10 years ago, I broke my left arm, very badly. It required surgery. I had been caring for my mother, and I had no health insurance. Eventually, after several months of dealing with a collection agency that seemed to think I had $17,000 stuffed in my mattress, I managed to convince the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to pay my bills. 10 months after the accident I was declared to be on Medicaid at the time of the accident. So, the bills were taken care of.
I probably would have survived without the surgery. Whether I would have the use of my left arm, is another question. If we want a more productive workforce, we are going to need better health care.