What does this envelope mean? Which surgery is it for?

Richard Perez3 · 2005-09-07T16:37:58+00:00

The title says it all. Does anyone actually know what the standard "tip" is for a surgeon after an operation? Because I have zero clue. I haven't asked this be…

Jamie Clark74 Regular

278 messages
joined Sep 2004

#21 · Sep 9, 2005

Jamie Clark74 said:Everyone is waiting on some system... maybe things are better in Europe.
I went through two complicated spinal surgeries by the age of 30.

The last one was last year. I don't have private insurance, so I was just glad a private doctor performed the surgery at a public hospital... he put me at the top of his list. He doesn't practice anymore.

In all of Adelaide, with its 1.075 million people, there isn't a single private doctor who operates in the public hospital system... I've already written about how the wait times are 18 months, and some people wait four years for knee surgery... are these really Western countries?

If you have private health insurance, everything gets done pretty quickly at a private facility. There’s no bribing involved; it’s just paying the difference because doctors often charge more than what insurance covers.

Here, a doctor's visit is covered by Medicare, but you pay an extra fee if the doctor charges more... and everyone does. For example, for a 10-minute visit, the doctor gets $30 from Medicare and asks the patient for an extra $10 for seniors, or $25 for those working.

A well-known specialist neurologist might get $85 per visit from Medicare, and you still have to pay—I personally pay $80 as a retiree.

Private insurance covers private hospitals... for a family starting at age 30, it costs about $1,800 to $2,500.

I had coverage for 28 years before I stopped. If I were to sign up again, I’d face a penalty of 2% for every year of age since I stopped.
Since my wife is 68 and I'm 64, I'd be paying 2% for 36 years (66 minus 30)...
that’s 72% on $1,800, which is a $1,296 penalty, totaling $3,096... and even then, I’d still have to pay because that's the lowest level of coverage, meaning a $250 copay per visit plus whatever extra the doctor charges for surgery.

How is anyone supposed to afford that on a combined pension of $20,800 a year? That might seem like a lot to you in some other place, but it’s very little for life in Australia.

That's Democracy and capitalism for you.

Stay healthy, everyone.

😉

Dennis Torres Member

21 messages
joined Sep 2005

#22 · Sep 9, 2005

Sooo... I’m looking at a $3,000 laparoscopic gallbladder surgery... and the hospital is, uh, I think it's St. Jude's?

The thing is, my mom used to be a nurse working right alongside these doctors for over 40 years... so if she isn't giving them the thumbs up to go ahead and do things by the book, then honestly, I don't know who we can trust!

(Also, just as a little side note because I have to say it)
She actually went in for a liver ultrasound and a bunch of other tests recently, and the results explicitly stated her gallbladder is perfectly fine—which makes sense since she already had it removed six years ago.
Anyway, that's the lowdown on the doctors.

Jose Miller3 Regular

446 messages
joined Mar 2024

#23 · Sep 9, 2005

Tiffany said:I can't remember her exact words, but I think she was really digging her heels in about wanting a C-section even though a natural birth was totally an option.

Yeah, here we go again—this whole issue with our messy, disorganized system (and honestly, maybe by design). If someone actually bothered to fix the chaos in our healthcare system, there’d be a clear price list for stuff like this... just like you'd have at a hair salon or a local pub. You want a C-section? Go right ahead, just head to the register and pay $6667 + tax and you're all set.

I know exactly who wouldn't like that kind of policy and why things stay the way they are, so I'm just talking hypothetically... but man, if I had even five minutes of power!

Richard Perez3 Active MemberOP

215 messages
joined Dec 2014

#24 · Sep 9, 2005

verica said:I had my eye surgeries at the Mayo Clinic, and I didn't pay a single dime. If the surgery date is already set, why would anyone even suspect the doctor expects cash under the table 😕

Don't get me wrong 🙂

Nobody is out here accusing anyone of anything. But, look, I guess I should explain why I even started this thread. Out of maybe 20 people I talked to about getting surgery, at least 15 of them were immediately like: "Uh oh, this is gonna cost you..." or "Man, that's gonna be pricey..." and stuff like that.

After hearing all those comments over a while, I started thinking that maybe this is just how things work in this country now—everyone's trying to convince me that it "won't be that simple" and that I'll have to "make things right" with someone.

Since I don't know the deal with this kind of stuff, and since everyone around me seems to have experience with it, I figured I'd ask around.

And honestly, I'm pretty happy with what I've found out so far. Most people on here have had positive experiences without having to pay a cent 😬, which makes me feel a lot better. 🎉

Jesse Edwards2 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Sep 2005

#25 · Sep 9, 2005

So, my old man had a couple of surgeries—two, actually—and both times, my mom ended up footing the bill. Both were for tumors, and both times it cost about $250.

