A friend of mine went to Japan, he had a heart attack while over there. They billed him......a little over 1K USD. In the US the same treatment would cost him over 200K. He actually found it cheaper to fly back to Japan to see the doctor for a 6 month followup than to see his doctor here and the tests here.

As an American, I NEVER cease to he amazed by how easily Americans can be talked out of their best interests. Its astounding and embarrassing. The people who need medicare the most are the most vocal about disliking it.

The exorbitant cost of healthcare in America is a result of several complex factors. Firstly, the country's fragmented healthcare system leads to inefficiencies and administrative overheads, with multiple layers of bureaucracy and paperwork increasing expenses. Additionally, the high prices of medical services, pharmaceuticals, and equipment contribute significantly to healthcare costs, fueled by a lack of price transparency and competition. Moreover, the prevalence of costly medical procedures, defensive medicine practices, and a fee-for-service payment model further drive up expenses. Addressing these systemic issues and promoting reforms focused on efficiency, affordability, and accessibility is crucial to mitigate the burden of healthcare costs on individuals and the economy.

I got an appendectomy at 19 years old with a bill of $30,000. I couldn't afford the college I was going to anymore, which I had a football scholarship for. it has crushed me.

My son’s insulin shouldn’t be $1000 a month when it costs less than $3 to make. Period. (Updated price in 2021: $2035)

I'm Canadian and I will never forget the first time I learned, as a teen, that not all Americans want universal health coverage. I was sitting beside an American girl on the plane who was around my age who was telling me why having free healthcare would be bad and I was completely mind-blown. I grew up with the mindset that I could walk in to any hospital or clinic or call an ambulance and get high quality care without paying anything so I always thought the fact that healthcare is a human right was a no-brainer. Sometimes it feels like Americans are like that girl who's only ever been in unhealthy relationships and when she meets a great guy, she breaks up with him because she thinks something must be wrong with him to be so good to her.

I’m Australian, less than year ago when I was 15 I woke up with no vision in my right eye. I spent a full week in hospital, saw several specialists, and since have had 2 MRI’s. The loveliest people, best doctors and nurses, and accomodation + food in the hospital, and it didn’t cost a cent. My eye is all good, but I can’t put into words how much respect I gained for my country’s Medicare system. It works America

I live in Canada and yes I've had to wait at the emergency room to get stitches when I cut my arm, but that's because my injury wasn't life threatening. I'd rather wait 2 hours than get a bill for thousands of dollars, tbh.

I'm a Taiwanese citizen living in the US. Years ago I suspected I had a tumor and called a doctor to try to have it diagnosed. They said they can schedule me for a CT scan in two weeks and it'll cost me $3,500 out of pocket coz I haven't met my insurance deductible. I hung up the phone and booked a $900 plane ticket back to Taiwan in 2 days, had my choice of doctor, had it diagnosed (it was an ovarian cyst), scheduled and undergone surgery, and out of the hospital all within one week. It costed me $3 as is standard co-pay for our country's universal healthcare system. I really do not understand the argument of higher prices, longer lines, no choices.

The biggest mind boggle, to me, is this: Americans would rather pay a for-profit company *more,* just so they can pat themselves on the back for paying the government *less.*

I’m Canadian, from Quebec. I watched this episode and another one in November 2021 while waiting for a colonoscopy at the hospital. They apologized for the delay, I said, it’s 8000$ in the USA. I couldn’t afford it, so I don’t mind waiting a bit. Especially during a pandemic. The nurse was surprised and thanked me. No need, I don’t mind waiting 60 mins under a warm blanket to see a specialist. Thanks to John and team.

Let's get real, those who oppose affordable healthcare are those who have investments in insurance, pharmaceuticals or medical supplies companies.

He shoots down every objection but left one important thing out. The primary reason so many employers keep millions of people permanently part time is to avoid having to provide heath insurance.

My mom needs a specific inhaler for her lungs. My moms doctor has told her she needs it. My moms doctor prescribed it to her. My moms insurance told her she doesn’t qualify for the inhaler. Welcome to choice and Freedom in America.

A wise man said "America is a third world country with a Gucci belt"

2 weeks ago I had a STEMI heart attack. I live in a rural area in Australia. Ambulance to hospital, ambulance to airport, Air ambulance (helicopter) to larger regional hospital with a cath lab, 2 drug eluting stents, 3 days in ICU and a cab for the 1 1/2 hour home trip. Total cost was $67 AUD for my discharge meds. I love universal health care!

