If they still had a job they would have the option to pay for their health insurance. If they still had a job.

Several sites I looked at estimate the cost for treatment at about $35,000. If you have Medicare here is the "official" word from them:

If you test positive and need to be hospitalized, Medicare will cover all medically necessary hospitalizations due to coronavirus.

The key word here is "necessary".

I wonder how many hospitals are gonna go under when all the no payers affect the bottom line.

Until you really need it...then its a lifesaver.

I feel for those that chose not to pay for insurance and become infected, but it was their choice. Pay now...or pay later.

I thought everyone had insurance, didnt we do that......

We're paying for it now anyway. Sadly many of the working class were forced out of their affordable insurance.

Hell, I've been paying on it for years and haven't used it once. I'll still get bent over I'm sure.

Just like your Great Divider, if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. Sure did make insurance cheaper.

I don’t know about covid 19 hospital costs but do know about costs for cancer treatment. It is ridiculous even with insurance. I can’t imagine without insurance. The last I looked my hospital bill was well north of 300k. But when you look at the charges insurance is getting billed for some ridiculous items and amounts. Just like my CT scans weren’t covered under insurance, entirely different rant, and was charge $2500 for cash price. They said they would have billed insurance $8000. I guess I don’t understand but feel like that’s one reason why insurance premiums are so much. It is a racket like hark said.

No one. If you live in Fort Worth for example you can walk into JPS and be treated, in Dallas Parkland.
How many people do you know that have been turned away from being treated for anything? I’ll give you a hint. None.
As far as ruined financially it can happen but thankfully there is bankruptcy to help that person.
I have a friend that had cancer and got too rate treatment. The hospital billed him of course. They let him set up payments of 100.00 a month on a 400,000.00 bill. Hospitals will work with anyone on this. If one won’t you just declare and go on with life. When you file personal bankruptcy you can work out with your essential lenders to keep making payments on your home, car. You are not thrown out on the street.
My sister and brother in law filed about 35 years ago and said in the end it was the bear thing that ever happened to them. It taught them no to rely on credit cards and how to budget.

It is a liberal myth that people in this country don’t get top notch medical care if they are poor.

I'm glad your friend has 333 years to pay off his hospital bill.

If they go to JPS or Parkland taxpayers will pay for it.

I'm good with $100.00 a month for 333 years.

Better than my deductible with my health insurance plan and my 20% copay!

I doubt that a hospital would have turned the 19 year old away. I also suspect that most normal primary care doctors would have seen him regardless of immediate ability to pay.

But urgent care centers are for-profit enterprises that practice limited medicine, and they won't necessarily treat the problem you're coming in for. I recall breaking my arm (badly) years ago and going to an urgent care center. They took x-rays, told me that my arm was broken, and told me that I needed to see a specialist. My reply was predictable, as I was in excruciating pain. Have had a number of similar experiences over the years to the point where I will only go to an urgent care center in very limited circumstances. Oh yeah - every single one of those visits, they made sure they got paid upfront before they would take me back for exam, etc.

Now if hospital ER's start to turn away patients for lack of payment, I'd be very concerned.