Of course it costs money. The U.S. health care system is one of the worst in the developed world, and is on a par with China's. Foreign health care is better in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and Australia. Foreign countries with better health care are Western Europe, Scandinavia, and Australia. The U.S. has a heavy population burden, too many immigrants, and a severe government deficit to afford similarly high welfare health care. Health insurance in the U.S. is basically private insurance, usually paid for by the employer or deducted from the employee's paycheck, depending on how good the company is, and the better companies will pay premiums to attract employees. Going to the doctor without insurance is very expensive, so expensive that most people can't afford it. With insurance you have to pay very little, but there are a lot of restrictions, you have to make an appointment and all costs must be agreed by the insurance company, and it often takes months to make an appointment for some illnesses, so sometimes you can't use your insurance if you don't have an appointment to see a doctor. This is why the rich choose private hospitals to pay in full to ensure timely access. And the poor will have to do their best to schedule appointments to keep their bodies in basic health.