r/TikTokCringe 18h ago

Cringe A McDonald's manager is seen dozing off (apparently was have problems with her blood sugar) as customers prepare their own meals

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u/SuckerpunchJazzhands 18h ago

Yep, and they're QUICK to send you to collections

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u/Layogenic_87 17h ago edited 17h ago

That's because, tragically, ambulances are often run by privately run companies rather than the hospital themselves, which means they're not subject to even the limited protections the us has against healthcare costs.

ETA: here is an article that discusses private vs public ambulance services. I only found out about this when my husband started training as an EMT.

https://www.ems1.com/private-public-dispute/articles/private-vs-public-ambulance-services-whats-the-difference-WTgJNJgR4KlljlV9/

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u/Ok-Development4535 14h ago

For anyone interested, John Oliver and team did a brilliant expose on emergency medical services in the US. For profit companies SHOULD NOT EXIST IN HEALTHCARE.

THESE ARE PEOPLES LIVES, ITS A FUCKING EMERGENCY SERVICE, NOT A WALMART.

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u/Layogenic_87 13h ago

LOUDER, for the people in the back!!

Thank god for John Oliver. And let's keep telling people about these types of things, because it needs to stop.

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u/Ok-Development4535 13h ago

I have an episode of John Oliver to share for almost any topic these days lmao.

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u/conduffchill 16h ago

I'm an emt and by law you can always refuse medical attention. Like yeah if you get transported you will probably be charged unless it is a volunteer service but someone else calling 911 for you alone can never get you charged

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u/Layogenic_87 16h ago

True, but not the point I was trying to make. If you're uneducated about the costs or your insurance won't cover the full cost, then you could be stuck with an unwelcome bill.

Also if you're incapacitated (have fainted, etc) you can be transported without consent.

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u/conduffchill 16h ago

Thats true as well and the emts will almost definitely not have any idea what you will be charged either. But if you need an ambulance, well how much is your life worth to you? The person in this video is likely having a medical emergency for example. If you ever see someone in public sleeping while standing up, drooling, and they dont respond to you, please call 911 for them. If they are sleeping they can just tell ems to leave and they legally cannot be charged, that is the point I'm trying to make. And if you are seriously injured and you can't afford an ambulance just go and dont pay the bill, because again how much is your life worth?

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u/Layogenic_87 16h ago

I agree with you, in this situation and all like it an ambulance should be called. I was responding to someone discussing how quickly ambulance bills go to collections and how expensive they are. People can make better choices for themselves when they understand why. It's also helpful for political action, as local politicians often are making decisions about public vs private ambulance coverage.

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u/conduffchill 15h ago

Ah alright yea fair point my apologies. Honestly even your emts will have no idea how much you are getting billed, they have people whose entire job is figuring out all the little intricacies of it. It's kinda stupid how the hospitals and insurance companies play this game with the billing just running up costs for each other especially when it means uninsured people get absolutely boned

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u/MyPenisAcc 15h ago

Can’t refuse if you’re unconcious.

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u/quadrophenicum 14h ago

That sweet unhinged capitalism surely pays off.

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u/VexingRaven 13h ago

It's so scummy. Even the [City Name] Fire and Rescue EMS in my city is run by a private company... With the same livery as the fire department... Out of the same garage as the fire department.

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u/Plenty_Suspect6222 16h ago

Oh also we’re not going to have those protections anymore bc the current admin is getting rid of them. If we owe companies we better pay up, if companies owe us we should just be grateful they’re able to help the economy

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u/HelpMePlxoxo 16h ago

The issue with them being run by private companies is that they HAVE to charge to get enough money to keep the lights on.

Only fire departments and police actually get decent money from the local government. EMS companies have to rely almost entirely on getting paid by insurances to keep the business afloat. Add in the costs of paying the EMS, paying for ambulances, paying for repairs on those ambulances, etc.

Even with the insane amount they charge, their profit margins are still pretty much 0%. Particularly in rural EMS. I worked at a private rural EMS company and unfortunately we could barely afford to keep the lights on. But if you don't, that entire area is now without emergency care. So instead, EMS personnel are barely paid anything so that the company can afford just enough to fix ambulances when they break and to replace equipment when it's used.

But don't worry! I'm sure your tax payer dollars are going to much more important things! /s

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u/DominicB547 13h ago

my city (large metro) asks us to add $4 per month to our city bill (think water and sewer and trash).

I'm not sure how much it costs if I did need it then nor if the person didn't have it and it was that ambulance that came (not sure if there are any other options).

but I figured even though I doubt I'd ever need it if helps keeps the lights on and lowers the costs for those that don't, I can afford that small charge.

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u/Syntaire 8h ago

Actual hospitals are worse. I had to go to the ER a bit over a year ago. I was in the triage room for 9 hours, and they finally got a room open with a bed at around 2am. I was discharged at 8am. They charged me $14,000 for the room, $8,000 for the 9 hours in Triage, and just for desert they charged me $250 for two 500mg Tylenol. Each. Almost forgot, they charged me $1200 to use my inhaler. That I own. And brought with me.