Joking about American healthcare is like joking about North Korea. Incredibly funny until you realise how many people died for a punchline

I don't think most Americans realize they are one medical emergency from bankruptcy. My 2 year old got pneumonia. The medications, doctors, urgent care, ambulance, ER visit, and 3 day hospital stay cost us close to $10k out of pocket, and we have insurance! If our insurance had decided the ambulance was unnecessary, it would have been double that. Even if you're insured, one car accident can wipe out your savings. One diagnosis, one surgery. We used up 7 years worth of our health savings plan in one weekend, and it was a short hospital stay with no complications. Even if our taxes doubled, that year would have been a hell of a lot cheaper with Medicare for all. Folks with chronic conditions pay that much every year. Life saving health care shouldn't be this expensive.

Imagine not having to worry about health benefits when looking for a new job. That would be so cool

As a Nordic citizen, it is incredible to see how much private medicine and healthcare costs and how damaging it is to a society, because many low income families simply can not afford insurance or healthcare or have to opt out of certain parts.

*7 trillion on Middle East wars* Media: *crickets* *10 trillion + bailing out Wall Street* Media: ... Bernie proposes Universal Heath care like every other 1st world industrialized country Media: WOAH THERE PAL

As a european, I don't get why some americans are so afraid of Medicare for all. My country's system doesn't lose any money and we barely pay anything (except for comfort treatment which is payed by company health insurance). Not paying an ambulance to get to the ER seems the bare minimum in a civilized country.

I love the fact that John Oliver can be both happy and angry while at the same time screaming at his audiences to inform them about serious problems in the world. I Love your format.

I've been trying to get my Korean wife enrolled through Medicare. However, since I am a retired service member in Korea and my wife is Korean they said I have to go through the US Embassy in the Philippines. I started in March 2021 and some of the delay was sending certified mail to Manila. I did that through a military postal service. It took a month to get to Manila, the Philippines and sat there for 3 months due to a lock down. Finally around October the Medicare section in Manila said all the correct paper work was done and was sent to the US for processing. My wife still hasn't received anything and now it has been 11 months and 2 weeks since we have started. I contacted Medicare in the US but they said I have to check with the US Embassy in the Philippines. However, the US Embassy says they have to wait for Medicare to finish in the US. Talk about lazy, worthless and incompetent people. As a retired US Army service member, I was proud to serve my country. My only regret is that we also serve and protect those who could care less about us.

I wonder how many of the people who say that "Americans love choice" do not support choice when it comes to abortion...

As a German I'm so grateful that my country has provided public health care since the 80s. Btw I'm not talking about 1980s, I'm talking about the 1880s.

As a Canadian, it is WILD to hear criticism from the United States about healthcare. Ya, I gotta wait in line sometimes but I have never needed to wait for my GoFundMe Campaign where I plead for my life to go viral! The number one comeback every Canadian has locked and loaded whenever Americans try to make fun of us is "Ouch, you really burned me there! Guess I better get this treated for free." It's basically part of our culture! Our healthcare is one of the things Canada is indisputably better at than the states. This is actually the first time in my 3 decades that I've ever heard anyone say otherwise, and of course it's coming from Fox News!

Fox News in a nutshell: Pick an unanimously undisputed subject and ask "What does that mean", then proceed to demonize that said subject.

I live in the UK. My dad had lung cancer. He had MRIs, Xrays, medication, radiotherapy, 3 operations to keep his airway open, an oncologist, surgeon and respiratory consultant, plus numerous stays in hospital. It cost us nothing. Except the usual NI payments that are less than most US insurance payments. No doctor declined treatment , no one asked us for money, no one gave us forms to fill in for payment. No we didn't wait in a long line. No we didn't get substandard care, no we didn't have to crowdfund, remortgage the house or go bankrupt. I am disabled. I have to have 14 different meds to stay alive. I pay around 15 dollars amonth for ALL my meds. And Brits consider that to be expensive. The truth is universal healthcare works, is not as expensive as private and if looked after properly, saves money. That's why every civilised nation has it.

As an Austrian, when it comes to HealthCare, I consider the USA to be a Thirdworld country.

