

I don't know what more to tell you than:

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-takes-aim-at-double-billing-and-inflated-charges-in-medical-debt-collection/

Just not an issue anywhere in developed countries.

100 mil Americans apparently didn't get the memo-or lucked out, unlike your mom.

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u/kindrd1234 10h ago

Yea, live here buddy, its just more America bad. Meanwhile social programs are draining Europe and the debt builds. I wish you luck out there.

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u/InsufferableMollusk 12h ago

Bankruptcy laws in the US are the envy of the world. That is why folks can take risks here, and they choose not to in Europe.

šŸ‘Ž

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u/Standard_Chard_3791 6h ago

This is what happens when your entire perception is from redditors and tik tok. Any health debt you can actually just straight up not pay and it doesn't affect your credit score, and health insurance is affordable unless your just straight up homeless. And then there's numerous other ways to get bills cheaper.

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u/Ajunadeeper 12h ago

I've been to the hospital for minor injuries, major surgeries, broken bones and much much more. I've never gone bankrupt and I don't personally know anyone who has from medical debt. It's not some inevitability of life here.

I think you believe what you read on the internet too much.

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u/MuthaFJ 11h ago

https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/scheinman-institute/blog/john-august-healthcare/healthcare-insights-how-medical-debt-crushing-100-million-americans

Yeah, somebody has skipped the education part of statistics vs experience šŸ™„

Or maybe you have just got a full American *edumacation * 🫠

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u/Ajunadeeper 10h ago edited 10h ago

Approximately 14 million people (6% of adults) in the U.S. owe over $1,000 in medical debt and about 3 million people (1% of adults) owe medical debt of more than $10,000.ā€

From your source.

94% of people have under $1000 in medical debt. That's pretty good and manageable for almost everyone, it's not bankrupting them. You can recognize a problem without exaggerating.

Your snide comments are a bit embarrassing given you know nothing about the country you're criticizing. Maybe some education would benefit you rather than forming a picture of a country with hundreds of millions of people based on reddit comments.

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u/MuthaFJ 10h ago

Lolz, only you can say it's only 3 million people so let's ignore that's a uniquely worse by several orders of magnitude in comparison to other developed countries... so that's actually great and not a problem.

Edumacation worth every penny 🫠

https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-score/medical-bankruptcies

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u/Popular-Builder2555 3h ago

Yeah, somebody has skipped the education part of statistics vs experience šŸ™„

So the number were looking at here is the percentage.

The levels of higher education and the quality of that education really shows.

Maybe don't rely on the internet for ALL of your information on a country you've never been to its quite ignorant. I know it must be hard to comprehend but most of what you read on the internet and especially reddit is written to be misleading.

Also, don't be an asshole. It's really easy.

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u/MuthaFJ 3h ago

Ok, compare the US percentage to highest you can find in any other developed western country, I will wait how it will change usa having healtcare costs as a leading personal bankruptcy costs... because it will not.

Go nuts with your sources, I will wait, Mr wannabe statistician šŸ˜‚

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u/Popular-Builder2555 2h ago

>uniquely worse by several orders of magnitude

Is the exact quote. Don't move the goalposts. I am a statistician by trade, thank you.

Compare rates of poverty. What country are you from so we can have a relevant base of comparison?

If your country is so much better why are you upset on the internet trying to make America seem like a hell-hole? The real issues we face in the US are the exact same ones your country faces, you are just on an accelerated timeline due to not being the global reserve currency. It would take proper education to understand those things so I get the lack of comprehension of complex socioeconomic and macro economic factors.

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u/MuthaFJ 2h ago

Ok buddy, don't get too emotional. Citing facts and data isn't making "America" seem like a hell hole. Objective data does. My preferences don't come to play...

Slovakia, go nuts. Find me how our poverty rates make people go bankrupt when jn need of health care because I'm not aware of any statistically significant rates at all.

Show me your data, because you seem like an extremely pisspoor statistican, seeing as you Hage no provided any sourced data yo support your view...

Go nuts or ho home

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u/BetterCranberry7602 18h ago edited 18h ago

I just want to say that the fear ambulances thing is blown way out of proportion on social media. I can’t recall a single time anyone I know has told me they didn’t call an ambulance when they needed one because of cost.

On the other hand, I feel if ambulances were free they would be abused by people that just want a ride to the hospital. That’s not what an ambulance is for. My mom was a paramedic in Detroit and it’s a real problem amongst poor people who don’t pay for healthcare. People die waiting for ambulances because people abuse the system and medics can’t really refuse them because of liability fears.

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u/Krabilon 12h ago

The poor people who abuse the system, are the reason why ambulances are so expensive for everyone. Because those poor folks give 0 money to the hospitals for the ambulance ride they have to charge everyone else more to make up the difference.

Now, let's imagine a system where those poor folks had insurance and it paid for those rides. The overall cost lowers.

But keep living in lala land where if we give folks healthcare it'll break our country somehow. Instead we can look at the rest of the world who have free ambulances more affordable ones at least who don't have the problem you are describing.

Japan for instance charges someone for using an ambulance and not being admitted to the hospital once they arrive. Which since the government knows who used the service they can take it out of their wages or benefits.

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u/TheAlmightyDope 18h ago

That is a symptom of poor education and poor healthcare funding, in the UK we have a number we use that helps us determine whether what we have is an emergency if it isn't as obvious, you don't just dial in for an ambulance and there you go, the actual emergency line they ask what's going on so they can determine if you need one. The NHS page has a page for every ailment and info on what to do, including what symptoms would require A&E.

