Just to add another item to your list:

6. Pricing is almost impossible to know ahead of time, even if you ask.

Trust me, I have asked how much something will cost ahead of time and no one can tell you.

One time I had to go into a specialist for my leg. I had hurt my MCL, but the doctor wasn't sure if it was torn or pulled. So he sent me to a specialist to give advice on whether surgery was needed. Before I made the appointment I asked the receptionist how much it was going to cost for this appointment. She couldnt tell me. I asked her to figure it out and call me back. She never did. I called back before my appointment and talked to the clinic manager. She again refused to quote me a price.

In the end I went to the appointment. The doctor listened to me, then grabbed my leg and twisted it a few different directions and asked me to describe the pain as he did so. Then he told me it was a simple pull. I didn't need surgery. I just needed to rest. No prescriptions, no medications rendered, no operations performed, no diagnostic tests given. A simple 15 minute doctor visit.

3 months later I get the bill. It was $800. I had to pay it all out of pocket because this specialist was out of network. I had tried to get a price ahead of time and couldn't. The doctor didn't do anything for me except tell me to rest. The visit cost him 15 mins of his time. Nothing more. At this rate, he is billing $3,200 per hour. Possibly more because the 15 minute time estimate is me being generous. It was very possibly closer to 10 minute visit.

Another one that I won't go into detail with because it would take too long was for a pinched nerve in my back. I went to urgent care because the pain was so bad I couldn't stand. Again, a simple question+answer with the doctor revealed the pinched disc in my back. No xrays or diagnostic tests were given. She prescribed me a pain killer and a steroid to reduce inflamation which would allow the disc to naturally slip back into place. Because I was traveling and so was again out of network when this happened, I asked the receptionist as I was checking in how much a simple visit runs. She of course can't quote me anything. I pressed her and said, "what is the base price. I know it is more if they have to run tests and do things, but what is the cost of the visit". She refused to tell me. As I was now wheelchair bound because I couldn't stand, I had no choice but to gamble and get the help and learn the price 4 months later. The visit cost me $1,900. I had to pay 100% out of pocket. Despite having insurance that I already pay $500 a month for.

Furthermore I had $120 in out of pocket expenses on the medications.

Not only can you not figure out a price ahead of time, but it is equally crazy that I pay this much out of pocket when I have insurance that I pay $500 a month for ($6,000 per year). And no don't tell me to "get better insurance". That means finding a different employer and guess what... it's not like you can see what insurance the other employers have until after you start working there. There is no way to really shop insurance, you are stuck with what your employers offers, usually with 2-3 options from the plans they have selected.