An Indian man living in the United States has drawn attention to the country’s high healthcare costs after a short visit to the emergency room in New York cost him thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Parth Vijayvergiya shared his experience in a now-viral video titled “Insane Cost of Healthcare in the US. Real Incident”, explaining why many people perceive the US as an expensive place to live despite high salaries.
“Many people say America is very expensive. I understand from your examples how expensive it is. I live here,” Vijayvergiya said in the video, translating as: Many people say America is very expensive. I will explain to you with examples how expensive it really is. I live here.
Recalling the incident, Vijayvergiya said he injured his knee on December 25 while ice skating in New York with his wife and sister. He said another skater collided with his knee, causing severe pain.
“I thought I injured my knee or suffered a fracture,” he said.
Worried about his injury, he decided to go to a hospital emergency room. However, he chose not to call an ambulance due to the cost.
“I took a taxi because the cost of an ambulance is very high. So, it was out of the question,” he added, explaining that he took a taxi instead.
Vijayvergiya said he spent about an hour and a half in the emergency room, where doctors took an X-ray, examined his knee and diagnosed the injury as a muscular problem. A crepe bandage was applied and he was discharged shortly after.
The financial shock came weeks later.
“After three weeks, my insurance told me you have to pay $1,800,” he said, noting that his personal expenses amounted to $1,800 (around ₹1.5 lakh).
He further claimed that his insurer paid an additional $4,000-4,500 to the hospital, bringing the total cost of the brief emergency visit to around $5,800-6,300 (approximately ₹4.8-5.2 lakh).
“That’s why America is so expensive and salaries are so high here,” Vijayvergiya concluded.
The video, which includes clips from inside the hospital and images of medical bills, has sparked widespread discussion on social media. While some users echoed concerns about healthcare costs in the United States, others pointed out differences in earning power and cost structures between countries.
“US jobs pay great, until life hits the bill,” one user commented. Another wrote: “You earn and spend there, you can’t compare that with India,” highlighting the broader debate over cost of living and healthcare affordability.
