Microblog Memes

While this is an issue everywhere, America dials it up to 11 by making you deal with all sorts of overcomplicated nonsense.

Healthcare in the US:

• Annual Prep: Open enrollment
  • Figure out what HMO, PPO and HDCP means, and what it means to you (which one is better depends on both your needs, your job, and also your spouse's job, so good luck coasting on knowledge from last year)
  • Figure out what to do with HSA and/or the various FSAs, requires mapping out what you're expecting to happen with your health, childcare and elderly care that year
• If your chest hurts and you're worried:
  • Go to the ER (not urgent care, they'll forward you to the ER even if you seem fine)
  • Get lots of unnecessary care (like three EKGs, a chest X-ray and some blood work) before they conclude you're just stressed from living in America
  • Receive five different bills several weeks later
  • Keep those in mind for another week or two until your health insurance sends their version of events
  • Receive the explanation of benefits, which does not match the bills
  • Call both the provider and your insurance a few times to figure out what's going on, because of course you have to mediate between them (they don't talk to each other)
  • After thinking about these bills every day for about three months, you can finally pay them and be done with it

Healthcare in Norway:

• Annual Prep: None
• If your chest hurts and you're worried:
  • Get a same-day emergency appointment at your doctor or call an ambulance, depending on how worried you are
  • They listen to you with a stethoscope and maybe do an EKG, conclude you're fine
  • You pay your copay on the way out, and never think about it again