Health Care Anniversary

My wife reminded me that this is the four-year anniversary of my coming home from the hospital after I was very very sick. It was a very joyful day and I remember details of it like it was yesterday. After four trips to the ER, they had finally put me in and was there a couple weeks, most of the time too weak to walk. Luckily, I had purchased insurance even though I was self-employed. What if I hadn't? Or what if I was an employee and had recently changed jobs? It would have been a pre-existing condition and hence no coverage. Would the hospital have recommended initially that I go inpatient if that was the case? Would I have received the same treatment? Would I be here now? If so, what would my financial situation look like? Sometimes, I ignore the human issues around health care reform. Should not preventing suffering be a consideration?