Socialized Medicine

As stated in my previous post, one of the most exciting parts about coming back to live in America is the great medical care here. I normally don't get on a soapbox for my blog, but I thought this was important. It makes me nervous to watch the U.S. government toy with the idea of socialized medicine, especially after experiencing it firsthand. I know there are many people who would argue my opinions about socialized medicine. However, here are some of my experiences in England:

• The quality of Doctors in general are very low compared to U.S. Standards. My first experience with socialized medicine, I walked in the room and saw a young girl with sketchers and a nose ring. She asked me what was wrong. After I told her, she asked what I thought the problem was. I didn't know so she asked what I would like her to do about it. I finally figured out that this girl was my Doctor! And that she wanted me to diagnose myself! Why did I bother to go to the Doctor?
• Once I was so sick, I couldn't get out of bed for two days except to run to the bathroom. I called my Doctor office and they told me to call back in a week if I still wasn't feeling well. Seriously? Hope it's not serious!
• One night, Chris had spotted vision, numb fingers and a numb tongue. No headache. That's pretty scary. So, he went to the Doctor. They said it was no big deal. Probably a migraine. He convinced them to refer him to a specialist. After a month of waiting, he got his appointment schedule in the mail. He was going to be out of town, so he had to call the hospital and wait on hold for 20 minutes before they could reschedule his appointment. When he finally saw the Doctor, he was told again that it's a migraine. The Doctor told him that they would not be doing an MRI because it was too expensive and they may find something that is not related to his symptoms. Ummm....wouldn't that be a good save? I guess not.
  
• I too saw a specialist. He was the only specialist of that kind in the whole area and he only worked Wednesday afternoons. His middle eastern accent was so thick, I couldn't understand a word he spoke. Luckily he had an intern in the room, so she would repeat everything to me. Why would anyone want to become a Doctor when they aren't paid well and definitely aren't compensated for specializing?
• A friend of ours crushed his finger playing softball. He went to the ER where they taped two fingers together and sent him home with no x-ray. His finger continued to swell, so he drove 2 hours to see an Air Force Doctor. Apparently he had fractured his finger in several places and his finger was now healed in the wrong places. The U.S. Doctor had to rebrake his finger, put in three metal rods, and put a brace on his whole hand. This friend had to go back to that Air Force base twice a week for physical therapy before he could use his finger again. If only they had bothered to get an x-ray at the beginning!
• The economy of England is absolutely horrible. Taxes are outrageous! They are all probably paying more for health care than we pay in the U.S. for insurance!
  

So....in short, I really really hope the U.S. does not go to socialized medicine!!