An American goes to the hospital with her father in Spain and is completely shocked by the price of medical care

The private healthcare system in the United States has led the public to rack up more than $220 billion in medical debt, a concept that is completely foreign to citizens of countries with a public healthcare system. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in 2024 that around six percent of the population, 14 million people, carried $1,000 in medical debt, with another 3 million owing more than $10,000.

For Americans who move abroad, like TikToker Ana Ochoa (@thebadmama), the reality of medical debt ceases to be a risk, so long as they are paying taxes that provide them coverage in the public system.

Ochoa moved to Spain with her family and posted a video where she explained her father’s complete amazement when her father received his hospital bill in the Iberian country after breaking his humerus. This story was initially reported by Huffington Post Spain, to highlight how a system so normal for citizens is capable of shocking tourists from the US who have only ever known a complicated private web to receive medical care.

Without insurance, the family was expecting a hefty bill

“My dad fell down the stairs in Madrid and broke his humerus. They had to call an ambulance. He had to go to the hospital,” explained the TikToker in retelling the events.

A trip to the hospital in an ambulance can cost a person anywhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars in the US, so Ochoa’s father was expecting an enormous bill, considering that he did not have insurance during his visit.

The bill’s total... drum roll please... €185 or around $193. For those that are just as shocked as the Ochoa family, you might be surprised to know that if was covered by the Spanish social security system, he would have paid nothing for the ambulance, x-rays, and hospital visit. If a doctor were to have prescribed medication, the price would also be reduced, as pharmaceutical prices are capped to ensure they are affordable.

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