The Blue Envelope

First off, I’d really rather skip any debates regarding the ethics of this topic.

What I am actually trying to figure out is the general "price tag" associated with various surgical procedures in American hospitals.
Does anyone here have any firsthand experience or insights they could share?

So, am I really the only one here who hasn't heard about people slipping doctors bribes?
Does anyone actually know someone who does this, or better yet, how much it "costs" in practice? Please... I’m asking because I have zero experience in this area, and I might be facing a similar situation very soon...

About four or five years back—right before she had to go under the knife for a brain tumor—a friend of mine dropped $20,000 on the procedure. Usually, these surgeries take about three or four days to get through, but when you wait this long... you're looking at potential motor skill issues and all sorts of other complications.
The doctor was away on a ski trip, and apparently, his return trip was what cost so much

Look, there’s no point in haggling over pennies here..
You just ask the guy straight up what the damage is and then you decide if you're in or out..
It’s pretty simple: either you pay the man or you walk away..

And what, you actually thinking about going under the knife?

monitor.us
"The Canadian government actually shut down a website that was tracking physician requests for cash 'gifts'..."

What do you all think about us starting a similar platform here in the States? We could list those 'unfortunate' doctors who demand kickbacks from people who are barely scraping by, just to perform the basic duties they're already paid to do.😠

Ryan Smith4 said:First off, I really don't want to get into a debate about ethics here.

What I am actually trying to figure out is what the "price tag" looks like for certain surgeries in American hospitals.
Does anyone have any first-hand experience with this?

Here is what some of my very close family members went through:

Ear surgery: $833 (split)-recently

Colon tumor surgery: about $500 back then (ten years ago). (also split)

Brain tumor surgery: roughly $2,000 in New York City
Post-op care after the brain surgery (with a different doctor): $500 upfront, then another $500 upon discharge from the hospital, plus the cost of all the nursing care on the ward for several months. (She had to stay there; I couldn't drive her every single day. She was disabled)
Pain management medication—stuff you could only get with a prescription, essentially morphine, $40 every single day for 6 to 7 months.
Do I even need to mention that I had to sell off part of our property? It didn't matter... she passed away regardless...😢 (They knew that when I was paying for the treatments. They took the money anyway: they got their claim filed)

Larry Cruz51 said:Looking at what my closest family went through:

Do I even need to mention that I had to sell off assets? It didn't matter; she passed away anyway. 😢 (They knew the situation back when I was footing the bills for her medical care. They took the money regardless: they just filed a claim.)

It’s an absolute DISASTER. I honestly don't know how those scumbags sleep at night. 😠

It’s because of situations like this that I suggested we start a dedicated website to track them—listing names and surnames so everyone knows exactly who they're dealing with. We need to expose them, so people can actually see what they're made of.

There was recently a massive scandal blowing up on ST regarding a hospital incident. A doctor basically looked a man in the eye, took his money, and promised to do everything possible, all while knowing full well his wife had already passed away. Of course, the whole thing was swept under the rug instantly. No witnesses, no accountability—nothing. The guy didn't just lose his wife; he got robbed while grieving. It’s gut-wrenching.
And honestly, what can you even say about the pricing? There are no set rates. It’s completely arbitrary; depending on which surgeon you want, the price tag shifts wildly. Sure, you find the occasional honest professional who refuses kickbacks, but most eventually cave after playing the "principled" game for a little while.
What’s the point of these forums anyway? Everyone already knows how the system works, but nothing ever sticks. Even if someone could prove it, I highly doubt anyone would be brave enough to pick a fight with those institutions. It’s easy for us to be vocal when we don't have skin in the game, but the moment things get real, everyone reaches for their wallets. We all know it, and the doctors taking the bribes know it too. They exploit that reality.
Sad, but true. 😢

The paperwork for PTSD and bribing the military pension board: $650.

Medical proof of hearing loss caused by combat detonations—basically paying $550 just to justify needing a hearing aid.

Neurological reports confirming something is "off" to satisfy the commission? That’ll run you another $220.

Faking a month-long psychiatric hospital stay just to secure a discharge paper: easy $330.

Documentation claiming mental health treatment since the early '90s related to combat trauma, even if you've never stepped foot in a clinic: $1,600.

The unofficial grievance log for the American healthcare system:

http://doctors.com/

John Doe said:Dealing with all the PTSD paperwork and those military pension board fees, which can hit you for like $3,500.

Then there's getting documentation proving you have hearing loss from blast exposure during service, plus needing a hearing aid—that's another $300.

Getting those neurology reports to show something's off for the VA board costs about $150.

Or maybe just getting a discharge paper after staying at a psych ward for a month without actually being admitted, which is roughly $175.

And then there's the stuff showing you've been in mental health treatment since the Gulf War for PTSD, even if you haven't stepped foot in a clinic—that’s easily $850.

I mean, basically, if an auditor ever shows up at your door, are you just gonna take out your hearing aid and hand it straight to the Secretary of Defense?

What irritates me most is when they play the innocent act, acting as if
we aren't taking a single cent, yet you have these poor nurses coming up to you saying the doctor won't even acknowledge your existence without a few extra EUR in hand—and in the end, those crooks don't even provide the service properly..

doc_1 said:So, what you're saying is, if an IRS audit comes knocking on your door, you'll just take off your hearing aid and hand it straight to the Secretary?

If this was a direct shot at me, I hate to disappoint you, but my hearing is perfectly fine and I don't even wear a hearing aid—even though I spent my entire service in the infantry.😁

No123 said:I guess if you were aiming that at me, I might have to disappoint you, because my hearing is actually totally fine and I don't even wear a hearing aid, though I was definitely out there in the thick of it during the whole war.😁

Glad to hear it, honey.😁
And honestly, the fact that the government basically forced you and other veterans to cry foul just to prove disability—whether it’s legitimate or not, and I'm not judging anyone who's just trying to scrape by since it's their only way to get some income—is a whole different story. I'm not talking about those people who just crashed their vehicles hundreds of miles from the front lines and managed to snag HRVI status on top of their government checks, but that's probably a conversation for another thread. Instead of helping folks get back into their jobs—which, let's face it, most of those positions don't even exist anymore anyway—they made them jump through all these hoops.

Just a heads-up—even when you're having a legitimate, fully licensed breast surgery for a tumor at a private clinic, things can still go $5333. Just thought everyone should be aware.

From what I can gather, some people end up paying under the table—which means you're left with absolutely zero guarantees for anything.