Qpnao
135358
2370
40
Front page! Send help, I'm bored and lonely
Sep 30, 2021 11:44 AM
Qpnao
135358
2370
40
Front page! Send help, I'm bored and lonely
LactuloseDispersalDrone
People should start asking the board members of these companies how much they are willing to pay, not to be left blind or in a wheel chair.
elganif
The answer is ALSO found in cyberpunk universes. Its time to start running underground black market parts and amateur repairs for yourself.
Colopty
The day we get good open source cyborg parts will be a glorious one.
H2ONerd
Well shit, there goes my plans for an Omega Frame and a new data jack.
DreadPirateJaceMangrove
As an IT guy I do NOT want any kind of brain function handled by technology
Qpnao
Same... so many, many bad scenarios
GrandPubabofMoldistan
What until you hear about the rented oxygen equipment and the need to return it before getting new/ working equipment
ThereAreCrocodiles
I didn't even know I had the ability to run now.
GhostBoodakaGB
I feel like most healthcare price inflation prices problems are not exclusive, but mostly to the US. Which pisses me off ngl.
sundaymondayhippyday
Ngl ?
jet100a
Means "not gonna lie"
ThorinNL
Getting a system reset like Dark City.
Qpnao
Oh I remember that film, it is good
Wasnbo
I did not expect to see a wild Repo! The Genetic Opera reference, and I'm terrified at the idea that it's closer to reality than I thought.
aPinchofMensch
I still want my robot parts though.
astrangehop
Why?
aPinchofMensch
To move past the limitations of a basic human.
Godryc
Not nearly enough people understand this, let alone where Tech is going with neuro implants.
PixelSprite64
PixelSprite64
ontarioOT
Power chairs cost 4-5k in Canada but easily get over 10k with upgrades/customization. Funding is available but not everyone qualifies.
ItKeepsIntensifying
They are free in Norway, same for older people who have a hard time walking too.. I know that we have it good here, but I feel it should be
ItKeepsIntensifying
like this everywhere and it is not a huge thing for our advanced civilizations.. but we are just savages, treating the disabled like wounded
thatwoodguy
It got wrote up and he got a cease and desist letter ftom the maker, so he "leaked" the specs and it made the maker drop the price on theirs
ontarioOT
That's awesome.
thatwoodguy
Ex gf needed upgrades to hers (spina bifida) and wifes nephew (UBC Engineering grad) came up with a 1.5K dolution using off the shelf parts
NoNameNoGameNoFame
What I’m trying to figure out is how your wife’s nephew helped your “ex gf” - is that just how you refer to your wife’s past self?
thatwoodguy
The exGF is a past gf of mine. I didnt marry h
Qpnao
Maybe he's still on good terms with his ex? Or it was just a coincidence
JustAnotherVictimOfAmbientMorality
Also, wherever public healthcare is a thing, this is just plain stupid. A disabled person, who is unable to work, costs the state money, //
JustAnotherVictimOfAmbientMorality
getting them back on the job market eliminates that cost and turns it into added value. Over a lifetime, this gain may go into //
JustAnotherVictimOfAmbientMorality
millions worth of $. Helping people makes economic sense.
Qpnao
It would be nice if they were more concerned about quality of life (also some disabled people couldn't work anyway) but yes
SarahPlsz
My goal in life is to work on robotic prosthesis. I want to be able to provide it at no cost to anyone who needs it.
WoodfolkFae
https://imgur.com/PuohM1n
photoshopbot01
Isn't the whole point of cyberpunk culture the willingness to take things apart and hack them to suit your own needs?
astrangehop
The point of it is that society has become a calcified mess and the only people with the ability to effect change are ones who can do this.
TheDayTheBrainStoodStill
That's what the actual cyberpunk criminal characters do, yes. Most of the people in their world don't, however - they just get oppressed.
Qualtagh
Cyberpunk is a genre of literature before it's a culture. And that lit is all about small holdouts of resistance struggling to not be shot--
Qualtagh
--for hacking things to suit their needs.
Qpnao
Yeah but the majority of people aren't going to know how to do that stuff, and it might become illegal which means they could sue/arrest
Qpnao
anyone who does it. Plus as the person stated above, it is often a matter of getting the right parts. Someone could try making knock off...
