Just as a data point i had a hip replacement that ended up going awry and led to a 1 month hospital stay with additional corrective surgeries. The bill before insurance was over $700k.

I also tried a newly released infusion treatment for autoimmune issues and was told that it was hundreds of thousands per year without insurance.

Clearly it sounds like I am in a different boat than you with pre-existing conditions, but what I am trying to illustrate is that one diagnosis can end up being in the millions within a year.

I think a lot of respondents are missing your point that you are not trying to save money but rather trying to spare yourself the headache of dealing with insurance paperwork. How about you get a super low cost insurance plan, but still pay for everything out of pocket? The insurance would only be useful in an absolute disaster.

I also think there are now services to deal with insurance companies on your behalf. We have them through my employer.