But that's when they go to the doctor. A lot avoid going at all. When I suspected I had strep throat a couple months ago, I went to an in-network doctor and was charged ~$70. Additionally, that charge was unpredictable--when I went there, I had no idea if it would be free or $200, and when I left, they told me it was $0. They sent the bill a few weeks after dealing with my insurance.
To a lot of Americans, "this will cost somewhere between $0 and $200" is not something they can just shrug their shoulders at. It can actually affects their short-term finances in a significant way.
(Also, before anyone chimes in with "this is because they're irresponsible with budgeting", that's irrelevant to the point being raised here: A lot of Americans will avoid the doctor to avoid these bills. It doesn't matter whether we blame them or not--the effect is the same.)
And some extra bad news: It's not chiefly software engineers in this situation. I live with a teacher, a teaching assistant, and several food service workers. They're the ones who fall in the "doctor visits are too expensive" category.
>90% of people have healthcare coverage in the U.S.[1]. Those that don't are likely illegal or homeless or in some way don't qualify for medical coverage (I also don't know how prisoners are counted in the data).
Many people I know visit the doctor way more often than they need to or should (I know those who receive it free to purchase it to use employer insurance - like myself).
People will seek medical treatment and in this case will overwhelm the system if they get nervous they have this disease.
[1] https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2019/demo/p60-26...