This is an observation of our current medical system in America, from the perspective of a mom who has just been through hell and back with her adult son. 

Let's say you are away from home, and on the job.  Let's also say you are suddenly overcome with an unknown illness.  What do you do?  You either call an ambulance (if you're capable), or someone calls it for you.  Or, if you are capable, you decide whether you want to spend $600 to $800 on an ambulance bill vs. $20 on a cab....hmmmm.  Okay, cab sounds better fiscally, unless you're having a stroke, in which case you are debilitated for life due to the wait....weigh one against the other.  If you're a husband and father, you might very well choose the cab in either case.

Now let's say the cab takes you to the nearest inner-city hospital that takes "anybody", which translates to "we don't care if you have insurance or not".  [They are disappearing from America's landscape.]  This sort of hospital who admits anyone, whether or not they have insurance, is automatically strapped for funds.  Why?  Because of a few things:  1)  Illegal immigrants who have no insurance, and therefore cannot pay for their care; 2)  Medicare and other public programs who will only pay a small amount for the care of the patient.  3) Rising costs of litigation by ambulance chasing lawyers.

So what happens to the patient who has insurance?  They get private rooms, if available...after all, they can charge more for them.  They also get every possible "test" you could possibly think of, whether you need it or not!!!  Hey, it's income, right? 

In my son's case, 6+ days in the hospital netted him a multitude of CT scans, MRI's, EEG's EKG's, a spinal tap, and a medicinal concoction they sent home with him, including morphine, oxycodone, valium and an "anti-seizure" medication for what has been later diagnosed as an inner ear infection.  There was no seizure.  There was no stroke.  Without family overseeing his welfare, without constant questioning and insistence from those who love him to seek other opinions, he would still be undergoing who knows what? 

The decay and skewed priorities in our healthcare system is becoming more and more disturbing.  Without TORT reform, without illegal immigration legislation, and without vigilance on the part of families, our premier medical system is doomed to failure.