Qpnao
... versions but I'm guessing you need surgery to replace the parts. Knock off surgery is a very dicey proposition
VeryUnoriginalUsername
in Cyberpunk, there's a reason the back-alley doctors (available to 'normal people') are called 'ripperdocs'
photoshopbot01
I get that, I'm saying that if you're not customising it yourself, it's not really "cyberpunk", it's just regular cybernetics.
Arcanum3000
I think you're conflating hacker culture with cyberpunk science fiction.
Richter12x2
Well, I, for one, am against disabled people having AIDS.
sundaymondayhippyday
TheMershedPerderder
$40 k a month for 1 drug here if I didn't have insurance (which I won't have in 2 months anyway). Fuck the American healthcare system.
Qpnao
MarkSoupial
Dystopian fiction is when you take things already happening to marginalized groups and apply them to everyone
Raikupath
not having universal healthcare is a problem for nearly everyone. Look at the US and how much they pay for ambulance rides. It's crazy.
Colopty
That's because in the US, "nearly everyone" *is* a marginalized group.
DrSchlepenstein
johnson47
Diabetes/Insulin is also an insane situation. My buddy has to pay like 700 a month. JUST TO STAY ALIVE!
Qpnao
troyandabedpostoniiiiimgur
Yeah I'd just leave.
TeflonTrout
Power chairs are insane. $500 electric scooters are built from off the shelf parts that would be easy to build a chair with
Colopty
How are the requirement differences? For instance, would a 1 hour or less battery life be enough in a full time mobility aid?
TeflonTrout
Well, when I weigh 240lbs and my 1 motor, small battery scooter can cart my ass up and down hills at 15mph for 15 miles, easy to achieve
RunawaySpoons
Part of the problem with power chairs is the customisation needed to actually suit the individual. Base units can be (relatively) mass-
TeflonTrout
Yes, but that's a design issue that's been overcome already- camlock sliding posts and hinges in key locations would handle 90% of people
RunawaySpoons
That's good, but part of the issue is also needing a professional to measure and assess. There are modular chairs but they're still blooming
RunawaySpoons
expensive anyway!
RunawaySpoons
produced but every measurement and function and cushion setup (including different types of cushions) will vary. I'm not saying it's an >
RunawaySpoons
excuse or fair, far from it when people need these things to live life safely, but that's part of the reason for cost even outside of the US
ipushbuttons
The same is true of manual wheelchairs. I got a new ultralightweight manual wheelchair custom fitted for me last year, it cost almost $6000.
RunawaySpoons
Yup. I guess for power chairs there's *more* to customise (functions as well as seating) but proper wheelchairs are all hideously expensive
burntcustard
My GF has a Bluetooth bone anchored hearing aid. It's about as complex as a Bluetooth earphone with mic, but instead of £30, costs £6000
Bathroomboy
y tho
navyjeff
Medical devices require a lot more testing and regulatory approval, which is a lot more expensive than just getting a device UL listed.
gnomethrower
Is that because of the anchoring process?
burntcustard
Nope just the cost for a replacement if she looses or breaks hers. It's gonna be insured, but we'll be paying every month for that -.-
burntcustard
Also the hearing aid just clips onto an abutment - so the device isn't "anti-germs" or anything special really
CirB
Errmmm.. actually a hearing aid would be more like a quality microphone, sound editing software & hardware, major amp & playback, all 1/
CirB
in a very miniaturized package. And one that needs to be tuned to the user (due to everyone's hearing being different). So completely 2/
CirB
different level from a "Bluetooth earphone with mic". But yeah, depending the manufacturer & where you live, there can be plenty of air 3/
CirB
in the price tag :P /4
stercusmoriturussum
It's slightly more complex, and you'll need a few (dozen?) hours of tuning. Bespoke vs. off-the-shelf (or 100s vs. millions of units)
burntcustard
Yeah and they've got a mobile app to go along with it. I still don't think all that can possibly justify the ridiculously high cost tho
Targe0
Its new tech and new tech has high costs of production because its not reach the economy of scale yet. Costs per unit go down more ->
Targe0
When you make millions instead of 50. And since the number of people that need such devices is low [Compared to the global population] ->
Targe0
and from that the number of people who can afford to buy one and will want to buy one reduce it down further. It limits how many they can ->
stercusmoriturussum
And that's the least of these problems. Imagine networked prosthetics where you have to pay to remove the ads in your retinal implants.
