> For instance, I once needed $600 of tests at the ER. The hospital billed $80K. The insurance company paid $7K. I paid $100.

The other bit of the story was "we realised you might not be American from your face when we showed you the price list". (They told me Americans would have seen the same list and thought the prices were reasonable). I'm guessing you are American?

You need to understand how utterly insane this sounds if you are used to European systems.

And don't get me started on the fact Canadian healthcare doesn't actually transfer between provinces.