I came back from taking a contract in Afghanistan, had picked up external hemorrhoids from all the sitting for 12 hour shifts 6 days a week, as req'd by US gov. Had no insurance so I removed them myself via banding with tiny black rubber bands for hair I sterilized in alcohol
You don't truly appreciate the US Healthcare system until you've used a homemade applicator you made out of a pencap to band hemorrhoids on your own asshole while squatting with a mirror
Diff story: I landed in Brazil with my throat half swollen shut from some cold I got traveling. Speak mediocre Portuguese, but limped into a UPA (a public urgent care), saw 4 doctors in 2 hours, got a shot of time release penicillin and was better in 2 days. Cost me nothing
The US HC system is cruel and there's absolutely no reason for it. If you've ever been to another country, even much poorer ones, you'd understand this innately. We have the power and the means to make it better
A roomie of mine post-college caught a random bug one day. 24, no insurance (this was pre-ACA). Shit found it's way into his spinal cord, so now he had meningitis & was puking all his water weight out in isolation at the ER. Could have been anybody. Came out with a bill over $1m
Kind of tough to explain to people that a system producing these sorts of outcomes is even remotely worth keeping
