Last year my system cut her finger quite deeply while dealing with a can opener, at ~9.30pm. It wasn't an ambulance-worthy emergency but still, it didn't look good. So we called our emergency number and they sent out an "ambulance lite", basically a paramedic and a doctor who's just finished university.
The cut wasn't serious despite the great loss of blood, but it was in a tricky spot and the young doctor didn't want to deal with it without a second opinion. So they took her to the ER, and we followed by car.
At the ER, within 45 minutes, she had seen the doctor on call that night and got the stitches put on from the cosmetic surgeon on duty that night.
Not only it didn't cost us 1 cent but we even got a free cup of coffee out of it, offered by one the ambulance drivers who was on call that night.
I envy a lot of things about the US, but not their medical care.
Last year my system cut her finger quite deeply while dealing with a can opener, at ~9.30pm. It wasn't an ambulance-worthy emergency but still, it didn't look good. So we called our emergency number and they sent out an "ambulance lite", basically a paramedic and a doctor who's just finished university.
The cut wasn't serious despite the great loss of blood, but it was in a tricky spot and the young doctor didn't want to deal with it without a second opinion. So they took her to the ER, and we followed by car.
At the ER, within 45 minutes, she had seen the doctor on call that night and got the stitches put on from the cosmetic surgeon on duty that night.
Not only it didn't cost us 1 cent but we even got a free cup of coffee out of it, offered by one the ambulance drivers who was on call that night.
I envy a lot of things about the US, but not their medical care.