Not just arcane subject matter, but numbers so high any sane person panics.
Hospital: "Here's your bill for $1,000,000." (a figure which is 100% fictional)
Patient: <panic> "Oh shit, I don't have $1,000,000!"
Hospital: "Oh, we'll reduce it to $30,000. Aren't we nice!"
Patient: <slightly less panic> "I don't have $30,000 either, but it might not bankrupt me immediately, so I guess that'll do..."
Never mind that the same procedure in most of the EU was either "free" (to consumer at time of care) or a fraction of the cost.
Hospital: "Here's your bill for $1,000,000." (a figure which is 100% fictional) Patient: <panic> "Oh shit, I don't have $1,000,000!" Hospital: "Oh, we'll reduce it to $30,000. Aren't we nice!" Patient: <slightly less panic> "I don't have $30,000 either, but it might not bankrupt me immediately, so I guess that'll do..."
Never mind that the same procedure in most of the EU was either "free" (to consumer at time of care) or a fraction of the cost.
The whole system is fucked.