[Margh]

I mostly agree with your comment except for > benefit from ever improving medical technology

As I understand it (not a US citizen) most of this technology comes with a mortgage sized debt if you aren't insured? If so I think this reinforces the GP's case.

[mac01021]

I'm not an expert on this, but google searches yield the following prices for various medical undertakings in US Dollars:

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MRI: ~$2.5k

Laparoscopic surgery: $2k -$5k

One day of hospital inpatient care: ~$2.2k

Heart bypass: ~$100k

3 months chemotherapy: $20k-$30k

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I'll let you judge for yourself whether these are outrageous and crippling or not.

I'll only add that, from my limited experience here in CT, the hospital will waive most of your bill if you show financial need. I'm not sure if the state picks up the tab or if the hospital just eats the cost when this happens, but I've seen the waiving of medical fees firsthand.

I have no experience with the big expensive ones like chemo or heart bypass.

[devishard]

Yes, the waiving of medical fees sometimes happens, but "financial need" is a pretty high bar to meet. I was saddled with around $10K of medical debt after a bike accident a few years back when I was unemployed because a) I had made $70K the previous year and b) they don't consider student loan payments when calculating income. And that was with insurance (a high deductible combined with some things not being covered because they were out-of-network; the accident occurred on a different coast from any in-network-provider).