The net worth for a one percenter in the United States is about 8 million dollars, or a salary of about 160.000 a year. To be a five percenter, you just need to earn about 80.000 a year, so yes, I definitely have better healthcare than someone making 80.000 in the U.S.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7257345
How do I believe I have better healthcare? Exactly in the opposite situations to check-ups - in situations where I need urgent medical services, or when there's an expensive or complicated condition requiring specialist services.
In the U.S., ambulance service is EXTREMELY limited and expensive (how the hell can it cost 20.000 dollars for a visit?), and you basically cannot have home visits by a doctor. I pay U$ 25 for ambulance services, and for an extra U$ 5 I get house visits by a doctor (as long as it's reasonable and I don't overuse the service).
Look at this stat:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_call
"In the early 1960s, house calls by doctors were 40% of doctor-patient meetings. By 1980, they were 0.6%."
compare to a freaking 76.6% in Uruguay
heck, it seems it's a disruption-ready area:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/31/health/doctor-house-call-a...
"The US has many of the best health facilities and doctors in the world. In fact the US healthcare system is first world"
Absolutely true. If I had a strange disease, or I wanted to be operated on by the absolute best doctors, I'd go to the United States.
It's the treatment for the "common man" which fails miserably.
I can get an appointment for any specialist within a week, and if it's a serious condition and I'm not picky, next-day or same-day (this is not true of most Uruguayans, I pay extra for that). Every Uruguayan can, and usually does, get at least once a year, same-day house doctor visits.
If I got one of these expensive conditions (say, the discussed cure for Hepatitis C), government will pay for my treatment (ok, there's lobbying, delays, sometimes bribes and other problems, but they will end up paying).
If I need a transplant, there's a national transplant service, same for prothesis, burns, cancer, etc.
Not a single Uruguayan has to file bankrupcy due to medical conditions (he can get destitute due to not working, which is a different problem).
So, Americans might be over-doctored in early health care, but they don't have access to some services which seem basic and essential, and are believed to be every man's right in my country.