We paid $37B above market?

[plam]

I never had to pay anything with my school-issued student health plan in the US either. I think many plans are like that. As a random example, IBM is known for being thrifty. In-network routine and preventative care there is deductible-free (source: http://www-01.ibm.com/employment/us/benefits/s07a.shtml). Now, you can often choose a cheaper plan that has higher deductibles, but the choice is up to you.

School health insurance isn't really comparable to the company plans.  With IBM's PPO you can end up paying up to US$13K/year (or US$27K/year should you go to the wrong hospital).  The deductibles are significant if you need actual care, and that care can be very expensive when you do need it (US$30K for a colleague's broken wrist).  These are somewhat higher than my company's US maximums (US$10K/US$20K), but then there is a monthly cost at my company, too.

In the US, even with medical insurance, you have to expect to be spending a bunch of money on health care each year, especially if you have a family.

Well, it is much more than the Ontario health contribution which tops out at $900/person. But, here are some stats.

https://meps.ahrq.gov/data_files/publica...t441.shtml

In 2011, average (mean) out-of-pocket outlay among Americans who paid some expenses was $700. Median was $237. Does not include insurance costs. I think that is a much more reasonable number to think about.