this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2026
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A couple were told they faced a $200,000 (£146,500) medical bill when their baby was born prematurely in the US, despite them having travel insurance which covered her pregnancy.

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[–] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

The problem in this story wasn’t actually the US this time, it was the Swiss insurance company.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 25 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

I would say the problem also was a very high medical bill of $ 200k.

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 8 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Yes. You're right. Our healthcare system is absolutely bonkers bananas insane, and that's before you calculate in the cruelty. And as US citizen, I strongly advise everyone who isn't to avoid this country like the plague.

However, if I travel to Switzerland or Canada or Italy or wherever, as a tourist, I am not covered if I go in the hospital. I still need to carry travel insurance, and if I don't, or if it doesn't cover something, then those countries with their modern, sensible healthcare systems will charge me out of pocket, just like an American hospital. The difference is that in America, even the citizens aren't covered by default, and the amounts are astronomical compared to other countries.

It's a shitty system all around, and frankly, I genuinely believe that if it weren't for America's weird fetish for as much money as you can possibly choke on, we would probably have started building an actual universal healthcare system for the global community, so that you're covered by default even when traveling. But like with most things, the right wing nonsense has held us so far back that that is so unlikely as to seem utterly impossible

[–] alfert@feddit.dk 2 points 44 minutes ago

Yes if you come here to Danmark from the US you will not be covered. But if you are from a country in the EU you will in most cases be covered and don't have to pay anything for being hospitalized.