ke months to get in to see certain specialists. Annoying? Sure. But those referrals I've had to wait on weren't for anything life-threatening. And, it's free. I've given birth in Canada twice and made multiple trips to the ER, all for $0. I go to the doctor frequently and never pay out of pocket for anything besides medication. In contrast, I took my son to an ER in the states once and came out with a bill for $3k+. He had a high fever, they ran a couple tests and ultimately gave him some Tylenol and released us. Three thousand dollars. My brother was severely injured as a child and spent some time in the hospital. It absolutely ruined my parents financially

I'm American. People continue to visit emergency rooms when there is a clear and obvious emergency, but anything less is evaluated by the patient and not by a doctor. Myself and my friends have googled our systems instead of going to a doctor, because we cannot afford an evaluation, basic treatment, and certainly not hospitalization.