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Our healthcare system is one of a kind in the world. It appears to be growing worse instead of better with more and more Americans becoming without healthcare annually. It seems as though the high costs of healthcare began in the Reagan era (of course it will be remembered that by some coincidence Reagan's father in law was president of the American Medical Association). It was in this period that we began experiencing double digit, even as high as 60% increases in health insurance premiums.
But this isn't the reason for my rant. Yesterday I discovered I had come down with pink eye and went to the pharmacy to purchase some sort of remedy. I was informed there is nothing available over the counter that would cure it and I needed a physician's prescription. Due to not having a family physician I had to go to the emergency room upon which I told them all I needed was a doctor to give me a prescription for medication for pink eye (both eyes were bright pink and swollen). They informed me I would have to be examined. Once the doctor came in he asked what the matter was and I informed him all I needed was a prescription for pink eye and he said he would do that and left the room. After about fifteen minutes a nurse came in with the prescription. Leaving I paid my co-pay of $50.00 and left, feeling a bit ripped off, but further realizing that since this was medicare our tax dollars would further be ripped.
I then went to purchase the meds. The bill came to $4.00. So, in order to get this $4 med I had to pay $50+$4 in addition to medicare being billed whatever the ER decides to bill them.
That's our system. Now let's compare to what would have happened in, say, Costa Rica. I would have gone to the local ER and they would have provided the medication. I would have left owing nothing more than a "gracias"..... you tell me, which country is f**ked up?
