One of the things that nearly everyone here is missing is that insurance plans cap costs. Hospital costs for an uninsured person are 2 to 4 times that which an insurance company will pay. I had a heart attack. The hospital billed $80,000, but the insurance company paid only $18,000, and I paid $2,000. Same for dental plans. They cap the amount that provider can charge and stipulate that he can't bill you for the excess.

The idea that you can negotiate as an individual with health care providers is silly. When I had my heart attack, I was in no position to call half-a-dozen hospitals to get the best price. Try going to your pharmacy to get the price of a prescription knocked down. Individuals have very little negotiating power against corporations. If you doubt that, take a look at the history of the labor movement.

That said, if you are low income and need expensive meds, many pharmaceutical companies have plans for certain drugs. Costco gives a small discount for people with no insurance.