MADchemEE
Tom Scott relevant video: https://youtu.be/IFe9wiDfb0E
CirB
Yup... just watch the beginning of Altered Carbon again.. that would be a definition of hell..
YetAnotherUserNameToRememberDangit
Imagine hacking the system, and having the world's longest Rockette kick line spontaneously start in the Vatican...
Qpnao
Amazing
MajorTom0101
Don't worry by then you will be so broken down you won't even mind the adds
DotcoreJetkill
You're thinking small, imagine a subscription fee to your eyes
mt77932
Or one just to live
stercusmoriturussum
With geofencing - "We are sorry to inform you that your eyes are not cleared for Europe. Have fun on your holiday!"
Inmate45
Oh wow... That's... Actually exactly the kind of bullshit that will happen if not considered and legislated against.
MoralRectifier
Or pixelated porn filters when you're visiting Japan.
MyUsernameHas22letters
Qualtagh
How are ads a bigger problem than being priced out of memories/hearing/mobility??
pwiklund79350
if your memories are locked out you wont remember it. Ads are pricing you out of your vision so same as hearing/mobility
Qualtagh
If your good memories are locked out you'll get seriously depressed, whether or not you understand why. Ads can't price you out of the 1/2
Qualtagh
basic need to be able to fuckin move, they can just make the experience annoying. 2/2
pwiklund79350
I believe they're gonna make it all annoying and put it all behind paywalls
stercusmoriturussum
Assume you can get a hearing aid for free - if you consent to a random radio ad every five minutes, every day, from 8 AM to 9 PM. 1/2
stercusmoriturussum
2/2 Alternative would be deafness. Which would be a worse impact on your quality of life?
Qualtagh
Deafness, 1000%. I can take the hearing aids out when it's not critical to be able to hear.
Gayforbae
No, these are implants, not glorified airpods. The point is you CANT take them out.
ThanosTheGreat
Warning. Your robot dick has a virus.
goboltz
NO HE GOES BY "Richard" !
DrSchlepenstein
Congrats on your robot dick. Oh you wanted it to get erect, that's $100 per erection. Want it to vibrate, $200. Cum? $500. - EA Health
Colopty
I thought that was just called being old.
Sheldonian
Or you can get the monthly premium package which gives you all that for just $699! (the growing feature it's in another dlc package)
DrSchlepenstein
But if you pay for additional Season Pass for $250 every 3 months, that feature is included.
matthew2401360
If your partner enjoys playing with you, they can gift you with Gems that can be used to reduce the refractory period (144 hours).
Racealistic
Just format my dick
Gayforbae
TheUnstoppableWampas
Better than what my regular dick has.
Brimguard
EEBY DEEBY
HitandRyan
That was a side quest in 2077.
BlueDsc
One of the funniest quests in 2077. The character is voiced by Jesse Cox as well.
sarkonas
JC really went all out on that voicework, good for him. If only it was attached to a better game
BlueDsc
Eh, 2077 might not have been everything it was promised to be, but I still had a lot of fun with it. I've played much worse.
DarkSock
So…same as my old meat dick, then…?
DrSchlepenstein
Imagine you get a robot dick & its like original cell phone plans. Expensive as fuck to use with roaming charges but free nights & weekends.
Gayforbae
No more milw high club
DrSchlepenstein
Unless you take the red eye flights or fly on weekends.
WTFisUnderwear
"Repo! The Genetic Opera is already here." Fuck. *Starts sawing off his own arm* ILL KEEP THOSE VULTURES GUESSING.
jessxaesthetic
It's such a good movie! ?
303SnowWolf
Its a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it!
turomar
Zydrate comes in a little glass vial
Leonon
A little glass vial?
Qpnao
A little glass vial!
Jagerbeast
My girlfriend has a ponto because she was born without ear canals.... she had to fight the insurance companies for 10 years
CirB
USA? (since we're talking about insurance companies)
Jagerbeast
Yeah
CirB
Ah.. my condolences (for having to battle the companies for something so important)
RunawaySpoons
What is a ponto?