I feel so fortunate to live in a country (Australia) that has a healthcare system that will assist homeless people when ill or injured.

Katie Porter spelled out exactly how Medicare for all would cost so much less and allow doctors the freedom to spend more time with patients..Sounds good to me and I already have medicare.

When my daughter was three years old we did not have health insurance. We fell into that gray area of making too much to qualify for medicaid, but not enough to pay for private health insurance. One evening she fell off our neighbor's porch and got a concussion. By the time the hospital saw her and gave her a CAT scan we were already looking at thousands of dollars that we couldn't afford. Then they wanted to hold her overnight to make sure she was ok. We had to sign a paper saying we were removing her against the Dr.'s wishes. I had to make a choice that night between my daughter's life and becoming homeless. No one should ever have to make a decision like that. I spent the rest of the night sick to my stomach crying and scared to death. We woke her up every 20 minutes or so to check on her. It is absolutely a fucking crime that the US does this to people.

As a German it is unbelievable to me that people wouldn’t want health care accessible for everyone

I couldn’t imagine living in a country where healthcare wasn’t a birthright.

Almost five minutes in and I have to say... As a German, who never even once in his life had to worry about "cost" of medical care, medicine and everything surrounding it, I can't believe what I'm seeing! I'm seriously baffled, why americans are not marching through the streets by the millions to change that crazy system. I'm chronically sick and need a lot of medication, but I don't pay more than 250€ (the same in $) a year and get back around a hundred dollars at the end of the year. And I never experienced any of the problems, that opponents of M4A have as talking points. Our hospitals are run well, I don't wait for months to get an appointment, I can visit every doc I want, we have very good doctors and medical staff and and and.. Are there problems? Of course, nothing is perfect. But I think not being insured or underinsured or DYING are much worse than these... Edit: almost finished the clip and I have to say... Everything above, but add disgusted rage!!

Americans would rather have the "freedom" to choose between treating their heart or their kidney than being forced to be able to treat both.

"we like to have choice in health care" yeah that lady looked really happy choosing between a diabetic coma and a cardiac arrest

"But Sarah Palin's 4th attempt at cloning herself actualy has a point there" lmao. Nailed it.

Being opposed to people getting free or affordable health care is one of the most vile things I can think of, and that's saying a lot considering what vile crap people are capable of.

"I lived in England; nationalised healthcare is a disaster." Hi, I have lived in England for my whole life; its one of the best things the British government ever did and its saved my life as well as millions. America, PLEASE nationalise your healthcare!

One thing I wish Oliver had brought up is that when the cost of an individual visit to the doctor is no longer an issue, lots of people would go see the doctor about minor health issues. This would lead to great many medical problems being caught and treated in early stages, and less people suffering from serious medical issues would be a net benefit to society.

I am literally watching this from my free hospital bed where I have been for the past 3 days....pretty sure universal healthcare is a good thing.

America's healthcare system is horrific. I ❤ NHS 👏👏👏 You guys deserve so much more in the US

No one on Fox New has ever said "But how are we gonna pay for that" when we send troops to the Middle East. Not once.

Every other country with healthcare: Does fine. US Politicians: THE WORLD WILL END IF NOBODY DIES The fact alone that people consider calling an ambulance because of cost is outright inhumane and honestly disgusting.

When my appendix had burst, I went to the ER, got emergency surgery two hours later and went home after a week. My bill never arrived because you don't get a bill for that where I'm from

There are so many groups out there fighting for universal healthcare in the US! We don't have to live like this. Keep calling and writing to all levels of government, and protect voting rights. This country could be amazing if it weren't crushed by greed. Healthcare is a human right, and we have to keep fighting for it! Fuck these insurance companies that prey on millions of Americans, this doesn't have to be normal!

I'm British. My mum has been in hospital for the past 2 weeks recovering from a brain bleed. She had emergency brain surgery, MRIs and tons of medications. She's on the mend, and non of it has cost us a single upfront penny. Money hasn't even factored into the whole situation. The NHS is the most popular government program in British history. Nobody would change it for the world.

"Americans are still Americans. They like choice" And here I was wrongly thinking Fox News wasn't pro choice.

Since im living in Norway, we laugh about US and how the joke of a health care works.

