Many people in America hesitate before even calling the Doctor because they wonder how astronomical the bill might be. Medical insurance can be expensive and insurance companies try to get out of covering certain expenses and services whenever they can. Medical Bills can run from thousands to tens of thousands very quickly, and for working class families this can be tough. It is often even harder on ex-patriots who have grown up with the luxury of the NHS. Free universal healthcare. Far from perfect, the NHS however provided great service, and more importantly free service. There was no chance of going to the doctor with the flu and paying $87 for an antibiotic and then getting a $200 bill a couple of weeks later from your doctors office for the 10 minute visit, which featured just a looking-over and a scribbled-down prescription. Back in Britain you can see a doctor and its free. On average it costs over $1000 a night to stay in an American hospital, and that doesn't include a separate bill form the surgeon/doctor or any kind of testing such as X-rays or lab work. Frankly, American healthcare is very, very expensive, and more so to anyone who had their broken bones fixed on the NHS without charge. Sure, it comes out the taxes, but it's nice not being whacked with high standalone bills. When it comes down to it, paying for medical treatment will always suck in comparison to not paying for medical treatment. And yes, if you get the joke above, you're awesome.
