My friend took his 4-year-old daughter to Urgent Care on a Sunday for a high fever and a bad cough. They were in the building for 35 minutes. A nurse took her vitals, and a doctor spent 4 minutes looking in her throat before prescribing generic amoxicillin. The total bill came out to $1,240. His insurance plan paid $180. The rest went straight to his "in-network deductible." He called the billing department to ask how 4 minutes with a doctor costs $1,060 out of pocket. The representative said: "That’s the pre-negotiated rate set by your insurer." We built a healthcare system where paying $500 a month for coverage doesn't cover medical care…… it just buys you the right to be charged thousands for a 5-minute visit.