Incidentally, in the UK, even if you have insurance (I used to) and you obtain a referral to the insurers' OWN hospital, the hospital will seek to have you agree to pay if the insurer declines cover. I caused much annoyance when I refused to agree to that in a BUPA hospital, and sat in the waiting room amending their standard terms so that they agreed that they would bill their owners, the insurers, and not me.