The health care system in this country is a disgrace. The inflated charges, denial of coverage, hidden and deceptive fees, secret sweetheart deals and kickbacks. I don’t know who is worse: the corporate pigs feeding at the trough, the politicians who block any attempt at reform, or the voters who keep electing those politicians.

On a family vacation in the south of France back in the 1990s, my then-12-year-old son tripped and fell right on his kneecap on a stone pavement. I found a doctor in the next town who readily agreed to see us, even though it was after hours in the evening. I honestly didn’t know if my insurance coverage applied on foreign soil, and told the doctor so as soon as he let us into his office. He just chuckled at my American obsession with medical fees and charged me 200 francs (about $40 at the time) for the office visit, which I paid out of pocket.

After reassuring us that nothing was broken or seriously injured, he referred us to a clinic in the nearest small city (Carpentras, if you must know) for an x-ray. The clinic saw us the next day (no six-week appointment backlog) and sent us off with the film for our doctor back home. I don’t remember what the charge was for the x-ray, but it was equally nominal. Not once did anyone demand my insurance card or ask how I intended to pay for the services.

America should be ashamed of itself. If America had any sense of shame.