> Hospitals aren't allowed to deny care (obviously). They will bill people outrageous amounts and know that they will only ever see a fraction of it. So prices

> Hospitals aren't allowed to deny care (obviously). They will bill people outrageous amounts and know that they will only ever see a fraction of it. So prices for people who do pay are raised considerably to make up for it. This supposed truth is widely misunderstood to the point of simply being not true. Hospital ERs will stabilize you. That's all. If you have something that requires long-term care like diabetes or cancer, you're fucked. If you have Type 1 Diabetes and can't afford insulin, the hospital won't just give you a supply. They'll wait until you're about to die from diabetic ketoacidosis. A friend of mine had testicular cancer but had no money for treatment and no insurance. Hospitals straight-up told him that they won't treat him unless he's terminal. That's right, they wouldn't take care of him until he's on death's door, at which point all they'll be able to do is pump him full of painkillers to make him comfortable for his last couple hours. Luckily, the ACA passed, banning pre-existing condition clauses, and he was able to get some affordable insurance and treatment. Of course, anyone that has had cancer can tell you it likely never goes away [0]. He's always worried that a new tumor will appear somewhere. [0] https://xkcd.com/931/ https://xkcd.com/931/