US Healthcare: What It Really Costs, Who Gets Care, and How It Compares to India

When people talk about US healthcare, the complex, high-cost medical system in the United States that combines private insurance, government programs, and out-of-pocket spending. Also known as American healthcare, it's a system where a single hospital stay can cost more than a year’s salary in many parts of India. It’s not broken—it was built this way. Unlike India, where most people pay directly or rely on thin public coverage, the US system runs on insurance networks, billing codes, and layered fees. You don’t just pay for care—you pay for access, for paperwork, for the right doctor in the right network.

That’s why medical insurance, private or employer-sponsored coverage that determines what treatments are covered and how much you pay out of pocket becomes the real gatekeeper. Without it, even a simple MRI can cost $2,000. With it, you might still pay $500 in coinsurance. And if you lose your job? You lose your coverage. That’s not hypothetical—it’s daily life for millions. Meanwhile, healthcare access, the ability to get timely, affordable medical services regardless of income or location isn’t guaranteed. In rural America, people drive hours for a specialist. In cities, they wait weeks for a psychiatrist. And the cost? It’s not just money. It’s stress, sleepless nights, and choices no one should have to make: medicine or rent?

What’s surprising is how often the same treatments—like Ozempic for weight loss, IVF for infertility, or semaglutide for diabetes—are available in both countries, but priced wildly differently. In the US, Wegovy costs over $1,000 a month. In India, you can get the same active ingredient for under $100. The difference isn’t the drug. It’s the system. And that’s why people in India often hear stories about US healthcare and wonder: How is this even legal?

This collection of articles doesn’t just list symptoms or drug prices. It shows you the hidden layers: why someone in Texas might pay $15,000 for a knee replacement while the same surgery costs $3,000 in Delhi. Why free IVF coverage exists in some US states but not others. Why mental health therapy works—but only if you can afford it. Why a diabetic in Ohio might switch from metformin to a GLP-1 agonist, not because it’s better, but because their insurance covers it.

You’ll read about real people navigating this system—the ones who skip insulin to pay rent, who travel to Mexico for cheaper meds, who fight insurance denials for months. You’ll see how the same conditions—cancer, ADHD, heart surgery—play out under different financial pressures. And you’ll understand why, despite all the tech and innovation, the hardest part of US healthcare isn’t the science. It’s the price tag.