Second, the gallbladder surgery issue really irritates me, and I don't want to get off the topic of this thread too far - but feel the need to comment.
The surgeon's fee for a cholecystectomy is generally $2000 - $3500. Add in the hospital costs, however, and total charges can be anywhere from $12,000 to over $90,000. All Obamacare did was to increase these prices, by a variety of mechanisms. Most places in the world have hospital administrative fees that are between 8% and 15% of costs. In the US it is currently 26% - 29%, and has been rising. You won't see that listed on your bill, but it's there - along with a ton of other hidden costs that are reflected in what your room rate is and the cost of medication, supplies, etc. It's out of control, and it is not driven by physician fees. It's not fair that you got stuck with three years of financial hell because of a gallbladder.
My parents taught me to do whatever I could to never be a burden to anyone else. Work while in school and have something ready to go at graduation. That was the rule.
We might have been much better off, had not the gall bladder issue arose. As it was, the choice was have a home and food or COBRA. That was easy. You work with a cold or a flu, broken finger or strains and aches. Nothing is supposed to be easy. Those who came before all of us, those settlers and pioneers, now THEY had it tough.