One of the ways many ways in which the system is broken isn't at all about the quality of care we've recieved, but how insurance drives people to be less selective about the care they obtain. Doctors prescribe medication and people get it without asking any questions. People don't take ownership over this stuff, and the result is spending without regard for who is paying (ultimately, it's us, but it's deferred in the form of rising rates).

My wife and I just got forced into a high deductable plan, and this, at least, feels like a step in the right direction. Most people end up having to pay for their basic medical needs (and therefore have to be responsible with their spending), while serious medical issues are handled. Of course for us, we hit outlr high deductible early in the year so it's not much different for us in practice than our PPO was, but almost everyone else I know is having to be more responsible with their medical expenditures. My company also gives us 1K into a HSA every year so most employees don't end up shelling out for medical stuff as long as they are careful and ask questions when doctors star prescribing expensive medication. I'm sure this is playing right into the evil insurance companies desires, but I have to say it feels like movement in the right direction. Of course, it seems from talking with friends and family, our plan is better than most high deductible plans, so I count myself blessed.

We still have to wait for hours sometimes to see certain doctors, and one of my wife's doctors told her she can no longer be a patient at her practice after she showed up to two appointments 15 minutes late (first one due to an appointment with a different doctor she had scheduled earlier in the day keeping her in the waiting room for an hour and a half, and the second due to bad traffic). It's a wonderful double standard these doctors have.