Special shout-out to sensationalized/tabloid journalism of the era, and at least one episode of Unsolved Mysteries for fueling* this fear.

*I know, I knowwwww.

Cost Plus is magnificent - insurance companies peddle cruelty, not service. I don't think the vast majority of people want to clog up the medical system. I get a yearly physical and blood work and that's it. I've put in so much money for decades and they still jerked me around.

My time was far more valuable than what I had to go through. One of the greatest things you and others in your position could advocate for would be proper billing and lobbying to make transparency a priority. I hope you will! I think GoodRX is a lifesaver.

Regular people already have this system - I don't understand if you don't know what we go through and what healthcare is like for Americans. Insurance is a literal scam (I have 'good' insurance by any metric and spent months arguing about improperly coded billing - it was only $1,500 but it sucked!)