Take Offline

That was a pretty excellent detail of how things work in the US. They all underscore the real problem in that the patient is really not the customer, the insurance company is the customer. Since they're going to get paid no matter what they do or don't do to you, and you're ultimately not the one to determine that, they can treat you however they like. Throw in all the added government regulations and you get even more of a mess. Just wait until Obamacare is fully implemented. Medical care is going to be much worse before it even has a chance to get better.