>>>I know Serbia is a relatively poor country, and my parents' retirements aren't much, but they have no problems getting their medications or seeing a doctor. There's a small copayment, but they can afford it without breaking a sweat. They even had a doctor coming to regular visits about twice a week when it was needed. And there are private doctors, as well, if you want. And that's after the health and social security were ransacked by Miloshevich's goons for a decade.
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>>Sorry to say it, but it's entirely because medical work is cheap in Serbia, and other similar places. The hospital that you described has shortage of doctors; almost every hospital has it, because it cannot afford to employ doctors, and it is not because of salary only.
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>True - it's cheap in Serbia (just like pretty much everything), but not relatively cheap. The general cost of everything else was 1:3 (a beer on a hotel terrace or in a cafe would be about $1.30, and so is the price of food, taxi and most of other things), but medicine is, amazingly - 1:10. I'd rather say the medical industry in the US is overcharging by a factor of 2 or more. And I'm not comparing apples and oranges: it was for uninsured, out-of-pocket payment to a for-profit service (i.e. private practice dentist).

That's how the system works. When doctors are considered a fair game, patients become fair game for doctors.