Jury still out on heath care

I've been to the doctors a few times here in France. Mostly for routine stuff and once because of what turned out to be bronchitis.  Each time, I compare the US system with the French and try to rationalize why the health care in France is so much cheaper than in the US.  I don't know all the details of the French system (how much the government subsidizes doctors and pharmaceuticals), but I do know that I've never had to wait to see the doctor more than a week when making an appointment.  When I was sick with bronchitis I saw the doctor that same day. I did have to wait an hour because it was first come first serve and there were a few patients a head of me, but I was able to see him and he prescribed a laundry list of medications.  Seems like a lot... it was a lot... he said to use a couple if I needed it (had a fever, aches and pains etc). I used them judiciously.

The few things I've noticed here is the simplicity of the system -- I'm not taking equipment, the doctors I've seen have state of the art stuff.  But they have minimal staff (the bronchitis doctor, put in my medical information himself while he talked to me).  Except for medical notes, medical records like x-rays are given to the patient for safe guarding and delivery to their primary care physician. And responsibilities that in the US would be given to some staffer in the medical office is left to the patient. For example, today, I went to get my annual gyno exam (mainly the pap smear).  I was surprised when the doctor handed the vial with my specimen and said that I was to put that along with a check for 25 euros in a box and send it to the address on the envelope.  No warning for the mail carrier of the contents in the box. No concern about the chain of custody of the specimen.  Perhaps the US is an overly concern society.  None the less, the smaller staff would certainly cut down costs.  

The systems in the two countries are different.  I do like the transparency of things in France.  You know exactly how much things cost;  There is not a different price schemes for insurance companies than for patients who pay out of pocket.  But I also like how my doctors in the US explained things to me.  It is different.  I have yet to decide which one is better.