Real simple: The entire Healthcare Industry and the government is rotten from the top to the bottom: Money talks and the patients (who may or may not own stock in Insurance and Pharmaceutical Companies) walk. It is corrupt, and the only real access to the lawmakers is given on the principle of "What have you done for me today, and how much is my vote worth."
Thing is, Doc, getting medical care here in oz is dependent on having money or a top of the line insurance scheme. For example, I would never ever receive the kind of treatment which was afforded to the American chap... though I need similar I need a hip and a knee replacement, and I have spinal issues which are being ignored because I'm broke and have no cover... so yeah, people here in Oz are often assigned to the scrap pile if they're not loaded, a sports star, lawyer, banker, politician.
Hehe, here's one for ya! My sister and I have the same degenerative bone disease, and she had a hip replacement at age 27, yet I am still being told at 57 that I am too young and need to wait another 10 years. I know of sports stars who are in their 20's who've had hip and knee replacement surgery, and I mention this when I'm knocked back on age, but I'm just told that it is essential for them to earn a living. WTF???? I don't need to earn a living... I don't want some quality of life???? No, I've just been pensioned off and more or less told that I'm useless.
As for health insurance, I was told that I had several pre-existing conditions and that they wanted almost 2/3's of my pre-tax income to cover me 30 something years ago. Like I could afford that... and now that those "pre-existing conditions" have deteriorated considerably over time, and I have some new ones to boot, I'd have to live in the damned hospital to keep a roof over my head, food in my stomach if I paid the premiums they'd want these days.
Oh yeah, and another thing, I can't get decent medication because pensioners prescriptions are dispensed cut-price under the 'National Prescription Scheme'... and I got this straight from a 'horse's mouth, I will NOT be considered for drugs considered too expensive for the public purse. I'm not even asked if I'd like to pay for them out of my own pocket... meaning, like it or not, I'm lumbered with grossly inadequate paracetamol and the like. And what's this crap about the public purse... I contributed to that for 30 + years via income and various taxes. That doesn't count??? In fact, I'm still contributing... taxes on everything I buy/pay for... doesn't that count, either??
Hmmm, nothing like a good bitch n' moan to make one feel better, what???
'Tis almost as good as a good belly laugh (providing one doesn't possess a discount bladder). 
