You are right, and even then, you sometimes have to fight with insurance companies to get some things that you need. I will not get into the details, but Blue Cross is a company that I am very happy with at present. They would rather spend a dollar on band aids than ten cents on a fix.
oops, that is very UNHAPPY with.
Insurance companies are just more bureaucracy...they really aren't any better than government-funded health care...the only advantage is if they cheat, you can take them to court...a prospect that will be far more difficult in a government-controlled scheme.
What I am talking about is getting rid of all of the centralized controls and having it between the doctors and the patients. Including the negotiation for fees. Sure, encourage the use of medical savings accounts to allow patients to accumulate savings for medical expenses. But get rid of the government-controlled, government-regulated, and largely government-funded oligarchy and allow authentic free market laws to operate.
(And, btw, if he really doesn't have the money...well, that's what charity is for)