Originally Posted by
Ryllharu
It's like 25%. At least my tax bracket. For the majority of Americans, it ranges between 15% and 33%. Also for those majority of Americans, not a dime of it goes to healthcare they will use because they don't qualify for Medicare (old people) or Medicaid (disabled or poor children).
But it is important to know how insurance works in the US. Look at that third image from Cedars-Sainai. "Pre-discount" charges is written all over it. That's the bill they send to the insurance company. If you have insurance. Following that, the hospital (or any other facility) will "negotiate" over the actual price. You can see that by the end of the bill, it is already cut in half. The insurance company ultimately pays a lot less, and you pay your deductible for a calendar year.
If you don't have insurance, your bill is a lot lower in the first place, because they know it would be impossible for you to pay. It won't be cheap, and it won't be anything close to someone with a deductible, but it won't instantly bankrupt a person. They'll make a repayment plan.
It's also important to note that in US emergency rooms, they will treat you. Even if they know you can't ever pay.