A self-styled millennial recounts being charged $41,000 for a hospital stay of less than 24 hours to treat high blood pressure—without surgery, scans, or serious intervention—calling the bill “extortion” despite already paying $4,400 out-of-pocket with insurance.

“MountainView Hospital is a 400+ bed state-of-the-art, full-service medical facility located in the heart of Northwest Las Vegas.”

The health insurance system is brutally unfair. But: I will be, and point out that as far as I can tell, ‘this is not a bill’, and reflects raw charges that haven’t been processed through his insurer yet.

But what if you don’t *have* an insurer?

Well then you’re instantly fucked.

***

Things would be so much simpler if it was just the broken system of health “care”.

But it’s all of the System.

The Reality of Being a Mechanic in 2025

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The only way to navigate the failing System is to take several steps closer to DIY.

So I’m counting carbs, washing my serious enamel pan more than once a day as I cook all my own food, and taking my self-monitored blood pressure seriously.

As for the vehicles, I will never have the genius to make my own MorrVairTere, but I can drop twenty bucks on the manual and possibly figure out how to change my own fuel level sensor.

Maybe. I think so.

And keeping my finger on the pulse of smarter people in many arenas, like with yesterday’s Food and Drug post.

And dreaming my own stories.

“Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while, a great wind carries me across the sky.”