An appendectomy is a fairly common medical procedure that many people around the world have had at some point.  But how much does that cost?

That question was certainly answered when 20-year-old Nic Gonzalez got a medical bill in the mail from his hospital tell him he owes over $11,000 of a $55,000 medical bill.

Gonzalez took a picture of his bill and put it on Reddit to show the costs of unpreventable medical procedures in the United States.

Check out the charges for yourself:

$55,000 Bill
zcypher, Reddit
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$55,000 Bill
zcypher, Reddit
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$55,000 Bill
zcypher, Reddit
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Now, Gonzalez says he plans on paying the bill, but wanted to let the public know about the true cost of medicine in the United States.

And just some figures to help put those costs in perspective:

  • An in-state 4-year college education from LSU costs about $31,492
  • Room and board for a year at LSU is $6,350, or about $3,175 per semester.
  • A Chevy Sonic starts at $14,170.
  • You could buy a house in Detroit for $4,000$6,000; $7,000; $8,000; $9,000; $9,500; or $9,900.  Or buy all seven properties for less than $55,000.

As the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, begins to take effect and policies purchased through the exchanges become active, millions of Americans will watching what happens to their health coverage.

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