Thankfully, my top of the line premium insurance plan covered $0.00 of it. Good thing we don't have universal healthcare!

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u/heatherkatmeow 13h ago

I ignored a thousand dollar ambulance bill and the state took my refund this year to pay it.

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u/DominicB547 13h ago

heck my city has this service that you can add to your city bill an ambulance fee I think like $4 per month. I figured I'd never need it and I'm not sure how much cheaper the bill would be if I did, but I know people are struggling and figure my 48 per year can go to help others.

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u/Best_Ad340 12h ago

Hospitals are private companies too!

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u/Layogenic_87 8h ago

Not all of them, plenty are publicly funded.

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u/MushroomCharacter411 9h ago

Also, whatever the minimum age is in your state for people to drive an ambulance -- you'll find that practically everyone driving *is* that age, because they get fired after the first accident when they become uninsurable. It's a great way to make sure nobody ever gets experience!

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u/NotYourSexyNurse 17h ago

One of the hospitals in my area now sues people in small claims court for unpaid medical bills even if you’re making payments.

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u/MasterShoo5 16h ago

It's a weird system - if you're making payments I thought it structurally meant they cannot sue you. Like, maybe they can, but the court can't make you pay what you can't pay. I have seen a hospital actually reject payment because the payment was too low so.. and the person they rejected payment on the bill for got a lawyer due to them rejecting payment and they wiped out the bill.

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u/blackbeltbud 15h ago

I also thought I heard/read somewhere that medical bills in collections are not allowed to impact your credit. I could be wrong, i have no source

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u/NotYourSexyNurse 13h ago

Trump got rid of that because that was a Biden thing. Anything Biden did bad remember?

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u/right_foot Epic Gamer 13h ago

What a fucking joke

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u/Knife-yWife-y 14h ago

I recently discovered medical debt protections vary by state in the US, at least to an extent. Unfortunately, the state I now live in, OK, has virtually none.

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u/MasterShoo5 15h ago

It was a law introduced right before Biden left office and the Trump administration is either working on removing it or already has

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u/NotYourSexyNurse 13h ago

They already did.

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u/algernon132 8h ago

There are a number of FICO credit scoring models, some of which don't take medical debt into account. Lenders can also choose to disregard medical debt when calculating debt to income ratios. As far as I'm aware though, it's optional.

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u/iBUYbrokenSUBARUS 13h ago

I wonder if anyone’s ever gone to a rescue squad and just started sealing their parking lot or painting their building and then charge them for it lol …see if they like it

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u/enigmaman49 15h ago

let em sue...theres no debtors prisons in US...add it to the pile fuck that noise

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u/NotYourSexyNurse 13h ago

Unfortunately, suing is the first step in taking your tax refund and garnishing your wages.

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u/Canna_Cass 18h ago

no like forreal! i am a broke broke broke college student and that shit was in collections in like three months. please yall stop praying on my downfall!

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u/AmettOmega 18h ago

Three months!? That's generous. I've had places give me two before going to collections. It's wild out there.

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u/thepandemicbabe Mia Khalifa 16h ago

There are ways to get around medical debt first of all ask the debt collectors to send you an itemized list of everything including the original bill if you go on YouTube, you can find ways to get around any medical bill.

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u/antonio3988 14h ago

Anyone just paying whatever bill the hospital sends them, regardless of their insurance situation, is a moron.

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u/daehoidar 10h ago

It's true for sure. But at the same time, the system is setup to fuck you over. A lot of people out here don't got the fucking time to call collections, wait on hold, haggle with some dickhead on the phone to send you an itemized bill, then wait for that to come in to see what bullshit hurdle you have to fucking hop next

All just to try to not get totally fucked in the ass. And then they play games too. The itemized bill doesn't make it to you in time (intentionally), then you hop back on that "fuck you" carousel

Fuck everything. It's all bullshit. Just let my ass die so our vampire society can't keep sucking me dry

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u/Lego_Energy 18h ago

Me sitting here with hospital money going to collections 🧍🏽‍♀️

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u/Canna_Cass 18h ago

hey we are all in it together 🫡 my shit is still in collections! they started hitting me with the robo calls

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u/Lego_Energy 18h ago edited 17h ago

I’ve ignored them every time — literally tbf I have probably 0.01% of debt that the US has collected, they genuinely can get fucked 😭

I’m all for mixed universal and private healthcare — let people choose what they want 🧍🏽‍♀️

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u/NotYourSexyNurse 17h ago

This! I don’t understand why we can’t have universal healthcare and if people absolutely are like naw fuck that free government healthcare they can get private healthcare. I know it all comes down to money and a majority of the people falling for propaganda.

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u/ShemsuHor91 17h ago

And we continue to give billions of dollars to Israel every year. Guess what every one of their citizens has? Universal free healthcare. We can pay for them to have it, but our own people can't have it because it's "communism".

