That was my thought as well. I broke my leg, had surgery, and was in the hospital for 4 days. My bill:
$8K for the room, $2k a night
$10K for the surgery
$10K or random shit
$500 for going into to the emergency room.
This was before Obamacare and I didn't have insurance. Once they realized I didn't have insurance the bill was cut in half.
In 2010 after the loss of an adequate employer provided plan (it was reduced to a "crumb" group plan), I had to pay out of pocket the cost of a PET/CT Scan (since the plan offered no coverage at all for imaging procedures). Paying it up front the day of the procedure, my cost out of pocket was 1200 dollars. If covered, the insurance would have been billed ...8000 dollars! Since the plan did not cover the surgical cost for an excision of several lymph nodes, the surgeon being aware it would be cost out of pocket, billed me only for a third of what he would have charged the insurance company. We were also able to negotiate the anesthesiologist fees. However, no reduction on the fees for the use of an ambulatory out patient surgical facility (1000 dollars). Mind you that a with diagnosis of the indolent(low grade) NHD Lymphoma B Follicular, I had no other alternative and was stuck with being dependent on my husband's employer Group Plan. The AHCA exchange market allowed us to secure adequate insurance despite of my diagnosis. And quite a timing since lymphoma re surged 4 months ago and the RX plan covers the monoclonal treatment (via infusions) applied to my type of lymphoma. Had such happened last year, I would have been SOL, a sitting duck with no access to a vital oncology treatment.
Last year, cataract surgery. If the Eye Care Plan was adequate and my co pay for each eye was 170 dollars, we were hit with no coverage under the medical care plan for anesthesiology fees and use of an ambulatory outpatient surgical facility (2000 dollars for each eye). We were able to negotiate the anesthesiologist fees but not the facility fees.
When I found out that the plan did not cover any of the cost for the use of the surgical facility, we had to cancel the procedures and delay them for 3 months until we were able to come up with 4000 dollars to be paid up front.
The main complaint I have seen from insured Americans under the AHCA regards high deductibles. Even under our Silver Plan, we still have to cope with a 12000 (6000 for each of us) dollar deductible. But the choice my husband made in which plan to contract was dependent on whether the RX coverage would assume the cost of the monoclonal Rituxan as were are both aware that my type of lymphoma is incurable and will keep re surging every 3 to 4 years. If not more frequently. We had to prioritize based on that. Based on the billing detail I received from our insurance provider, each dose of Rituxan administered via infusion (once a week for 4 weeks) cost 5000 dollars! Mind you that the Rituxan protocol extends over 2 years. 4 weeks every 6 months.
I compared the cost addressing all aspects of monitoring and treating my type of lymphoma with how that would all amount to if I were in France. I would benefit of 100% coverage as a cancer patient, under our single payer system. No co pays, no deductibles. Rituxan and other monoclonal being obtained via our single payer system and at 1/3 of the cost in the US. No co pays on imaging procedures (currently my co pay is 1400 for each PET/CT Scan). No co pays on biopsies and lab tests. No co pays on any surgical outpatient or in patient procedures related to my diagnosis. And access to one of the best oncology care in the world.