Your FIL is full of it. I remember back in the 80s when some companies started offering insurance. Before that you went to the doctor and paid $25 and maybe 5$ for a shot. If you went to the hospital you worked out a payment plan. And the costs were fairly low. In the 70s I worked in a plant and was a member of a union. When my wife got pregnant we started making payments into a fund at the hospital. Sorta’ like a lay-away plan.
Ask him if companies are required to provide 401k plans. They’re not.
re hospitals - you can still work out a payment plan,
but without coverage its possible for really unpleasant
financial side effects for a while given todays costs.
cancer can easily run up a bill over 100k.