Oh, I have no such illusions. I hate insurance. They are just middlemen that add costs/friction, often getting in the way of getting treatment, while providing very little in return for health maintenance. But, without a nationalized health system paid for with taxes, it would be crazy not to have catastrophic health insurance. As Goofyhoofy used to say: your health will be fine until it isn't. And that time could be major, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars (my surgery...I saw the bill...over $150K before contract discounts, etc...I paid about $5K for surgery and a week in the ICU).

When 1poorMIL came to this country, she already was a senior. But she didn't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. For the first few years until she got her citizenship, we used doctors and labs that accepted out-of-pocket payments. They are available, but you have to look for them. Her doctor then actually offered a discount of their rate for people who didn't have insurance (and the lab didn't accept insurance at all, and literally had a menu of tests with the associated cost for each test). Once a citizen, she qualified for Medicare and Medicaid.**




**Which is how I know most of the claims about "illegals" obtaining Medicare and Medicaid are bogus...they wouldn't qualify, as my MIL didn't even though she spent her first several years here as a legal permanent resident.