Medical care in the United States is the most expensive in the world. One night in a hospital costs well over $1,000. The only way to avoid having to pay huge sums for medical care is to carry health insurance. Insurance protects against the need to meet the entire burden of expense by spreading the cost among a group of people.

It is important to understand that insurance does not cover all medical expenses in all cases. In fact, it is routine that an individuals have a "co-payment," a percentage of the bill, often twenty percent, for which they are personally responsible. Insurance policies are written in detailed legal language. There are often items the policy will not cover at all. Excluded items commonly include pre-existing conditions, which are illnesses or injuries that occurred before the insurance policy began, and preventative care such as contraception.

The most common pre-existing condition is pregnancy. There is no free pregnancy care for women and it is likely that any clinics with subsidized costs are available only to citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

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