Trevor Noah Takes on American Health Care System After Appendectomy
After an emergency appendectomy Wednesday, Daily Show host Trevor Noah had some choice words for what the United States’ health care system put him through just to receive treatment.
“I feel like there should be two rooms: one for emergencies, and a room for people who can fill out forms,” Noah said. “The lady’s like, ‘Can you fill out this form?’ And I’m like, ‘No, I’m dying,’ and she’s like, ‘Yeah, but I need you to fill out the form first.’ ”
Noah said he started to faint while filling out the paperwork.
“What more information do you need other than the fact that I’m dying?” he quipped.
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Noah, who is from South Africa, talked about how confusing the system can be for someone who has never dealt with the complexities of American medical coverage.
“She was like, ‘How are you paying for this?’ ” said Noah. “ ‘I don’t know anything, I’ve never checked, I don’t know how this works.’ She said, ‘It’s health insurance or you’re paying for this yourself.’ ”
The nurse then asked him if he could afford treatment out of pocket—before suddenly realizing with whom she was speaking.
“You know what, I’ve seen the billboards, you’re fine, you can pay for this,” she told him.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average wait time in a U.S. emergency room is 30 minutes, but it varies by the immediacy of the infliction, which is determined by a triage system. For those in immediate need, the average wait time is 12 minutes.
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Original article from TakePart
