General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: My experience with Universal health Care [View all]Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)the prescriptions, the crutches, and the follow-up care, is vastly cheaper than what you would pay without insurance (my guess is that it would be in the tens of thousands).
So no, it's not an ideal scenario, but it is much, much better than the alternative. A bill for $1377 is not pleasant, but will likely not cause bankruptcy. Unfortunate incidents like a car needing expensive repairs, a furnace needing to be replaced, expensive roof repairs, and so on, are always a risk, but the key is that the costs are reasonable and manageable.
And yes, the ambulance is free (that's what "$0" means) and while I agree with your calculations, it's not exactly true that "until they reach $1000 everything is on their head". That's because preventive care (check-ups, immunizations, colonoscopies, mammograms, etc.) is all free regardless of whether the deductible has been met.