I started and stopped writing this post many times because it's mostly whining. But, dammit, it's a consumer's right to whine, so here it is: in my experience (YMMV) — and that of many others I know — the health care system largely treats patients like garbage.
I was reminded of this fact during my recent experience dealing with my daughter's broken arm. It started well enough. Our pediatrician has late hours and an X-ray machine, so we were able to skip the Friday night (and more expensive) emergency department visit for our initial diagnosis, and therefore missed all the attendant waiting and frustration.
