Perhaps you don't find 1k+/month to be a lot, but I think it is. Keep in mind the median income in the nation, amongst working people, is only 31k/year. And that's before taxes, rent, etc. Sure, if you have two working, healthy adults in a household, they can swing 1k, but it's still a huge expense to the average family.
That's for single young men. My mother pays > 1k per month for herself and my stepdad monthly. That's not unusual, and she has excellent insurance.