Before she handed over any cash, the whole vibe at the clinic was just... I don't know, strictly business? A bit cold, honestly. They’d act all uncertain about when appointments were or if they even existed—not to mention how they seemed determined to just cut everything out and remove it all at once.

But as soon as the money changed hands? Suddenly, they're acting like our best friends whenever my folks show up. And instead of just hacking everything out, they actually put in the effort to just excise the affected area.

I guess my takeaway here is that you basically have to grease their palms with a little something—maybe a small tip or a fraction of the cost. I'm prepping for my own surgery now, and honestly, if I just dropped $500 on them, I bet things would go much smoother.

Hannah Harris87 Member

18 messages
joined Sep 2005

#26 · Sep 9, 2005

What is wrong with people?!? This is absolutely disgusting; paying off doctors and nurses or handing out bribes?! It’s unheard of in the West because that’s their actual job. They went to school for this, it’s their profession, and they get paid well for a reason!!! It honestly makes my stomach turn when you see folks who can barely afford groceries—especially those sweet old ladies—carrying around bottles of whiskey, Marlboros, or perfumes for the doctors and their wives just to get noticed.🙂 It's shameful. People struggling to make ends meet think this is just how things work. Personally, it would never cross my mind to pay anyone off, even if I were back home in the States. But hey, keep on giving! If it weren't for people like you, maybe these people wouldn't expect to be "greased up" just to get basic services.
😢 👎

Hannah Harris87 Member

18 messages
joined Sep 2005

#27 · Sep 9, 2005

I mean, do you actually get handed envelopes full of cash? Like, maybe an auntie working the register at a grocery store, or some office clerk, or even a train conductor? When you show up for work, do customers or coworkers just start handing out cakes and expensive perfumes? I highly doubt it. Honestly, it turns my stomach that some employees in America think they’re untouchable just because they hung a few diplomas on their office walls. I'd hang them on...😎

Richard Perez3 Active MemberOP

215 messages
joined Dec 2014

#28 · Sep 9, 2005

Jesse Edwards2 said:Before she actually dropped the cash, they were being super formal and kind of cold. Like, we had no clue when an appointment was even happening, let alone if they had one. Not to mention they just wanted to cut everything out and rip it all away.

But once the money changed hands? Suddenly they’re acting like our best buddies. When my folks showed up, they weren't just hacking away at everything; they actually put in the effort to carefully trim only the affected part.

That's exactly what I'm talking about!!! I mean, there are people who have been through this already, so clearly, it can be done!!!

Richard Perez3 Active MemberOP

215 messages
joined Dec 2014

#29 · Sep 9, 2005

Hannah Harris87 - quit messing around in this thread. And stop venting about stuff that doesn't even matter. Like, where are we actually on the global stage? Seriously. And since you claim you don't even live in the US, why don't you just get lost?

Later.

nimbledriver81 Active Member

96 messages
joined Aug 2007

#30 · Sep 9, 2005

Hannah Harris87 said:What is wrong with you people?!? This is absolutely appalling; paying off doctors and nurses, handing out bribes?! In the West, that kind of thing is unheard of,

But that’s exactly the point—America isn't "the West" in that sense. And let’s be honest, when you're actually sick, you aren't exactly checking the price tag on staying alive.

graniteorca96 Newcomer

3 messages
joined Sep 2005

#31 · Sep 9, 2005

Richard Perez3, I had my fibroid surgery three weeks ago. I scheduled everything with my surgeon a month and a half in advance, and at no point did the doctor or any staff hint that there was a "fee" required to move things along.
On the flip side, a friend's mother was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. They were told she wouldn't be seen at the hospital for another two months. When you're facing something like that, two weeks feels like an eternity, let alone two months. They had a blunt conversation with the doctor, handed over $1,000 under the table, and she was admitted to the ward the very next day.
I don't blame them for paying a bribe. They were reeling from the diagnosis and felt backed into a corner with no other options. And honestly, if they had actually reported the doctor, given how our legal system works... 😢

Hannah Harris87 Member

18 messages
joined Sep 2005

#32 · Sep 9, 2005

Richard Perez3 said:Mia - quit playing games here. Don't go spreading bitterness where it isn't wanted. Where are we compared to the West, seriously? And if you claim you don't live in the US, then just get out of here already.

Anyway, bye.

