It depends on what the problem is, gnu. Both my parents suffered illnesses that required hospitalization...and they got it quickly, and at NO cost to the family. In the USA the medical bills for similar treatment would have utterly bankrupted the family...and getting medical insurance coverage in the USA would have cost a great deal more than the moderate chunk that comes out of our yearly taxes to provide free medicare in Canada.

So, like I say, it depends on what the medical situation is. Our system is very good for some things...not very good at all for others.

In my case, I go to a Naturopath and pay my bills there happily, because he's way better according to my experience than any of the medical doctors I've ever dealt with, and he's equally well educated, if not moreso. In short, he puts the MDs to shame.

If I have a broken arm or I need open heart surgery, then I'll go to an MD. They're good at that stuff.