Kalshann1d ago

RE: https://thecanadian.social/@MostlyHarmless/116285239183264441

49 states have 'at will employment' meaning unless you have a union, which is ~not~ 90% of us, we can be fired just for saying we're sick. (yeah, it's wrongful firing - sure sue them. Tell me how rent gets paid while paying for a lawyer?)

The struggle isn't even to explain sick leave is a terrible racket, half (at least) of the US labor force doesn't even have sick leave or use it if we do!

Show threadAzuaron1d ago

@Kalshann Two... years?

Two... YEARS?

TWO YEARS?

I have been sick and working (in America) for four fucking years, and there's a decent chance if I had a few months off I could find a proper treatment and get better.

TWO YEARS!

I knew we were bad off, but holy fucking shit.

Show threadKalshann1d ago

@Azuaron
It's fucking insane.
And it's not just the bosses either - the health care "system" is so broke, it's taken my gf a whole year to get her insurance to let her see a gp, much less deal with her problems.

I'm sorry about your trouble though. It's absolutely horrifying and depressing.

Show threadCourt Cantrell does not comply
@Kalshann @Azuaron My family and I have been in nonstop medical debt for 18 years, and that's *with* relatively decent insurance.
Mar 24 at 7:28pmMastodon for Android
Show threadKalshann1d ago

@courtcan @Azuaron
I do wonder what the percentage of debt people have is medical and what percentage of the US has medical debt...

like, it's traded, bundled and moved around for pennies on the dollar, but we can't just pay a hundreth of it all to actually resolve the debt. (because that wouldn't be capitalism's true form!)

I'm sorry, mostly that our society is broken; but I am sad, angry, and frustrated for how it hits you and others like this.

Show threadAzuaron1d ago

@Kalshann @courtcan Quick numbers:

  • Looks like the US has about $200 billion in medical debt
  • About 40% of Americans have some kind of medical debt (which may include "I put it on my credit card", and may be a relatively small amount)
  • If we focus on "significant" medical debt (over $250), we switch to 8-9% of Americans have "significant medical debt"
  • 6% owe more than $1,000
  • 1% owe more than $10,000
  • And, as usual for the US, groups that are discriminated against are more likely to have medical debt (the disabled, Black, women)

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/the-burden-of-medical-debt-in-the-united-states/

The burden of medical debt in the United States - Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker

Despite over 90% of the United States population having some form of health insurance, medical debt remains a persistent problem. This analysis shows that 20 million people (nearly 1 in 12 adults) owe medical debt.

Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker