Your general complaint about high medical costs is on point of course, but for most people in America they could pay off a dumb $18k bill over a period of time if they had to.
1k$ surplus income per month on a 18k$ bill means you'd have to forfeit all surplus income for 18 months.
If any other medical emergency happens and you have another 18k bill? Or a car accident (of which there are a lot)? Or car just breaks down? What if you get fired and spend a few months searching a new job?
This isn't exactly financial security with such a bill pending over your head plus numerous other bills being a possibility.
Sure, if you were intent on paying it off as quickly as possible. Most likely your payment plan would be less than that.
Ultimately if enough "what if something else happens?" happen, you file for bankruptcy.
There's no such thing as financial security for anyone when you deal in the world of what-ifs.
So there is certainly some financial security for anyone in the world of what-ifs, atleast as far as medical coverage is concerned.