South west couple left with $200k bill after baby born in US
www.bbc.co.uk
Family face a nine month battle with insurance giant Zurich which has now apologised.

A couple were told they faced a $200,000 (£146,500) medical bill when their baby was born prematurely in the US, despite them having travel insurance which covered her pregnancy.

    • Malfeasant@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      5 hours ago

      Allowed to, sure. But it would quickly be crushed by the companies that have way more resources to draw on…

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        3 hours ago

        Yeah the better option is for a multi state compact for a public option. I know Washington has a bit of a public option. That said, you get no subsidies if your employer offers minimum contributions to the health insurance of their choosing.

        Edit to finish the thought: we need universal single payer, but barring that we need public options and real choice, including choice over where to apply our employer’s contributions. It wouldn’t fix everything that universal single payer would, but it would enable you to have the freedom to not need to change doctors every time you get a new job.

    • Ageroth@reddthat.comEnglish
      3·
      5 hours ago

      Allowed? Technically yes, in the same way people are allowed to start local broadband co-ops or like grocery stores or whatever else.
      The problem comes when you have to actually make people aware you exist and have a service or product for sale, and “compete” with the national/multi-national corporation who have infinitely more resources than you do.

      Just look at how Walmart and now Amazon have put just about every mom and pop shop out of business. They can move in, drop prices so low locally long enough to put you out of business because they have other areas locked down already and covering the losses. Then once they have the market locked up they can charge whatever they want because you have no other options.

      Almost certainly there already exists a non-profit health insurance organization, they just don’t have the resources to advertise on all the major channels and across the interwebs like all the predatory ones do.