I wonder how "not so well off" people pay for health care. What are the costs in government run hospitals?
(I am from Kashmir. Consultation with the best doctors does not cost more than 5 - 8 USD and in most cases this amount is for 10 - 15 days regardless of the number of visits. And if you go to government run hospitals you can get the best consultation for half a dollar. Only problem we have is that the health care infrastructure - private and government combined - is overloaded. Not enough hospitals, not enough doctors, not enough equipments. )
It depends on what income level you're talking about. Many low income people can't afford insurance and never receive healthcare until something catastrophic happens, and in that case they go to the emergency room. Hospitals are required to provide treatment (though there have been scandals surrounding this in the past), and so they will and then afterwards just bill the uninsured low income patient an insane amount. Debt collectors will then hound the individual or family for quite a while afterwards. Its a very efficient system. ;-)
(I am from Kashmir. Consultation with the best doctors does not cost more than 5 - 8 USD and in most cases this amount is for 10 - 15 days regardless of the number of visits. And if you go to government run hospitals you can get the best consultation for half a dollar. Only problem we have is that the health care infrastructure - private and government combined - is overloaded. Not enough hospitals, not enough doctors, not enough equipments. )