The worst thing in all of that is how accepted it became in US culture. Emergency visit or medical treatment requiring remortgaging, debt or spending otherwise

The worst thing in all of that is how accepted it became in US culture. Emergency visit or medical treatment requiring remortgaging, debt or spending otherwise life savings are used as a background plot mechanism. When I was younger, money was the plot (and that was already depressing enough): valiant doctor fighting to avoid their patient to have crippling debts, but now, often it is part of the background. Of course cancer is going to ruin you, everybody knows that, so let's build drama on top of that. Doctor are uninterested in making it cheaper, all is based around choosing health or money.