Compounding medical costs, rising prices of routine procedures and prescription drugs, ridiculous out-of-pocket costs or the fear that you might be paying your “affordable” MRI scan for the next two decades. Paying too much for healthcare is one of life’s more infuriating injustices, but to alleviate the pain of a $200 Band-Aid, here are 5 things that may just be worse than pricey doctor’s visits.
A Potato Chip Bag Full of Air
You’re sitting in the lobby at the doctor’s office, waiting to find out your MRI price, hoping you don’t have to sell a kid to pay for it. You suddenly spot a vending machine, glowing in its prepackaged glory. You dream of placing those salty, greasy chips onto your tongue until your lips swell up. You sit down, pop open the bag and—what? What is this? There are 6 chips in a bag made for twenty. You don’t care if the salt and vinegar potato chips felt cramped next to their comrades in your plastic bag. You want the rest of your chips! So you spend the rest of the morning penning a passionate letter to Frito Lays.
When People Walk like they Drive
Texting and strolling. Slow saunters in the fast lane. Refusing to indicate changes in direction. Abrupt stops. These are all common infractions of people unaware of sidewalk etiquette. Since I can’t dole out civilian arrests for stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to check your email, I will take solace in the fact that once in a while, I’ll get to witness one yard-sale so glorious, it makes me forget all about paying too much for healthcare.
The Moocher Friend
We’ve all got one. That friend who always manages to forget his or her wallet at home. Who consistently arrives at dinner parties empty-handed, yet is always the first to crack open a cold beverage. The friend who borrows your things and fails to return them because they could’ve sworn you’d said you didn’t want them anymore! It helps to keep in mind your friend’s middle-aged roommates (read: parents) receive the brunt of this selfishness, on top of paying for his or her health insurance.
Selfie Sticks
In an effort to alienate all human interaction, innovators crafted the perfect solo vacation photo arm, otherwise known as the selfie stick. God forbid you casually ask someone to take a photo of you in front of the Taj Majal—how weird would that be? Thankfully there is the selfie stick, designed so you no longer have to beg well-meaning strangers to follow you around and snap a photo every ten steps.
Elevator Small Talk
Yes, I sure did see the rain. Thanks, Susan. I like your socks as well. Does your jaw ever clench as you mutter responses to these inane attempts at conversation? Do you think Joan actually cares if you have plans this weekend or that Oscar has been preparing that bit about traffic for months? I think the creator of the elevator had awkward silence in mind when he constructed a small metal box with no windows that shuts on command for strangers to stand like sardines for an unspecified time period. Let it ride.
Surely there are things more irritating than a comprehensive healthcare comparison. And hopefully your quest to compare healthcare costs isn’t as exasperating as forced elevator chatter or sidewalk traffic. So next time you hand over your co-pay, just remember: at least the front desk lady doesn’t have a selfie stick.
Check out our simple healthcare price comparison tool here.R
Guest Post: Alex Faubel
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