# GoFundMe/Other Donations for Medical Bills: How Do You Feel? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2018, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gofundme-other-donations-for-medical-bills-how-do-you-feel/822814 "2018-10-11T18:53:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gofundme-other-donations-for-medical-bills-how-do-you-feel/822814/21 "2018-10-12T18:07:04Z")
I suppose this was prompted by my GoFundMe thread. It’s been moderately successful so far and I’m grateful for that. My campaign page does mention ongoing and future costs and daily living expenses as well as past expenses. But it’s a solution for a problem that would be better handled by some kind of single payer system. Charity is wonderful but it’s arbitrary. Those who understand and have access to technology, and who have generous friends, have an undeserved advantage. I think this is the biggest reason I feel guilty about utilizing it. If we’re going to have a system where we help each other out then we should formalize it as a system where everyone pays in according to ability and receives care according to need. Government is the obvious mechanism for doing this. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gofundme-other-donations-for-medical-bills-how-do-you-feel/822814/22 "2018-10-12T19:26:39Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As others have noted, your estimate is low. > > Figure around $2000 a day for the hospital stays. > > Another $2000 for an ambulance trip. > > Around $3000 apiece for MRI’s. Another $500 for the ultrasound. > > At least $100 each for those blood and urine tests. > > Figure around $15,000 for the actual surgery. > > Add it up and run it through a currency converter. Call it around the equivalent of €40,000. Thanks for doing that - I should explain that I was only **guessing** the cost, not estimating. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gofundme-other-donations-for-medical-bills-how-do-you-feel/822814/23 "2018-10-14T04:34:49Z")
I’ve donated twice to families I know and they were blindsided with troubles. Now, I get emails a lot from GO FUND ME to help everyone. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gofundme-other-donations-for-medical-bills-how-do-you-feel/822814/24 "2018-10-14T05:14:08Z")
There are also situations where the medical bills are covered, or almost entirely so, but the fundraiser was done so the family wouldn’t have to worry about paying for things like babysitters, Ronald McDonald House fees, gasoline, lost income from a spouse or parent being unable to work, restaurant meals, etc. - things that aren’t covered on most insurance policies. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gofundme-other-donations-for-medical-bills-how-do-you-feel/822814/25 "2018-10-14T13:24:54Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > I’ve donated twice to families I know and they were blindsided with troubles. Now, I get emails a lot from GO FUND ME to help everyone. Oh yeah. They’re writing a book. They’re recording an album. They’re redecorating the living room, you name it … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gofundme-other-donations-for-medical-bills-how-do-you-feel/822814.md?page=1)