The problem is that if you don't have an insurance company for the hospital to attempt to gouge, all you're going to get is the bare minimum required to stabili

The problem is that if you don't have an insurance company for the hospital to attempt to gouge, all you're going to get is the bare minimum required to stabilize you and push you out of the ER. And if you do have insurance, you just need to keep enough bankruptcy-seizable assets to fill your out-of-pocket maximum and then play hardball over any excess that they attempt to charge you. Pay your OOP max, then cordially invite everyone who bills you to either work it out with the insurance company/regulator/mediatory or go pound sand because you're judgement proof.