Hopyard, you raised an interesting twist to this thread. The short of it is that I agree with your post. Medical care is another one of those areas where collectively as a nation we spend approximately double per capita compared to the rest of the developed world and we're are not getting the results were paying for. Frequently, I hear the argument that the best care in the world is available here. Of that, I have no doubt, but it is not available to the average person. Somebody is making a fortune off the system, yet everyone claims that they aren't making any money. Doctors should, as you put it, make a good living and I would clarify that by saying good, not extravagant. The entire medical system in this country is in need of a cold boot reset, wipe, reformat, and re-install.
I rarely go to a doctor and I need to be pretty sick before I do. The last time i went, I was pretty sure I had the swine flu (that year it was breaking out in the US) as I had about 4 close co-workers all tested and diagnosed with it. When I started getting sick, I went to the Dr with the intent to get checked for it and if I had it get some of the medicine to help cut it short (my coworkers who got it reported feeling pretty well within 24 hours). The stupid overpaid pedigree refused to even check me for it because I didn't seem, sick enough. they gave me a prescription for some "strong cold medicine" that makes you sleep for about 4-6 hours. Days later I continued to get sicker and got to the point where I had a moderate fever and was starting to have difficulty breathing and wheezing. Of course this was over a holiday weekend, where the Dr office would have been closed and I refused to go to the hospital. Finally, I took some left over antibiotics for a dental prescription (I had a 8-10 days supply). Within less than 24 hours of starting those, the fever was all but gone as was the wheezing and I could breath easy again. Oddly enough, respiratory problems and pneumonia are a complication of the swine flu that the idiot wouldn't test me for. I mention this story because antibiotics are one of those "controlled" substances that should probably be in everyone's SHTF bag.
The attitude in this nation towards pain pills is similarly disgusting. It used to be, and I assume it still is, legal to buy Tylenol with codeine OTC in Canada. It isn't terribly strong stuff, but it is more powerful than Advil or Tylenol alone. Codeine is also one drug that will usually stop a migraine cold. Here in the wonderful USA if a Dr prescribes it, it gets noted on their record and if they have to answer for it if they prescribe it too much. Setting aside the fact that most narcotic pain killers are safer and have fewer side effects than the stuff that you can get OTC, your typical Dr is loath to prescribe them. As I mentioned, codeine is excellent against migraines, yet someone who has them once in a while, as in once every month or two, can't get it and instead gets put on some expensive take every day maintenance crap that isn't very effective and makes you feel worse than the headache (all the time). Of course it is extremely effective at fattening the drug companies bottom line, but that's about all.
As with just about anything if you follow the money trail you can come to a pretty good understanding of why things are the way that they are.