Yes it is my experience in the US -- but not across the world. Last year, I was in visiting in Korea and needed to see a doctor. I randomly picked a name out o

Yes it is my experience in the US -- but not across the world. Last year, I was in visiting in Korea and needed to see a doctor. I randomly picked a name out of the phone book and asked my Korean-speaking friend to call and make an appointment. They said no appointment needed, just walk in. So I did. The doctor saw me within 5 minutes of arrival. He did a physical exam, listened to my lungs, did a simple blood test and gave me a prescription. He then asked if I had insurance, to which I said No. So he said: "I'm sorry I wlll have to charge you." I went out to the front desk and got the bill. It was the equivalent of $12. In the US it would be $300 before insurance, and $50 after -- not counting the lab cost, which would be separately billed. And all this would take weeks or months to schedule. I went to a Korean pharmacy with a prescription for 30 days supply of multiple medicines, which in the US costs me $200 with insurance. In Korea, the cost was $50 without any insurance. I had a similar experience in Portugal years back. People in the US don't realize how screwed up the healthcare system is here. And seem powerless to change things.