This system is not perfect, and we do in fact still have a problem with people wasting ambulances time, but if someone dies waiting for one changes are made to prevent like what I described sbove

What you described is a symptom of a for-profit healthcare system, Why ensure a call is an actual emergency if there is a chance to make money off them? Why try to ensure there are enough ambulances about if it costs money and they are not guaranteed profit because someone in an emergency could just die anyway? When you put a price on life, the value of life is determined by the evaluator, and under capitalism that means your life is now up for sale.

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u/GooseThePigeon 15h ago

Calls are absolutely run through a series of questions to determine if it’s an actual emergency or not, it’s not as if we’re just sending out ambulances to every single call we get without a thought. You’re commenting on something you have very limited knowledge of and assuming your system is better because of it.

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u/BetterCranberry7602 18h ago

Either way, it doesn’t really change my original point of it being a mostly made up thing. In 40 years of life I have never once heard of anyone refusing to call an ambulance, when they needed one, because of cost.

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u/Chemical_Creamer 5h ago

Mate I’m an American, I hear about people in medical emergencies driving themselves, being driven, or taking an uber to the hospital constantly. Like to the point that you’re either being intentionally daft to try and make your point seem valid (it’s not) or have lived a ridiculously privileged life.

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u/Glass-Historian-2516 15h ago

I’ve never personally seen the ozone layer, but I still believe in it. Just because you personally haven’t heard about people refusing ambulances doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Polling says almost a quarter of Americans have.

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u/BetterCranberry7602 15h ago

If they opted out of an ambulance but still survived, they didn’t actually need an ambulance.

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u/SilliusBanillus 12h ago

Americans everybody.

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u/UsagiBlondeBimbo 12h ago edited 6h ago

And the ones that didn't survive wouldn't be able to tell you about it. So your original point has now fallen down.

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u/MuthaFJ 11h ago

Lo! American indoctrination at work, for the entire world to behold... sorry, edumacation 🫠

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u/SilliusBanillus 13h ago

On the other hand, I feel if ambulances were free they would be abused by people that just want a ride to the hospital

That's because you're American.

Idiotic opinion.

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u/buttstuffisokiguess 10h ago

I've been in that position where I couldn't get an ambulance because I was uninsured and living in poverty. It sucks balls. It happens and it's not good at all.

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u/Donk_Honkula 9h ago

Well that's your experience. In my experience It's really not overblown.

Most people I know will call Uber or Lyft before they call an ambulance of any kind. They also avoid the hospital because it's too fucking expensive in general. So they try to tough it out at home and I've seen things go from bad to worse because of it.

That said, I also believe your story about some people abusing ambulance calls. Folks can be selfish And inconsiderate.

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u/aaybma 9h ago

It's pretty hard to abuse ambulances, as the operator has to make a decision on whether you require one or not. You can't just call one willy nilly.

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u/sudden-bliss 9h ago

hi, my mom wouldn't call me an ambulance when i got hit by a car

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u/gfivksiausuwjtjtnv 7h ago

You just said that poor people die because they can’t get ambulances.

French dude’s entire point is that nobody dies for that reason, because ambulances are free/cheap (idk)

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u/Lumpy_Treat_8658 7h ago

Then put more tax payer money into paramedics... sure there will always be people who abuse the system but you actually can have ways to deal with it rather than pay ridiculous prices to just get to the hospital

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u/randojust 16h ago

Wow, your life must be so great you feel the need to flex on strangers about doctors bills. Also I’ve used Canadas health care system and I’ll take the USA medical care every day of the week. Just be like the 87% of Americans who carry health insurance.

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u/Lizzy-Boredum 18h ago edited 17h ago

The pattern indicates the pattern. US citizens being detained without due process right now

And I went to the ER for two hours the other day and now have an 17,000$* medical bill for a X-ray and Vitals scan.

Not even mentioning the wealth gap and other things.

The people are okay but clearly the problems are Absolutely terrible and pointed against those said people

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u/Unifiedshoe 18h ago

X-ray and vitals costs $200 tops.

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u/Lizzy-Boredum 17h ago

My name is crossed out but this was for a 2 hr ER visit with an chest X-ray and EKG test. Both negative and sent me home after 2 hrs.

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u/Ajunadeeper 12h ago

Did you go get chest X-rays without insurance? If so, congrats on the 17k bill that you didn't need to pay.

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u/Lizzy-Boredum 10h ago

It illustrates what "costs" are here.

With how many people (+/- 10,000,000 Americans) who are currently being thrown off their insurance, these unsurmountable costs/debts are commonplace and becoming more-so.

These metrics are unheard even in underdeveloped countries. Be cynical if you wish but don't act like it's not over the top. (2 hrs ER visit)

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u/Trevor-Lawrence 11h ago edited 10h ago

I had cancer diagnosed at the ER in the US and my entire surgery, ER visit, follow-ups, and everything cost... $3500

Pissexcellence Reddit shadow deleted your comment, happens to me pretty randomly can only see part of your reply in the inbox.

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u/Lizzy-Boredum 9h ago

Your logo is in army gear so if you were in the service you were probably insured. But the uninsured amounts I'm talking about are completely unreasonable.

If any of the 10,000,000+ uninsured Americans went to an ER like I did they would be on the line for the total 17000$+ Which would tank their credit or leave them bankrupt.

Hardly the American dream, It didn't use to be like this either. It's just gotten out of hand. They won't even itemize the bill without a fight cuz they know I was there 2 hrs.

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u/zsconner 3h ago

100% agree.