Jagerbeast
A bone anchored hearing aide. They basically had to implant a titanium stud in her skull to attach the hearing aide to
RunawaySpoons
Ah right. I knew about BAHAs but didn't know that name for them. Ridiculous that she had to fight for them then!
BJA007
Is this a worldwide problem or the American healthcare bs like usual?
ButIBuildAThousandBridges
America also has the companies that develop and innovate these techs because of all the money in it, so it's sold as a perk!
sardarsahib8324
Nice
Mattigan
My Ma has a cochlear implant, free on NHS, even the batteries which she receives via the mail every couple of weeks.
Polsnulspace
Scrolled down for this. Nice one! Take your +1
whitebbwolf
pretty much world wide. Just a tad less cruel outside the of the US. UK guy got a track driven one cause he loved the beach, council said1/2
Torsul
Depends, but patients i work with get hightech wheelchairs costing around 50k€ for free with basic insurance in germany
troyandabedpostoniiiiimgur
That $23k item would likely be sold by the very same company in a different country for less than a grand.
troyandabedpostoniiiiimgur
And then still provided to the user for free by that countries functional healthcare system
doctorbocker
When you get to the really specialized equipment, the problem looms even in the Scandinavian Socialist Utopias.
CirB
The society will help quite a long way though: a) negotiates prices, b) takes the surgery costs (which would be the main "whopper"), 1/
CirB
c) generally provides monetary help if you're in need of it and so on. You're rarely left completely alone, but on the other hand 2/
CirB
you most likely won't get _everything_ out of the equipment if you don't have some moolah to invest in it yourself. /3
10000Bees
Worse in America, still relevant in the vast majority of the world. Yes, even the 'good parts'.
riplikash
I mean, specialized, advanced hardware with a limited audience is ALWAYS going to be expensive. The only question is how it's paid for and
riplikash
if you're going to let corporations profiteer off of the situation.
scatcatt
I was trying to think of how to answer the question but you said it all much more clearly than I would have. +1
Targe0
How about "Global problem but the US gives it its trademarked spin"
sundaymondayhippyday
https://i.imgur.com/s2PfUDS yeah they don’t help themselves…
sundaymondayhippyday
HedonistBeard
While these things are expensive everywhere, in most places they are paid mostly by society as it should be.
InkyBlinkyPinkyAndClyde
In the western world maybe. But I'm guessing outside of that, there are many countries that give no help at all.
RunawaySpoons
Yes and no in the UK. You can get some wheelchair costs covered on the NHS but most people have to fund the difference for suitable chairs,
RunawaySpoons
or have charity grants. Even 'simple' active user manual wheelchairs can be £2-3000.
philmoregraves
American Healthcare mixes with its capitalism
Targe0
World wide but the US does its thing to make it worse.
Woestkonijn
In the Netherlands stuff like this is all covered by basic health insurance.
TheSongofRiver
And also by a PGB ( personal budget) that you can apply to which covers help around the house, but also a car for disabled if the city
TheSongofRiver
you live in decided you need one.
HappyLittleIdiot
I would imagine very specific, limited customer base hardware will always be quite pricey, but US healthcare most likely isn't helping any.
HappyLittleIdiot
After a quick read, according to Kuuloliitto, in Finland cochlear implants are mostly free.
meergull
Curse you, socialistic state! /s
CirB
Yup. Only paid "normal" surgery costs (about 500eur all together). There's also a stipend to help with running costs. The idea is, that 1/
CirB
CI enables us to be more useful & productive, and thus in long term brings the society way more gain than the cost of CI + operation. /2
ShiftingPattern
Must be nice living somewhere with an economic horizon that extends beyond the fiscal quarter...
Cucumberclouds
Health economics baby
ProfessorAssBlast2020
americans think they dont have universal healthcare bc of capitalism. Theyre so profoundly stupid they will never fix their shit
Qpnao
Explain
ProfessorAssBlast2020
all succesful nations including the ones with universal healthcare are capitalists The problem is the US is the corrupt system...
ProfessorAssBlast2020
that allows corps to buy politicians, politicians trading stocks and so on. Fix that and youre golden for the rest
Qpnao
All nations that have universal health care had socialists and workers willing to fight for it. I agree about the politicians though
ProfessorAssBlast2020
Having socialists activists leading does not make a country socialist. You can be capitalist and still have decent welfare program...