Cost of emergency endoscopic shoulder surgery in a private for-profit hospital in France, when totally uninsured, and paying by credit card: 1900 Eur - including anesthesiologist fee, surgeon fee, facility fee, radiology, drugs, private room etc. So around $2200 total, done the same day, after being arranged by phone. It was in France just because I couldn't do that in Thailand (great hospitals and food, like France, but also great beaches during recovery)
Add plane ticket + out of pocket costs, divide by 12: about $200/month, 0 deductible - and $0 for the years I don't need anything.
Alternative options for the risk averse: purchase local insurance in %anycountry, all inclusive. Cost of health insurance in Europe for non residents: around $70 per month. Just pay, and get treated in that country if you need it. Of course, you still need the plane ticket to fly there.
Still getting treated abroad is way way way cheaper than the alternatives.
Am I risking it? No. I'm making an educated decision.