My sister is a good example of how the US heathcare system is incredibly flawed. She and my brother-in-law own their own business, therefore they pay for an individual insurance plan for the family instead of having the typical group plan provided through an employer. Until the Affordable Care Act was passed (originally called Obamacare by those who opposed it and intended to have a negative connotation) insurance companies were able to deny "pre-existing condition" coverage to those purchasing individual plans, however were not allowed to deny coverage for the same reason if the insurance plan was provided through a group plan. Lol confusing, right? Basically if you work for someone else you get coverage without them reviewing your medical history in most cases, however if you are buying your own insurance as a business owner they nitpick as much as they can.
In my sister's case, she had the misfortune of being diagnosed with a tumor on her pituitary gland in 2005. Although it was treated and there are no lingering effects, she has been denied coverage by every company because of it. Last year, she was having abdominal pain and paid to go to the doctor to be seen (a few hundred dollars just to walk through the door). After numerous tests and an MRI (costing her an additional 3 thousand dollars), they found that she had multiple masses on her liver. She now faces AT LEAST $6000 a year in charges for routine MRIs to monitor the growth of the masses, along with God knows how much in lab fees, appointment fees, etc. She has explored holistic treatment alternatives, and is naturally hesitant to visit the doctor when the pain flares up due to the mounting costs acquired for simple visits. At 29 years old and a mother to three girls under the age of 8, her only fear should be ensuring that she is healthy enough to see them grow up. Instead, she worries day to day that her liver issues will eventually lead to bankruptcy and the loss of everything they have worked so hard for. She is thankful for the roof over their head, because she doesn't know that it will always be there. She is forced to chose between her health and the well being of her family, a choice no one should have to make.
For her and those like her, the system prior to the ACA was a dismal failure. Their family makes too much for her to qualify for state health insurance, and private insurance wants nothing to do with her. Many of the opponents of the ACA are the same who sing the praises of capitalism and encourage entrepreneurship as the true "American Dream". Yet for my sister and her family, chasing that dream creates a whole new nightmare. While people are busy assuming that those without insurance are lazy and unemployed degenerates, millions of good people like my sister quietly slip through the cracks. It's disgusting.
. It's so sad that your sister has the massive finicial worry on top of the obvious health worries 
