I would agree that it's objectively terrible dealing with insurance companies, providers who are incredulous you care about the pricing of services, etc. There is no free market for healthcare services. Advocating for yourself is tremendously draining.

I'm happy with the ROI I've had with my insurance premiums over my life. I haven't had a catastrophic event but I've certainly had reasonably sizable claims. If I'd invested the last 20+ years of premium expense (about $400K to date) and had no claims I'd have a ton more money, but not enough to cover a catastrophic event later in life. The principal would also have been completely wiped-out a couple of times when I did have claims, however.

I pay the premiums because I'm not comfortable holding bets on both the market and on my health. I'm also unwilling to consider bankruptcy as a morally / socially acceptable solution.

This mixed socialized and capitalist "system" we've allowed to grow up feels like the worst possible one. Healthcare and health insurance expense are a mechanism to extract value from the middle class (i.e. everyone who has money but isn't wealthy enough to buy their way out of the "system").

My preference would be for a fully socialized system, built primarily around protection for catastrophic loss, where everyone contributes w/ no opting-out permitted.

Failing that I'll grudgingly take a fully capitalist system where people who can't afford to pay are left to fend for charity or die.

What we've got is a mix of the worst parts of both.