My personal experience is from 4 surgeries in the past 3 years, one with local aesthetic and 3 with general anesthesia. I have dealt with over $150K in medical bills related to and culminating in these surgeries over the same period.

If you want the believe you can show up in the ER room with no insurance and get quality medical care -- good luck with that. If you think you will get 70% off at the Doctor's office/ clinic or hospital for cash -- good luck with that.

I just had a major vascular surgery that was a scheduled surgery last month. The private hospital where it was done does not accept uninsured people.

Show up uninsured at the ER room at that hospital they will only stabilize you then transfer you to the county hospital. They only accept pre-qualified patients with a way to pay.

BTW, their costs are lower than most other hospitals around here maybe because all their patients are able to pay them. That said, there is a contracted price there and the insurance negotiated price there that was 61% of the full charge last year for the same procedure on the other side 2 years ago -- haven't gotten the bill for last November's "event".

So, even under these circumstances medical bills are contrived.

If you want quality medical care and to be treated with dignity I would suggest you find a way to pay for healthcare insurance.

Maybe, when there are more people exposed to this healthcare and insurance mess there will be some real reform in healthcare delivery and its pricing but it is an uphill battle to say the least with too many vested interests threatened by any real reform.

I don't like paying $10K to $12K a year in healthcare costs for the past few years but I just say to myself, Self: "How much can you earn if you are dead or a vegetable?" Then I tell myself I am fortunate to be in a position to afford the costs however obscene they may be.