Good read Daisy.
Healthcare has always been a mess, but it would go up maybe $20 in monthly premeiums, and the deductible was reasonable.
Then the Un-Affordable Care Act came along.
Now, we cannot afford to use our health care. Twice I had an accident, probably should of gone to the ER for stitches. Cannot afford it. So, used my EMT skills and took care of it myself. I dunno if single payer is the answer or not. Lot of people like to point to other countries that have it. But they are not America or have our form of government.
Otherwise, getting out of debt should be a top priority for everyone. I know, easier said than done. But a lot of people live beyond their means.
As much as we can, we try to be as self-reliant as possible. Can we ever be fully independent of our JIT/BAU society? Nope. But we do the best we can.