I can back up what Carol says. In June, between a severe back problem and an intestinal problem, I woke up sicker than a dog and in extreme pain. My wife called Medic One. They gave me a quick check to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack, then transported me to the nearby Swedish Hospital emergency room.

After drawing blood, asking a bunch of questions, and giving me both a CT scan and an MRI scan, they concluded that I wasn't dying. They gave me ten pain pills, told me to contact my regular doctor ASAP, and sent me home.

Except for the pain pills, I didn't feel a hell of a lot better when I left than when I went in.

Thank God I have insurance. When the statement came from my insurance company, they noted that the Swedish Hospital emergency room had billed them and they had paid for it all (!!), and also let me know that the little adventure had cost $14,000! And along with that was the notation that I had used most of what I was allowed for 2009.

And other than routine exams and the occasional illness, I don't go to the doctor that often!

So—emergency room treatment is not free! If my health insurance company hadn't picked it up, I would most certainly have been billed for it. And if I couldn't pay it, one way or another, somebody winds up paying for it!

I am following up with my regular doctor and a specialist, much of which the insurance company is taking care of. But not all. The intestinal problem has cleared up and I'm still dealing with a wonky lower back.

I'd hate to think what it would be like without the insurance!

Don Firth