My wife is a primary care doctor in the United States. Saying that disqualifies me in some people's minds from having an opinion about the quality and cost of health care in this country. But I am willing to give an opinion regardless.

There are plenty of medical practices and institutions that function well and deliver good value to the patient. But there are many that do not.

As someone who doesn't have friends inside the health care industry, it can be extremely difficult to figure out what to do in an emergency. Quite often your options are limited especially if you are caring for a loved one rather than yourself.

The best advice I can give is to find good doctors before you need them, and when conversations come up about someone else's medical care, be willing to ask, who is your doctor and how good are they? Or, which hospital did you go to, and do you feel you had a good experience?

Often there is little out-of-pocket difference between the cost of excellent medical care and lower quality care, if you have good insurance.

If you don't have good insurance and you are looking at a potentially significant medical procedure, ask to speak to someone about financial assistance. Good practices and good hospital systems are not looking to bankrupt their patients.