When Ira Horner, 62, found out how much his knee surgery for a torn meniscus was expected to cost, he worried that he would spend the rest of his life in debt. A floor associate at Hutchinson Oil, in Woodward, Okla., Horner had health insurance through his employer, but it was unclear as to what he would ultimately be expected to pay. After talking to friends and nurses at the medical center where he was being treated, Horner estimated the surgery would cost at least $16,000, and he'd end up paying about 20 percent of that plus his $1,000 deductible.
