So I had a similar thing happen to me in Texas, under a health care policy that is quite-nice-for-Texas. My deductible was $3500 and my out-of-pocket max was $5000. Now, for you non-Americans, you might wonder what this OOP max fuckery is, and why it's over the deductible amount. Well, you see... Let's take this $12750 bill.

I pay my $3500 deductible, leaving $9250. At this point, "80%/20% coinsurance" kicks in meaning that I pay 20% of the bill after paying $3500, until I pay out of pocket another $5000. That's right! The deductible isn't an "out of pocket" cost for fuck knows what reason. So, 20% of $9250 is $1850. For this bill, I had to pay $5350. And if I have to go to the doctor for anything else serious this year, there's till the potential for owing another $3150 in continued 20% coinsurance payments!

Now, imagine for a second that we're talking about childbirth. There are two human beings involved with their own deductibles and OOP max payments. If the birth is at all complicated on either part or both, then you're looking at owing ~$8500 each ($17000 total)!

Then occasionally you get in shitfuck situations where you go to an "in network" hospital but one of the doctors who sees you is "out of network" and thus they will only cover a small portion of his fees (say, 20%). Whatever he charges, no matter how excessive, they will pay 20% and you're stuck with 80% and it doesn't count towards your deductible or out of pocket max. Fuck. Me. And it's not like you get to pick your own, say, anesthesiologist. You just get whichever one is on duty, and even at a "covered" hospital that anesthesiologist themselves may not be covered.

So, now I live in the Netherlands.

My direct health care expenses are capped at €385 a year. Total.