The health insurance issue is really a non-issue. I have my own business...that means I don't have a company paying my insurance for me. I went with a high yearly deductible. There is plenty of insurance available if you don't opt for the 10-20 dollar co-pay scheme that is VERY affordable. There are also catastrophic policies that only cover you if you become extremely ill...they're also very cheap per month, and all it means is that you pay your doctors visits as you go. Along with that sort of policy you can join a health consortium( not insurance) where your group pre-negotiates the same rates the insurance companies pay for treatment.
Remember if lawyers like John Edwards weren't in the business of suing doctors, we wouldn't be paying these higher rates anyway.
There is a really solid private Health Association designed to reduce out of pocket costs underneath high-deductible, catastrophic type policies. Meds, Visits, on and on.