Fun Fact -- After Medicare came in in Canada, the doctor's started to make so much money that it became a problem. The Insurance companies are still operating in Canada. The doctors and the insurance companies spent millions to try to keep Canada from getting Universal Healthcare and they even brought reps from the AMA in the States to help.. Canada told them to go "Pound Sand". The country was right and we have enjoyed the benefits for over sixty years and the whole plan has NOT gone "tits up" at all.

Cannot afford medicare for all, but can pay for constant wars, tax breaks for rich people, bank bailouts, auto industry bailouts, etc.....got to love America.

"We all too often have socialism for the rich and rugged free market capitalism for the poor." - Martin Luther King Jr. | Democratic Socialist

As an Aussie I’m so proud of my country’s health care. When my little one was 3yrs old he was in an induced coma for 4 days and another 3 on the ward. Not too mention the ambulance trip included the normal ambulance and 2 MICA paramedics (mobile intensive care ambulance), the bill which I didn’t have to pay was $42k, and all the testing I have no idea how I could ever have paid for it. But instead the bill when He came home $0

It will never not resonate with me with that the base premise for one of our countries most popular shows of all time is “high school chemistry teacher creates meth empire after insurance company won’t cover costs of necessary medical treatments”

Let's have a moment of silence for all of the writers and editors who had to watch hours of Fox News.

"The waiting lines would be longer" Oh so the solution is to make it too expensive for poor people to get help, so the rich dont have to wait. Great thinking there.

The funny part about "oh no, we don't want to have this new healthcare plan because lines" is that you ALREADY have lines. I worked in an ER and during the busy times we had people waiting 6 hours for EMERGENCY care. So you still lose a day AND break your bank. In most countries with free healthcare you still have private practice, so if you don't have money you are covered by the free coverage, and if you do have money to spend you can choose to spend it or not. It's always better to have that choice than to just be forced to not buy food so you can go to a doctor.

Thank you so much John for spitting out some facts. I'm so tired of Republicans using the so-called long wait times as an excuse to hold us back from trying to get Universal Healthcare. I feel like it's time for a change in our health system ASAP!

"To the privileged, equality feels like oppression."

Meanwhile in Norway, I broke both my legs a few years ago at a party passed out got picked up by an ambulance turns out I require immediate surgery, got the surgery a few hours after arrival got checked in and got a bed and care for a weak and then an ambulance got me home on my release day, the ambulance staff got me up the stairs and into my bed gave me a wheelchair and built a wheelchair accessible environment inside my house and even though I know that our health system is cheap I got scared about the cost only for them to tell me that I owe nothing because I've already paid for it in taxes, my god do I love my life and country

I live in Canada and my sister had cancer a few years ago, she is now cancer free, thanks to the timely chemo and we are not in debt. Thanks Canada.

I live in the UK and just so you know, we still have a private healthcare system too. If you have wealth you can pay to miss all of the waiting lists and have choice, if you are poorer you get care and it is free, it is the best of both. However everyone is terrified that the NHS has been sold off to private companies. The service has been devastated the past 12 years by a pro privatisation, neo-liberal, government. We are desperate to keep it for the people even though it is not as good as it was.

The illusion of choice is basically the heart of late capitalism

Americans: "We want the choice!" Saruman: "So you have chosen death!"

I love how everyone living in the u.s is thinking they are on top of the world, in fact, even third-world countries are doing better in treating their citizens. It is pure comedy...

I've heard countless people on the internet complain about NHS and then qualify it with "but I'm glad it's not the US Healthcare system"

"Having a choice" isn't a good thing when the "choice" is Go Bankrupt or Die.

Meanwhile in Germany: Feel ill, go to a doctor or hospital. Get treated. Done.

I can't understand anyone who defends this system. I am stuck at my job and stuck living with people I can't stand because my medical conditions are so expensive to treat.

"Medicare for All would be very expensive" Audience: Laughs Me: ??? Why is that funny.

