Kato
Well-known member
I'm happy with our system. I think one of the big advantages is that since a regular old visit to the family doctor doesn't cost anything out of pocket, there are a lot of problems picked up early, while they are still small problems. You don't have the tendency to wait until it's really bad before you go and check it out.
I worked at a doctor's office a few years ago, and more than a couple of times saw people coming in for what they thought was just an odd pain, and then finding themselves going directly to hospital. A couple of years later, one of those people was me! I had been bitten by a cat, just two hours before, and thought it was starting to look infected. Actually it was already past infected and into blood poisoning already! I was told I may have lost my arm if I hadn't gotten it attended to so fast. If that office call had been a direct expense, I'm pretty sure I'd have left it until later.
The biggest drawback of our system is the wait times for elective things, but if it's an emergency, the service is excellent.
I worked at a doctor's office a few years ago, and more than a couple of times saw people coming in for what they thought was just an odd pain, and then finding themselves going directly to hospital. A couple of years later, one of those people was me! I had been bitten by a cat, just two hours before, and thought it was starting to look infected. Actually it was already past infected and into blood poisoning already! I was told I may have lost my arm if I hadn't gotten it attended to so fast. If that office call had been a direct expense, I'm pretty sure I'd have left it until later.
The biggest drawback of our system is the wait times for elective things, but if it's an emergency, the service is excellent.