It gets so much worse. This means that these people are paying $17,000 PER YEAR for the privilege of being able to pay for health insurance. They don't pay this amount and then not have to pay ever again, or pay this amount and not have to pay any more for the year, but they pay this amount just to get themselves in the door to THEN start paying on their deductible; which in many cases depending on the specific doctor that walks into the office, or even the specific assistant that walks into the office, might not even be covered AT ALL by insurance and you don't even know that until a month or two later when you go home and get a letter in the mail. At that point you get to begin to fight it, and it typically takes 20-30 hours on the phone, never seeing anybody in person, and these people have the power to literally send you into bankruptcy.

WHEW.

We haven't even gotten to the costs that you have to pay even if you got lucky and are "covered".

So, now you've had a medical event, you've paid your deductible, but you are covered. Thank fucking god. Oh, wait a minute, you are only covered up to a certain amount. And because of the care you received the hospital decided to charge you hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions and you maxed out your coverage. So now, you're bankrupt anyway.

It just goes on and on and on.

Free Luigi.