"Honestly I can't see where the money will come from." *spends trillions on defense and corporate subsidies*

I got a procedure a couple years ago! After TENS of calls to the doctor, Hospital and the insurance company to make sure everything was IN NETWORK, several weeks after the procedure, I GOT A HUGE bill in the mail. When I called the insurance, they said the ANESTHESIOLOGIST on the day of my procedure was OUT OF NETWORK! I HAD NO WAY TO FIND OUT THAT OR CONTROL THAT, IN ANY WAY AT ALL! Despite doing everything I could, I still ended up paying THOUSANDS! The US healthcare system is a SHAM so the ULTRA RICH CAN PROFIT OFF of our hardship, suffering and disease! MEDICARE FOR ALL! Bernie2020!!! Btw, I have since moved to Canada and LOVE the universal healthcare system here! I can literally go to ANY DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL ANYTIME AND DONT NEED TO TAKE OUT MY WALLET AT ALL! Please don’t buy into the scare tactics of the media and lying politicians, GO FOR MEDICARE FOR ALL! GO FOR BERNIE!

"When I hear healthcare is a right. What I hear is healthcare will no longer have choices" So you need a language course? I'd start with English 101! You can do it I believe in you!

Thanks for spending the time to create and share this content 🙏🏾 We obviously got some tough work ahead of us this century and or next

"He drove me not to the closest hospital, but to the closest network hospital - the bill was 3000 dollars". This sounds so weird if you are from Europe and makes me appreciate our healthcare system even more. Can't imagine living life in fear of going bankrupt because my appendix has to be removed. If it has to, I go to the closest hospital and it costs exactly zero dollars. If I have a job or not. Welcome to humanity. America, go for it.

German here: I can't believe America has this sort of problem.

"Sarah Palin's fourth attempt at cloning herself"😂😂

As a French, I really don't understand why americans are so slow to make the right changes. Maybe in ten or twenty years you'll have NHS. We have it since 1946... Your system seems inhuman for us. Honestly, good luck to all of you.

It's amazing how something as "radical" as Medicare for all is just common sense in other countries

My “freedom” would be greater if my wife was not beholden to her employer to keep me alive.

I almost died in high school of pneumonia because I didn't have health insurance and didn't want to go to the hospital. The US healthcare system is fucked for people who can't afford it, which is most of the people in America.

A portion of every health insurance premium is used by insurance companies to pay lobbyists to prevent the implementation of universal health care.

NEVER CLICKED THIS FAST PLEASE DONT LEAVE US AGAIN JOHN

In Canada, wait times are only an issue if you are in the emergency room with a head cold, trying to push the guy in respiratory arrest out of your way. I'm never waited more than 20 minutes for anything important.

I have chronic and severe emphasema and although the hospital brought me the insurance paperwork so _they'd_ be reimbursed by Medicaid until I got it, and although I only had 85% O2 on room air after 20 paces they discharged me without 02 and with thousands of $s worth of scripts! By state law anyone who falls below 90 % 02 qualifies for supplementary oxygen the social worker said "Yes, but who's going to pay for it?!" I asked "So you're sending me out to suffocate?!" She responded "I don't know what to tell you!?" After being rushed out because I was slowly packing my things and stopping to catch my breath they had SECURITY come to my room I said "I'm leaving but I just got over pneumonia and I can't breathe enough to go any faster" After 11 months and probably a trip per month to the ER I finally got disability insurance but, if not for an asthmatic friend w/ a surplus of inhalers that I needed but couldn't afford, and an oxygen compressor that was my mother's but, she hadn't needed it in years that we still had I'd have certainly died 10 years ago! The disability insurance application was denied twice before I saw one of _their_ Drs is so complicated that I'm sure it's rigged so that most applicants find it confusing or they die before actually receiving the insurance. List every job you've had in the past 20 years and how much time you spent per day, walking, sitting, standing, crouching, kneeling, etc ...! Now try doing it while you're sick, and untreated for your illness. For everyone who finally gets the insurance I'm sure there's another who couldn't get through the paperwork, make the several appointments (90 miles from my apt! To see a pulmonologist who's been approved by the state! I was approved 3 days after seeing a pulmonologist who couldn't believe the condition of my lungs and treated me at the appointment before feeling comfortable with my leaving. The frequent and completely available exacerbations and bouts with atypical pneumonia caused my lungs to get worse than when I first applied. Influenza nearly killed me; having to be intubated twice. I was then under hospice care for a few years until being discharged 6 months ago. I'm now living in a FOR PROFIT skilled nursing facility and these are unconscionably horrible places! Nothing like you see in an "A place for Mom" ads ! The room I'm in is set up 2 to a room but, precovid it was 4 to a room! I've lived in 2 and they're all varying degrees of understaffed , unmotivated, horrible in every way imaginable! If not for the pain meds I take for having a back surgery and the antianxiety meds I'd have lost my mind completely. I don't know if socialized medicine is the answer but, our helth care system couldn't get any worse. Having ironically been able to keep my mom out of a nursing home ; having the honor and the privilege of taking care of her for 15 years, after my back surgery I couldn't do the same for myself Hospice (palliative care) is the best care but, its for those who are going to likely die in 6 months or less but, it procludes you from taking the physical therapy. Now that I've been discharged from Hospice my legs have atrophied to the point that I can no longer walk I'm going to try to walk again and get out of this place so I can get some semblance of a life back! Maybe I'm ranting but, this one hit so close to home I felt I'd comment to a lesser degree but, now that I'm done I'll send it through emphasizing that I should be dead under the current system. If not for an asmathic friend and my mom's oxygen concentrator I would be I'm sure Im also sure that not everyone will just happen to have such good fortune so something has to change when it comes to health care and for profit nursing homes and assisted living facilities in this country! Lastly, I'm not bitter or angry normally. I'm super positive most of the time but, I do get depressed but, I think that's normal. By the grace of God I'm alive and breathing and that's hope! If you've read all of this 🤣 you could have been looking for something decent on Netflix! Do your best to take care of yourselves and I implore you...do everything in your power to keep your family members out of these for profit nursing homes!✌️❤️🎸🎶🙏 Stan in Miami

