Is This A Great Country, or What?

Their 3-year-old daughter shoved a doll's shoes up her nose. They got one out with a pair of tweezers.

Then they took her to the ER, where a doctor removed the second one with forceps.

Then their medical bill came — for $2,658.98.https://t.co/J5LftOTnoe

— NPR (@NPR) November 29, 2019

The key facts in this story are: a) the ER doctor had the right length of forceps (tweezers to the laity) to get the show out; b) the parents went to a clinic first, and we're directed to the ER; c) of no comfort to any parent, the nose is a cavern where small objects like shoes can be lost if pushed in too far; d) that truth is pushed aside by the recommendation parents wait until morning to go to a pediatrician who probably has the right forceps (but if the object is already too far in to remove easily, what parent is going to shrug and say it will cost too much, go to bed and hope it doesn't move?).

I'm not faulting the reporting here, I'm faulting the insurance system. The insurance co. says the family shouldn't have gone to the ER. Various experts weigh in with advice for what persons similarly situated, with the benefit of hindsight (the shoe was removed in a few seconds, not after surgery), should do, as well as how to haggle with the insurance company and hospital (everyone has time for that, right?). In short, the system doesn't serve you; you must serve the system. And doctors don't serve you; they serve the system, to which you are responsible.

At least you get to choose your doctor. Whether your choice is considered wise by the system, whether your choice is made at the right time, whether the system can (or will) even explain why you must pay what the system charges, is not the fault of the system. Somehow, whatever is wrong with the system is always your fault.

Besides, the only alternative is socialism. Right?