[jeffbee]

I once went to a large professional building attached to a hospital because I lost my voice and I wanted to see a doctor, any doctor, on any time frame. They said the only thing they could do is send me to the ER. These days, I would go to a walk-in clinic like Carbon Health or One Medical I guess, if I was in an American city away from home, without my own doctor. But I find it hard to blame anybody who goes to the ER for "just a cough" since I know the system won't do anything else for them.

NB when I was in the military they had the entire problem of suddenly ill people completely solved. Socialism.

[el_benhameen]

Yep. We’ve only ended up in the ER once for each kid (so far … knock on wood), but both times there were sudden onset symptoms that in my mind warranted urgent care but not the ER. Both times we called and were told that we could wait two weeks for an appointment or go to the ER, no in between.

[udkl]

It's so much better in India where you can walk in to any clinic or hospital for immediate attention without setting up appointments.

[neurotech1]

The irony that military healthcare, while far from perfect, has many advantages like it's part of the benefits to servicemembers and dependents, some retirees.

A surprising number of people, especially prior to the Affordable Care Act, would call expanding public healthcare "Socialism", even though many in Congress are veterans. The late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), A Vietnam veteran A-4 pilot, and POW, cast the deciding vote against repealing the ACA. He earned his military healthcare, and then some.