Years ago, Jenny and I sat in an emergency room waiting for a doctor to attend her broken foot. A young blonde woman sat holding a limp, feverish toddler in her lap. Four other children under 10 huddled around her- all were clean and well behaved. Their father was working at a part time job.
The family had lived in Utah all their lives. They had no regular doctor, no health insurance. The emergency room was their only source of medical care. They could barely afford food. The bill for Jenny's visit was a little over $1,000. It was paid by Medicare. The young family's bill would go unpaid. The cost spread over others using the hospital.