Deductibles aren't for doctors visits or even specialists (for example, I needed some testing and a biopsy done recently that added up to about $10,000, and I payed I think $30 in total). I also get very good and very cheap eye and dental care.

What they're for is major emergencies and unplanned operations that can add up to much more than that. Those situations are unfortunately where people can run into issues, and where they really shouldn't have to. However, no emergency room in the US can legally turn you away from treatment no matter how much money you have.

I'm not defending our healthcare, because I honestly wish we could move towards a more universal model. What I'm defending is the idea is that the actual qualty of our healthcare is awful. It's not, it's one of the best if you can access it.

One of the reasons used by those who oppose universal healthcare, is the fact that our healthcare is generally very fast. Many doctors appointments can me made day-of, or at the very most within the week. They fear the universal model will give them longer wait-times. In their defense, I would have gone crazy if I had to wait long for my biopsy. My anxiety was at peak level, and I couldn't even eat through the nerves (it was negative btw).

But, I've never lived in a country that had universal healthcare, so I have no anecdotal experience of what wait-times are actually like. I'm extremely priveledged, because due to my job my healthcare is extremely cheap and my deductible nowadays is nonexistent.

Luckily, I'm not a "fuck you, got mine" type of person, and I think a lot of the criticism towards our model is extremely warranted.