> If you have health insurance (in the US) and you have a catastrophic event, your finances are going to be totally wrecked anyway.

For most people, this is not true. Half of cancer patients and survivors say they have medical debt, and of those half have less than $5,000: https://www.fightcancer.org/releases/survey-finds-majority-c....

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JohnFen 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I'm just reporting my personal observations here. In several cases of major medical episodes I've personally witnessed, not a single person emerged from it without catastrophic financial damage. Most of these people had insurance plans that were considered very good or excellent.

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starkparker a day ago | parent | prev [-]

It's wild how differently the press release you linked to frames that.

> WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nearly half (49%) of cancer patients and survivors report being burdened by medical debt alongside some (13%) who report expecting to incur medical debt as part of their treatment plan, according to a new Survivor Views survey by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Interestingly, nearly all (98%) were insured when medical debt occurred.

> Among those with cancer-related medical debt, nearly half (49%) have carried more than $5,000 in debt, a majority (69%) of whom have carried this debt for more than a year. Respondents also reported most commonly owing their medical debt to a hospital (76%).

...

> According to the survey, an individual with cancer-related medical debt was three times more likely to be behind on recommended cancer screenings in comparison to those who have been able to pay for their care without accumulating debt. Nearly half (49%) saw their credit score decrease with 30% having difficulty qualifying for loans.

> Cancer-related medical debt is also not felt equally and further deepens disparities. Black (13%) and Hispanic (14%) patients and survivors with medical debt were twice as likely as White respondents to report being denied care due to their debt. Black respondents were also more likely to report being contacted by collections agencies (66%) and to feel harassed by them (44%).

	▲	rayiner a day ago \| parent [-]
		Yes, facts are more important than framing. Look how many people in this thread are thinking about avoiding health insurance based on the premise that you’ll be financially wiped out by a catastrophic event even if you have insurance. That’s what happens when you put framing over facts. It’s important for people to understand the facts so they can make good decisions.