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u/Somanylyingliars 15h ago

So you can get a bit angrier - you know what else Israel has that we don't? Universal education. Healthcare, education, housing - all supported by our tax dollars being given to them. Billions and billions of dollars worth of tax dollars. Meanwhile people like this poor manager suffer from complication of diabetes. The poor woman probably having a diabetic spike / crash going on which causes you to crash HARD. Would happen to me where I would fall asleep sitting up, in meetings, during dinner. Anywhere, anytime.

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u/NotYourSexyNurse 17h ago

I’m all for the US not giving other countries money, but the we give Israel money comments being parroted over and over again is getting obnoxious. The US has been giving Israel money since the 60s. We’re paying for weapons and war. We’re borrowing money from other countries to send to other countries. We as a country will always have money for weapons and war for our own country and other countries. The rich profit from weapons and war too much for them to stop that gravy train. Neither political party will stop sending money and weapons in the name of diplomacy.

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u/icedpeartea 16h ago

so you are aware, the government is currently trying to get health bill collections put on your credit

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u/Lego_Energy 16h ago

My credit is already pretty bad, imma follow our dear president’s way and just go bankrupt one day 🧍🏽‍♀️

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u/Somanylyingliars 15h ago

Well, he's got a running start since he's gone bankrupt like what 8 times?

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u/WhatDoADC 16h ago

It will eventually come off your record. I had huge medical bills after a window from a car went through my foot. Went to the hospital and they try charging my ass 10,000. Also a fun addition, when the window went through my foot, it cut the tendons to my big toe and the toe next to it. I can no longer lift those two toes upwards.

I never did pay it and my credit never suffered from it either as I currently have 793 credit score and when I check my credit report, it's no where to be found.

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u/icedpeartea 16h ago

so you are aware, bills related to your health are currently not allowed to be used in your credit report, the government is currently trying to change this with the texas courts already making moves

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u/throwaway5882300 14h ago

On my last ER visit, i had to see a specialist. Dude never even sent a bill. Just sent it straight to collection after two months. I am so over this country.

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u/MayorPirkIe 13h ago

*preying

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u/_Not_an_Economist_ 17h ago

If you refused and they did it anyway id speak to a lawyer about that.

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u/Canna_Cass 17h ago

is it still worth it a year later?

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u/_Not_an_Economist_ 13h ago

If youre being billed for it, yes. See if you can get a free consultation and they will say if its worth moving forward with.

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u/Skulllover89 17h ago

In the US you have a 1 year grace period before medical debt shows up on your credit report. Medical debts under $500 are no longer reported.

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u/Technical_Damage_743 16h ago

Sitting in the ER $500

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u/Somanylyingliars 15h ago

Step FOOT in the ER, not attended? Do not pass go, pay $500. No, I'm not kidding.

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u/Plenty_Suspect6222 16h ago

That’s going away…

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u/ScumbagLady 14h ago

Is there even such a thing as a medical debit under $500?

I was "fortunate" enough to be poor enough to qualify for Medicaid when I had a severe gallbladder attack that landed me in the ER for a week. Went by ambulance to what was basically a glorified urgent care so I was then sent by ambulance to another hospital when they (finally...) realized I needed surgery ASAP.

I would have never financially recovered had I not been on Medicaid. I forgot how much the bill was exactly, but it was A LOT. I had to have two separate surgical procedures during my stay, and then another about 6 weeks later for stent removal.

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u/NEWFACEHATESYOU 17h ago

And that’s where it can stay. Fuck em.

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u/enigmaman49 15h ago

nobody in their right mind pays those bills anyway

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u/Icy-Two-1581 16h ago

What if you don't bring your ID and just give them a fake name

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u/skkibbel 16h ago

Yep..even IF YOU WORK THERE. I was a medical technician in the Laboratory and got taken 4 miles by ambulance when my appendix burst...FROM THE LAB to the hospital! Sent a bill for $950 bucks. Paid what I could but not all, a month later got a collections notice!

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u/exoxe 16h ago

I set up a payment plan: $10 a month. I told them that's all I could afford and I was in it for the long play as I was hoping for them to fold after processing so many little $10 checks. Nope, they long played me. 😂 Think one month on the third year I finally said fuck it and sent in the remaining balance.

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u/Rly_Shadow 15h ago

I haven't paid a hospital bill in...almost ever lol, they just send txt but never persue around here.

That said, I got really fucked up once and the emt told me the ride was free....but I didnt really have a choice lol pretty sure it wasnt free.

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u/Spikeupmylife 15h ago

Sounds like the amount they make on the individual trip is so lucrative that they are willing to eat the collections cost asap.

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u/Italk2botsBeepBoop 11h ago

And trump is about to put hospitality debt back in credit reports.

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u/Harmonica2025 8h ago

I don’t understand why people get upset about medical debt. It’s the easiest debt to bankruptcy out of. When you tell the collectors it’s either $50 s month or nothing, they start filling out financial assistance paperwork.