🙄
It's honestly better to just bury your head in the sand and say, "Well, if everyone else is suffering, so am I."😢
I know, it’s easy for me to play philosopher when I don't live there. I still remember the absolute nightmare of how rude and disrespectful our doctors and nurses used to be—it was unreal, the way they talked down to people and acted like they owned the place. My poor grandma had breast cancer, and we didn't even tell her because of how her doctor acted. He actually told her, "Look, Grandma, what do you think, you gonna live forever? You have breast cancer, I have a stomach ulcer, we're all going to die eventually anyway." That's basically how she found out what was wrong with her, since we couldn't bring ourselves to tell her after hearing him. And yeah, she passed away from cancer exactly like he predicted. Honestly, I felt like ripping his kidneys out with my bare hands when I heard him talking to her like that. Even private dentists act like they're doing you a favor; mine was constantly canceling our appointments and refusing to do exactly what I asked, like changing white fillings or cleaning teeth. I finally had to tell him straight up: I'm the one paying, so I decide what happens in my own mouth, and he needs to stop canceling without notice because I have much better things to do than wait around for him. From that day on, he was perfectly fine. It was a fair trade—straight talk, no nonsense.

Hannah Harris87 Member

18 messages
joined Sep 2005

#33 · Sep 9, 2005

nimbledriver81 said:The real issue is that America isn't part of Western Europe. But let's be honest—when you're sick, you aren't exactly checking the price tag on your survival.

Exactly. As long as that same patient can afford to pay those vultures, why would they care about the cost? My real concern is what happens to the people who just don't have the money.😢

Richard Perez3 Active MemberOP

215 messages
joined Dec 2014

#34 · Sep 9, 2005

Hannah Harris87, don't you dare compare a private dentist to doctors working for Medicare.

And let me answer your other question. People who can't afford it simply don't pay. Because they can't. So they don't get the service. Or they end up on a waiting list so damn long that by the time it's their turn, they're basically beyond help.

And if you think I’m actually going to go out there and fight some imaginary battle against windmills—you're dead wrong.

Also, do us all a favor—if all you've got to say is some judgmental crap about patients "allowing" themselves to be in that position... just remember how much you'll hate those words when life hits you hard.

God forbid.

Jose Miller3 Regular

446 messages
joined Mar 2024

#35 · Sep 9, 2005

Hannah Harris87 said:As long as this one sick individual can just cut a check for all those scumbags, why even bother asking? I really want to know what happens to the people who actually can't afford to pay.😢

It's the exact same thing that happens to the poor folks over in the "West"—you know, that place you seem to worship so much.

The only real difference is that here, the money meant for healthcare goes straight into the doctors' pockets... whereas out there, some goes to the government, some to private hospitals, and so on.

Jesse Edwards2 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Sep 2005

#36 · Sep 9, 2005

Hannah Harris87 said:As long as that same sick individual can foot the bill for all those scumbags, why bother asking questions? I really wonder what happens to the people who just can't afford it.😢

Well, those folks end up getting surgery in 2007—if they even live that long—or they just have everything removed that they can so they stop being a nuisance... since there's no profit left in them (read: money).

Look, honey, that's just how things work here in America.

Hannah Harris87 Member

18 messages
joined Sep 2005

#37 · Sep 9, 2005

Jose Miller3 said:It’s the exact same thing that happens to poor people in the "West" that you seem to believe in so blindly.

The only real difference is that over here, the money meant for healthcare goes straight into doctors' pockets, whereas out there, it's split between the government, private hospitals, and all that.

First off, what you just said applies to freaking America, but I don't live in the States—I live in England. Over here, we have the National Health Service. It works the same way for everyone. The NHS is basically the equivalent of a public doctor in America. And our NHS doctors don't expect bribes; honestly, they'd be disgusted by the idea. It's definitely a different story back home.🙄

Hannah Harris87 Member

18 messages
joined Sep 2005

#38 · Sep 9, 2005

Richard Perez3 says:>
Mia, please don't try to compare a private dentist to doctors working for the government.

But that’s exactly the point; in America, just because a private doctor charges a fair price doesn't mean they're done. On top of that, people still expect those little "under the table" extras. 🙂 🙂
I'm noticing a lot of people here getting outraged just because someone dares to have an opinion that goes against the grain, much like I am with this whole thread.
To hell with your freedom of speech and your country.👎

Jose Miller3 Regular

446 messages
joined Mar 2024

#39 · Sep 9, 2005

Hannah Harris87 said:In the UK, they have the National Health Service—it’s all the same for everyone.

Yeah, right... I'm sure some fancy British aristocrat gets treated exactly the same as a guy working construction out in the sticks...

give me a break...

Hannah Harris87 Member

18 messages
joined Sep 2005

#40 · Sep 9, 2005

Richard Perez3 said:And please, be kind—if all you have to say is judging patients for how they handle things... just think about what you're typing before you hit send, especially when you're the one facing a crisis.

God forbid.

I’m not judging the patients who hand over envelopes; I actually feel for them. It's the doctors who expect or take them that I find disgusting. Honestly, the whole thing just makes my skin crawl.😱 🙂 :asshole:

What does this envelope mean? Which surgery is it for?

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