A Cuban resident in Spain twisted his ankle while working, went to the emergency room, and received full medical care without paying a single euro. This experience led him to wonder aloud how much the same treatment would have cost in the United States.
Magdi C, a TikTok user with the handle @magdic.music, posted a video in which he recounts his experience in the emergency room: diagnostic tests, immobilization of his foot, medications, anticoagulant injections, and 21 days of medical leave, all covered by the Spanish Social Security.
"I am Cuban living in Spain, and today I twisted my ankle at work. I ended up in the emergency room, they ran some tests, took care of me super fast, immobilized my foot, prescribed medication, gave me injections to prevent blood clots, and I have 21 days off. And do you know how much it cost me? Zero euros," he said in the video.
The reflection that followed was straightforward: "It was when I thought about how much something like this would cost in the United States, because this wasn't just putting on a cast; it involved medical care, follow-up, medication, and covered time off work."
The comparison is backed by concrete data. In the U.S., a visit to the emergency room without health insurance costs on average about $2,700, with separate charges for triage, facility use, radiology, and medications that can raise the total to as much as $20,000 in complex cases.
In Spain, foreign workers registered with Social Security are entitled to the same coverage as Spanish citizens, including occupational accident benefits at 75% of the regulatory base starting from the day after the accident.
The video sparked an active debate in the comments. A user identified as "Ozzy," a Cuban living in the U.S., shared his own experience: "I live in the U.S., I had my appendix removed, and the next day, just after the surgery, I had to go to work because to get a medical certificate for a week, I had to pay the doctor 150 dollars."
Ozzy added that two years after that operation, he suffers from a hernia due to not being able to rest, and concluded: "Sick leave in the U.S. does not exist."
Other commentators, however, questioned the approach of the comparison. The user "sir_frank_san" raised the question that several found more pertinent: "The question you should be asking yourself is what would have happened if this happened to you in Cuba, which is where you came from, not in the U.S."
A Spanish user also clarified that public healthcare is not free in the strict sense, but rather collectively funded: “We all pay, you do too. We, our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents paid for most of the infrastructures where you received care and the training of the professionals who attend to you.”
This type of content has become common among Cuban emigrants in Spain. In December 2025, Cuban Lianna starred in a similar viral video defending the Spanish healthcare system, and in August of that year, a Spaniard in the U.S. shared his bill after breaking a bone: $1,550 just for radiology and $1,858 for three hours in the emergency room.
Magdi C closed his video with a reflection that resonated with his followers: "Often, one doesn't appreciate these things until they truly happen to them."
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