Clickbait title aside, this 1400-word essay argues for one thesis: under socialism behavior which is praised is not rewarded and behavior that is condemned is rewarded. The cases provided support this thesis, and I think it's completely fair to debate whether they are representative or cherry-picked, or whether they represent unwanted side effects of policies that are overall a net positive.

A medical condition requiring surgery is not a behavior (if it wasn't something like a liver transplant for alcoholism), so it seems like a peripheral example. Of course I am very happy you were able to get the care that so improved your life quality, whatever the source.

convince me I'd fare better, or at least not worse, under American conditions

Cool, I prefer better/worse discussions to binary good/bad.

Searching for the nearest parallel story available, I found the story of Matthew Fentress:

Heart Disease Bankrupted Him Once. Now He Faces Another $10,000 Medical Bill

Matthew Fentress was just 25 when he passed out while stuffing cannolis as a cook at a senior living facility six years ago. Doctors diagnosed him with viral cardiomyopathy, heart disease that developed after a bout of the flu.

Three years later, in 2017, Fentress' condition had worsened, and doctors placed him in a medically induced coma and inserted a pacemaker and defibrillator. Despite having insurance, he couldn't pay what he owed the hospital he went to in Louisville, Ky. So Baptist Health Louisville sued him, and he wound up declaring bankruptcy in his 20s.

This starting point seems no better than your situation: working a shitty job that doesn't pay enough to cover health care. Getting sued by a hospital is clearly a low point in life, but at least bankruptcy offered a way out. Personal insolvency is fairly generous in the United States, allowing a fresh start with forgiveness from most obligations. Your credit score (which determines your ability to get loans at a favorable rate) is trashed for 7-10 years, then the bankruptcy is supposed to be off your record.

Bankruptcy is relatively popular in the United States, and it promotes risk-taking in business. For individuals, it's a concern that so many people rely on it, but I suppose it's better than debtor's prison or being saddled with debt forever. Poland only recently allowed personal bankruptcy.

Back to Matthew.

Financial fears reignited this year when his cardiologist suggested that he undergo an ablation procedure to restore a normal heart rhythm. He says hospital officials assured him he wouldn't be on the hook for more than $7,000, a huge stretch on his $30,000 annual salary. But if the procedure could curb the frequent extra heartbeats that filled him with anxiety, he figured the price was worth it. He had the outpatient procedure in late January, and it went well. Afterward, "I didn't have the fear I'm gonna drop dead every minute," he says. "I felt a lot better." Then the bill came.

The insurance from his job paid $28,920, leaving a debt of $10,092.

$5,000 of debt from his 2017 hospital visit was discharged in bankruptcy. Another hospital visit a year later was covered by hospital financial aid. Matthew believed he would not qualify for more financial aid, so he arranged a payment plan of $500 per month to pay down the $10,092, a significant hardship on his cannoli-stuffing salary. Later, "A hospital representative suggested Fentress apply for financial assistance. She followed up by sending him a form, but it went to the wrong address because Fentress was in the process of moving. In September, he said he was finally going to fill out the form and was optimistic he'd qualify."

As Fentress tries to move past his latest bill, he's now worrying about something else: racking up new bills if he contracts COVID-19 down the road as an essential worker with existing health problems and the same high-deductible insurance.

"I don't have hope for a financially stable future," he says. "It shouldn't be such a struggle."

[Cherry-picking disclosure: I found this story yesterday, looking for something parallel, and just now found the update below.]

Moved by plight of young heart patient, stranger pays his hospital bill

A retired college professor in Las Vegas saw Matthew's story on TV and donated $5000 toward his medical bills. The hospital (which claims it "consistently has encouraged Mr. Fentress to apply for financial assistance") then covered the rest of the bill after he sent a copy of his paycheck.

So comparing outcomes, both you and Matthew got life-improving treatment, though he may have had more headaches and paperwork. In the end, it doesn't sound like he actually paid a lot out of pocket (but a full accounting would include tax payments and pay withholding for insurance). His credit is wrecked for a few more years. There's a lesson that money was available if he just asked for it, so self-advocacy helps.

And of course, getting your story on TV makes a difference. That probably makes Matthew's story very atypical, but we would need some careful research to see how much this kind of "basic humanity and empathy" makes a difference. I'll note that "The U.S. is the No. 1 most generous country in the world for the last decade" and it probably helps that wealth-building capitalism is promoted in the U.S. The source puts Poland at #86 of 126 on a survey about helping strangers, donating money to charity, and volunteering. Perhaps when the state does more of the humanity and empathy work, people feel less obligated to contribute.