Nearly identical with a coat of paint. Every "horror story" I've heard about having to beg with the health system here is tellingly parroted by people who do not have experience with the system. It is the default to get itemized bills when you are insured and the outcome is the same. And again, there is nothing unusual about private care in the US - I pay cash, direct, a small amount monthly, for excellent private care. The ghost people claim to haunt US healthcare is mostly propaganda that for some reason is consumed wholesale by people outside the US who have no stake in it.
You are completely wrong, and I can almost hear in my mind how you think something you are promoting as true, is 'basically true' - but please know there are plenty of people reading HN from afar and may come to expect 'free healthcare in US (just go to the ER!)' from your comments.
No it is not.
Lots of experience with the health system in the US, for me, and helping many other navigate the systems.
It's not even close to identical. If you go to ER here and you can't pay, they may provide you with a certain level of 'care' to 'stabilize you' (as the law says they are supposed to, and the feds send some money to hospitals to cover some of this), and you will get billed, and collections calling, and credit report issues, and threats to sue and have your property auctioned (have held one of these letters in my hand, complete with a list of property that was in my name.
Even worse, the 'care' you may get is normally crap. For example I have seen the same people with same condition, at one hospital get a quick surgery and leave with a colostomy bag for rest of life, and other person at other hospital with insurance get placed in a room and treated for weeks - then left with a warning to avoid seeds.
I have seen so many examples of places leaves humans to rot with no insurance - hospitals.
Even with insurance, you can find yourself waiting 6-8 weeks for a doc appointment. I have so many examples.
On reread: worth noting that the link you provided for some reason includes "missed more than 2 weeks of work" under "medical bankruptcy". I won't dismiss that out of hand without knowing more but that smells bad.
