As someone who has been in and out of medical care facilities, often as a patient advocate, I would guess it has much more to do with the care culture at any particular clinic/hospital. In the immediate aftermath of leaving our abusive home, my sister and I both required ER care; at the time she was already uninsured but I was not. We both received very compassionate care at the same facility, and they worked with her to minimize the billing. On the other hand, I have seen and heard horrible situations in various locations even when the patient was fully insured. So, yes, even uninsured you might have a much better experience going across town!