By Jessica Guht

Medical bills can be scary, overwhelming, and, most notably, puzzling, especially when you pay a health insurance premium each month but then are still hit with thousands of dollars in medical bills. Insurance companies often throw around terms such as deductibles, co-insurance, and out-of-pocket maximums to confuse you, leading you right to a higher medical
bill.

We’re going to take you through four healthcare scenarios to see the true cost of healthcare and explore how the costs can add up, even when you have health insurance.

Health Insurance Coverage by Scenario

Healthcare can be expensive, but you don’t have to feel helpless when it comes to your medical bill. Let’s explore the true cost of
healthcare when on traditional insurance for various scenarios so that you can
better understand why your bill may be higher than expected, and then we’ll see
how crowdfunding—a community-based program—can help bring your bill down.

Open Heart Surgery

It’s a major surgery, but with heart disease the leading cause of death in the United States, having open heart surgery can help extend your
life.

Without insurance, open heart surgery could exceed $200,000, with a 2024 study finding that a coronary artery bypass graft, the most common type of heart surgery, ranges in price from $57,240 to $75,047. Other types of open-heart
surgery may include heart valve repair or replacement, ventricular assist
device placement, or surgical myectomy.

Looking at Medicare, this insurance plan covers inpatient hospital stays (which are needed as you’re recovering following surgery), but you are still responsible for the deductible, which is $1,632 per benefit period. As for the procedure itself, after you meet the annual deductible of $240, Part B covers 80% of the Medicare-approved costs, while you are responsible for the other 20%.

 Let’s see how this changes with crowdfunding. Say you
received emergency open heart surgery and got a $400,000 hospital bill.
CrowdCare first negotiates the bill down to the fair market price, say $150,000. Then, this bill is submitted to the Crowd, where the costs are completely covered. No co-insurance, no deductibles.

A Fractured Arm

When you fracture your arm, the bills can add up. Between initial evaluations, x-rays, casting or surgical interventions, medical
equipment (i.e., slings, braces, crutches), follow-up appointments, and physical therapy, the costs could end up being thousands of dollars.

Insurance typically covers a fractured arm, but that doesn’t mean that your insurance company handles the entire bill. As an emergency procedure, you’re typically responsible for first paying your deductible. For those with high-deductible plans, this can be thousands of dollars. After that
point, insurance only covers a percentage of the costs, leaving you responsible
for even more of the bill.

With crowdfunding, you’re responsible for much less of the bill. Say you receive a $5,000 bill for a fractured arm thanks to the ER visit, follow-up appointments, and physical therapy. You can cover as much as you’re able and then send the remainder to the Crowd for help.

Prenatal Care & Childbirth

Having a child is an expensive affair, starting from the moment you find out you’re pregnant. There are healthcare costs associated with pregnancy, including prenatal appointments, imaging, and lab tests. The delivery itself is also a significant cost and can be more expensive if a cesarean section is needed to safely aid the birthing process and protect the health of the mother and baby.

 For those enrolled in large group plans, the average cost of pregnancy for those who have a vaginal delivery is $14,768, with
women paying an average of $2,655 in out-of-pocket costs. For those who have a cesarean section, the average cost of pregnancy is $26,280, with a $3,214 out-of-pocket cost.

However, for those with a high deductible, which can be as high as $9,000 for many types of coverage, the out-of-pocket costs can be significantly higher.

With crowdfunding, as a Maternity Member, you are responsible for the first $3,000, but then the remaining amount on your bill can
be submitted to the Crowd to help cover the rest of your expenses.

 A Hysterectomy

A hysterectomy is the second most common surgery for adult women in the United States. There are many reasons for performing a hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus and, in some cases, the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and cervix. One of these reasons is for the treatment of cervical cancer, making a hysterectomy a life-saving procedure.

The total cost of a hysterectomy can average just over $10,000. For those on Medicare, insurance would cover $8,287, leaving you to pay $1,742. However, for other insurance plans, the out-of-pocket cost can depend on your deductible, copay, and co-insurance amounts.

CrowdCare helps to negotiate down your hospital bill, which you can then submit to the Crowd for full coverage.

How can Crowdfunding Reduce Medical Bills?

After exploring these different scenarios, it’s clear that crowdfunding has the opportunity to significantly and, in some cases, completely pay for your medical bills. But how does this work?

With crowdfunding, the community comes together to help each other pay for their medical bills, spreading out the costs among each member so that no person is bombarded with an astronomical bill at once.

Each month, you contribute to the Crowd in an amount that can range from $180 for individuals under 55 to $410 for a family. Then, these contributions are divvied up amongst the member’s medical bills to help pay for the costs. You don’t have to worry about your deductible or co-insurance
amounts with crowdfunding; you simply pay as much of your bill as you’re able
and then submit the remainder to the Crowd for help.

As a bonus, with crowdfunding you know that each month your contribution is going to help someone else pay their medical bills, reducing their stress levels. It’s a great feeling to help your community!

Ready to join the healthcare revolution and stop feeling afraid of medical bills? Join CrowdCare and see the difference that we can make in our health and wellness when we work together as a community.

References

Wei, C., Paranjpe, I., Sharma, P., Milligan, M., Lam, M., Heidenreich, P. A., Kalwani, N., Schulman, K., & Sandhu, A. (2024).
Assessment of Price Variation in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery at US
Hospitals. Journal of the American Heart Association, 13(4).
https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.123.031982

‌Inpatient hospital care. (2025). Medicare.
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/inpatient-hospital-care

Health costs associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care - Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. (2024). Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/health-costs-associated-with-pregnancy-childbirth-and-postpartum-care/

Hysterectomy. (2015). OASH | Office on Women’s Health. https://womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/hysterectomy