Healthcare - insurance costs

I am do for a divorce soon.  We were working on filing the papers when I hit a rough medical patch (stroke! tumor! an overabundance of intoxicatingly fun life happenings! I am being so sarcastic here...)  He did not finalize the divorce and leave me in the lurch, instead, he kept me on his insurance and waited.  As did I. 
We are gearing up the paperwork again, and I am taking care of medical stuff I was procrastinating on. 
My story is this.  I received the bill for the gall bladder surgery.  $38,561.00.  
                            My portion to pay.    $518.00
                             The amount they write off due to me having insurance?  $30,765.00. 

Let me get this right. 
If I did not have insurance, I would be on the hook for the whole amount.  Chances are I would not have insurance because I could not afford $600/mo (which is the cost of my specific insurance).  So I cannot afford insurance, but I receive bills that would eventually bankrupt me?  With my health issues, I won't ever go without insurance, but it seems ridiculous there is such a price difference.  It should be the same damn price for everyone. 
Oh, and, I have started asking how much visits and tests are... and frequently receive the answer ; Oh, don't worry, your insurance will pay it. 
I know they will pay, but since you charge a different price for me, and give me and my family more advanced and expensive tests because we have good insurance I would like to know what that is. 
And for the record, I am fully supportive of the affordable care act. 

Gall bladder firmly out

I had the surgery. My over sized non-working gall bladder was hauled out of my body.  The surgery was laparoscopic-- four incisions made, to accommodate a camera, navigating tools and extraction spot.  I recovered nicely, although at one point got a lecture because I thought I could be doing stuff one week after surgery.  And was told, no, I needed to not be hauling stuff around for about a month.
Sigh.
I learned to be patient.
There is also the most astounding photo taken by the doc.  I love it! But it is a bit graphic.  My surgeon, who has a sense of humor and knows I do, when all was said and done and my surgery was over, took a pic where he arranged my gall bladder and gall stones into a smiley face.
Family members say I should put a hat on it and make it my xmas card.  I am surrounded by comedians..

Unrelated picture... what else am I doing?  Processing the 1600 pounds of apples this tree gave us.  Full disclosure : I am giving many of them away.