I'm shocked - not shocked that it costs that much, but that it costs so little to care for people who are considered to be some of those with the most medical problems.

Of course health care costs are astronomical in the US compared to the UK. That amount (even at the current exchange rate which ends up being a little less than $2,500) wouldn't cover more than insurance premiums, some basic lab work, the co-pays for a couple of simple office visits... for someone who was perfectly healthy and only having routine office visits. Count on thousands more if you have any kind of chronic condition that requires frequent office visits, or if you need to see specialists for some reason. (My last work-provided health care plan had a deductible of $5,000 before the insurance would cover anything - meanwhile, I was paying well over $100/month just for the privilege of having insurance)