Following his experience with a staggering bill for dehydration treatment, former Surgeon General [Name] is advocating for reforms to the country’s market-based healthcare system. Among the proposed reforms are measures aimed at enhancing transparency around healthcare costs and implementing an independent arbitration process. These reforms aim to address issues of affordability, accessibility, and fairness within the healthcare system, ultimately striving to improve healthcare outcomes for all citizens.
Washington:
Former US surgeon general Jerome Adams was stuck with an eye-watering medical bill of nearly $5,000 after being treated for a simple case of dehydration following an overnight stay at an Arizona hospital last January.
Now he’s calling for reforms to the country’s market-based health care system, including greater transparency around costs and an independent arbitration process — while using his bully pulpit to speak out for the 100 million Americans saddled with medical debt.
“While the number of uninsured Americans has been decreasing, The Commonwealth Fund reports that 43% of working-age adults are considered ‘underinsured.’ This status significantly restricts their access to healthcare and places them at risk of financial devastation with just one major medical event.”
He took along a bottle of water, more than enough, he thought, for a 60 degree Fahrenheit (16 degree Celsius) day.
But by the time he was heading out for dinner he started feeling dizzy and lightheaded — and his fellow doctors advised him it was best to get it checked out, especially as a middle-aged Black man at higher risk of cardiovascular complications.
“We called an ambulance because I was out of town. I got IV fluids on the way. And by the time I got there, it was pretty clear that it was dehydration,” he said in an interview in Indiana, where he now works at Purdue University.
He took medics’ advice and stayed overnight, and two months later received a bill for $4,800. Threats of being sent to collections agencies soon followed.
Adams said he was well aware his situation was all too common in a country where nearly 66 percent of all bankruptcies are directly tied to medical expenses.
