"Ms. Blaido, a mechanic, said she racked up nearly $200,000 in bills from a two-week stay at Allina’s Mercy Hospital in 2009 for complications from pneumonia, a

"Ms. Blaido, a mechanic, said she racked up nearly $200,000 in bills from a two-week stay at Allina’s Mercy Hospital in 2009 for complications from pneumonia, along with several visits to the emergency department for asthma flare-ups. Ms. Blaido, a mother of four, said that most of the hospital stay was not covered by her health insurance" I'm confused. There is out of pocket maximum of $18,000 for a family that caps what patient has to pay for in a given year. That's the law. For ER room, you don't have to worry about out of network hospital.