Health "care"...

“They borrow leftover prescription drugs from friends, attempt to self-diagnose ailments online, stretch their diabetes and asthma medicines for as long as possible and set their own broken bones. When emergencies strike, they rarely can afford the bills that follow.”
...
“I could have gone to a major university for a year. Instead, I went to the hospital for two days.” Said Alanna Boyd of the nearly 17,500 she spent on her treatment.
...
Nicole Polec, a 28-year-old freelance photographer living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, said she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and has a client who procures Ritalin on her behalf from a sympathetic doctor who has seen Ms. Polec’s diagnosis. Ms. Polec’s roommate, Fara D’Aguiar, 26, treated her last flu with castoff amoxicillin — “probably expired,” she said — given to her by a friend.

Source: New York Times

From time to time I am on the fence about the healthcare system, especially after seeing what they are doing in Finland with private hospitals. However, things like this are generally enough to send me back completely in the corner of socialized medicine. Obviously if there was any integrity in our government or that of the United States a two tiered system would probably work the best, but as it stands I have a feeling that it would probably end up a lot more like this garbage that is coming out of the USA.

If they did privatize our system or if I were forced to live in the United States uninsured, I would probably be in the same situation as these people. I hate going to the doctors as it is, although that is fading with my nursing education, but if I had to pay to go... Unless I was sure I was dying I think I would opt to save the money and take my chances with the internet and friends leftover meds.

Still, I feel the draw to maybe want to take part in privatized health care to some degree under my own terms. As it stands I may end up as a ward nurse for the rest of my days, but if all goes as planned and I become a nurse practitioner and have the opportunity to take part in a streamlined and helpful private practice. I am even interested in finding a way to start something up on my own if my position allows for this as I feel that with the right intentions it really could work. In the end though, who knows...