"Ruth Bader Ginsburg's inevitable successor" how badly this aged

This is the reason Europeans don't understand Breaking Bad. "Why didn't Walter just go to the hospital?"

He forgot to mention that healthcare gets cheaper because the affordability leads to increased preventative medicine. It's like never changing the oil in your car and then waiting for the engine to blow up before you do anything about it.

Years later and I still love this video. And we still don't have Medicare for All... and we won't anytime soon. Maybe ever.

Australian healthcare is the best in the world. I showed up too the ER with a hernia that had become stuck. They took me in, knocked me out, fixed it and I went home two days later. 100% free.

I live in Sweden and my 8 year old sister had to get an heart surgery, she was in the hospital for 11 days, we didn't have to pay a single dollar. The fact that some Americans life can be turned upside down over a medical bill is insane and heart breaking. edit: so this blew up.... To answer some of your questions. First yes in Sweden we don't have as large of an population as in the US but that also means we don't have as many tax payers. In Sweden only the people with salary over 195 dollars per year. The tax goes to our version of "state" from that you get free healthcare, free school lunch (good food) you can also get financial compensation if you are sick, home with children and more. For a reference some one who earn 3079,26 dollars per mount would pay 756,78 dollars in taxes. So there is not "the rich" who pay it's all of us. The main difference is how much money the people pay and what it goes to. In Sweden we have good welfare but basically no army and you have it the other way around. I am not saying that you should do as Sweden but there is a way you can get free healthcare but still have what you have. I don’t know maybe if you higher taxes a little bit and take a little bit of money from somewhere else for example your military budget or space forces thing that money could go to free healthcare. And also yes i know the change can't be done over night. Realistically if free healthcare is what you wont it would probably take at the vary least a decade to get to that point. But to start heading that way would yes indeed be the smart anything else is just stupid.

John passed quickly over a point that needs to be expanded. Tying health insurance to people's jobs is a horrible thing. I know someone who is stuck in a dead-end crap job because a family member has a chronic condition. Changing to a better job would mean a gap in their medical coverage (there's usually a 3 - 6 month waiting period to get coverage with a new employer). They cannot take that risk. In a similar vein, a layoff or plant closure can mean that workers suddenly have no coverage. Health care should be PORTABLE.

As a German I can tell the system is better because you are insured and get what you need

Calling an ambulance costs money??!!! Wtf america

American here in Denmark. Let me tell you I gladly pay my taxes. Not having to worry about healthcare is a huge burden off your shoulders in life. Why shouldn't the US do the same? We call ourselves the UNITED States of America,but how unified is it to let our citizens die from lack of healthcare?

So what I learned is Mexico is already receiving 'medical refugees' from the US. That is such glorious irony, I love it

"The greatest country in the world" *pppfffff LMAO*

I just wanna say that I love this channel. Very much and a lot. It's a healthy dose of reality. ❤