memes

Yes. Medical care is so batshit insanely expensive in the US that people often drive themselves to the ER in the most dire circumstances because it's more economical to risk dying on the way than to call an ambulance that would basically bankrupt them. I heard that an ambulance can cost upwards of $3000.

Insurance companies put you on a "plan" which means you are paying a hefty sum each month/quarter for dubious pay-off. You always have to pay medical bills yourself if they are below a threshold that is set in your plan, that's the deductible. After reaching that, the insurance company will provide a partial payment of the excess if, and only if, your plan covers it. What matters here is choice of hospital (your insurance of course doesn't cover every hospital), form of treatment (your insurance of course doesn't cover all drugs or treatments), whether it was an emergency or not, etc. It's a scam, but you need to go with it or you risk not getting healthcare at all.