Moreover it's a generic theme that has been picked over countless times. If you're going to comment about those on HN, please make sure you have something new and substantive to say.
Having a life-threatening condition is already scary enough that you don't also have to dread bankruptcy at the same time.
If you didn't pay for insurance, you'll pay for the services rendered directly.
People buy car insurance and home insurance and life insurance and disability insurance to pay for catastrophic incidents related to those things.
Health insurance should similarly be for catastrophic events, but unfortunately it's come to be responsible for all care, even routine care. The introduction of third party payments is a root cause of pricing difficulties.
Outside the United States in many of these "single payer" countries, you will have rationed care, whether that's in use of archaic procedures or medicines, or waitlists, or outright denial of service.
At least in the United States you can get whatever you need without much waiting.