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I think as much as Americans like the idea of European healthcare systems, I think most of them would be appalled in practice. Not that it's inherently inferio

I think as much as Americans like the idea of European healthcare systems, I think most of them would be appalled in practice. Not that it's inherently inferior, but part of the reason healthcare is so expensive in America is that Americans (perhaps a bit spoiled by our own prosperity) demand lots of care. My wife's sister saw specialists 11 different times last year because she was not happy with the advice. And I would not say this is an entirely unheard of extreme. In the US, if someone gets denied anything from their doctor, it is somewhat of a scandal.

mrtksn 3y ago
Different expectation and I respect both approaches. I'm accustomed to the EU version of it and I expect the doctor to tell me what to do and my defence against bad advice is getting a second opinion. In Turkey, where I lived for quite a while, the modus operandi is that you go to the hospital to demand something. If the government ones don't make you happy you go to the private one and they will pour all the tests you can handle. Once I thought I'm having a heart attack and rushed to the ER in a private hospital. Turns out I'm just a bit dehydrated, so drinking water would do it but the doctor asked me if I would like an IV. I was appalled because my expectation is that if I need an IV the doc should just do it, he should't ask me. I asked if I need it, he said it's not necessary but can speed up the recovery. It turns out, Turks like to go to the hospital to get an IV when they don't feel very well, they just like that a professional is taking care of them even if they don't actually need a medical intervention and they will get better spontaneously as they rest and the private hospitals provide this service. I like the European way better.