Health Care

We have gone to the doctor twice in the last two weeks under two different healthcare systems.  Brazil has a 100% assessable public system as well as a private system that takes money and insurance. We went to the latter type first because we googled and that is what popped up. We didn't have insurance so they asked for $70 and said we would be called. After waiting about 15 minutes in a clean and comfortable waiting room, a jeans-wearing MD came to get us and was soon pressing his thumbs hard into Carol's sinuses. He prescribed medicines that he took, pre-boxed, from a cabinet behind him and sent us on our way. After two weeks she wasn't better so we went to a public place. We didn't mean to but we googled and that is what popped up. They didn't mention money and said we would be called. After waiting in a bedraggled and crowed waiting room for a little over an hour, a jeans-wearing MD came to get us and was soon pressing his thumbs hard into Carol's sinuses. He gave us a prescription that we took to the pharmacy. The meds were pre-boxed and cost less than twenty dollars. So, the difference in time was a half hour versus an hour and a half; the difference in cost was $70 versus $18, the difference in comfort was moderate and the difference in care was negligible. It is challenging to consider what kind of care a Brazilian in a similar situation would experience in the US. I would hope the the care would be readily available, fast, quality and damn-near free.