i was in a motorcycle accident and woke up surrounded by medics and ambulance 2 blocks from my house. i told them to get the fuck away from me and had to sign a waiver so i wouldnt get the 2k transport bill.
cracked skull, broken clavicle, 3 broken ribs and rash all over. 12 hours later my wife has me in the ER covered in sanitary pads.
the usa is #1 in medical bankruptcy. insurance companies only profit when human beings suffer.
was watching a lot of motorcycle youtube a few years back before I came to my senses (who the fuck wants to share a road with some of the brain doners allowed to operate cars without a car to protect you from them) and one of the guys I watched had an accident and told a passerby to call an Uber instead of an Ambulance.
I have given rides to 2 different people to the ER when I drove for Uber. They were having heart attacks. One guy tipped me so I guess he made it after I dropped them off. Not sure about the other.
I 'member seeing some Conservative Chud on Reddit arguing with people about how it's actually good that ambulances are so expensive, otherwise people might use them as a free taxi to the hospital AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY FUCKING ARE
:edit to add: OF COURSE I'm not saying that everyone should be entitled to a free ambulance ride to the hospital for every medical requirement. What I'm saying is that if you do need one, it shouldn't bankrupt you. Here in the UK it's getting increasingly difficult to get an ambulance if you feel you need one, so most people tend not to bother and just get driven in, or get told by the operator at 999 that it might be a long wait, so to go to hospital under their own steam if possible.
But if we do get an ambulance, we don't have to take out a mortgage.
But the point is, whatever your take, an ambulance is LITERALLY a taxi to the hospital. That's the only place they go.
In Germany even calling the the emergency numbers frivolously is a felony. An ambulance is for emergencies. if you call them because you don’t feel like taking a cab somebody else might die because the ambulance can’t reach them in time.
That being said that conservative chud is still a fucking idiot.
It's just not really true, when I broke my foot (as a Canadian) I didn't really consider an ambulance, because I didn't need stabilizing or healthcare on the ride over and i probably didnt want to go to the ER over UC during the height of covid. I just hopped in an Uber, which got me there faster, why would i want the whole gurny and flashing lights. There are certainly people who would have called an ambulance in my situation (and plenty of situations where a broken foot warrants an ambulance too) but there are also plenty of rich Americans who would do that too.
I think the whole point is that the option should be available to people and not bankrupt them in the process. If you break your foot and don't want an ambulance great but if some other dude does and wants the ambulance he should be able to take the option and not pay 4500 dollars for the ride.
I don't know how it is in other countries, but if you call an ambulance because you want a free ride to the hospital in Norway you get a hefty fine for wasting emergency resources. Doesn't the US have the same kind of laws stopping people from using ambulances as ubers. If not, then that's how make the ambulance free for people who need it, and really expensive for people who don't.
This is a plot of a anime.
Adventures rather die then go get healed or iniured but no cash so they go back into wilds to get money cash to heal intital injury and end up worst. Making society HATE the cleric class.