Health Care Op-Ed in NY Times...

I have been living mostly in Europe for the last ten years and I have had outstanding and inexpensive health care throughout. In 2002 I had a sports related hip injury and didn't have any insurance. I had it examined at the top hospital in Prague by an orthopedic specialist and had an X-Ray; total bill: about 35 US dollars WITHOUT HAVING INSURANCE. This past year I was bitten by a dog while running in Budapest and (now having insurance) had 'surgery' to clean the wound and then had to go to the hospital every day for two weeks and then every other day for two more; the doctor saw me, cleaned the wound, bandaged it up, and off I went. I had to pay there at the hospital (surgery about 115 USD, visits 15 USD) and was reimbursed easily and without hassle within a week. Granted the doctors tend to be older and sometimes locked in socialist attitudinal stereotypes, but I have ALWAYS gotten GREAT care. I get scared when I go to the US as I live an active lifestyle. Its amazing how bad the system there is and how ignorant the general public is about how much better it could be...