You're forgetting that when you're sick and hurt yourself in the US you very likely still have to go to work. Doing some quick research, roughly 25% of the US workers don't have any sick time whatsoever, so you gotta take some painkillers and get back to work. If you need to take time off to go to the doctor, you're no longer getting paid, so...a lot of people don't do that and instead hide the pain with painkillers.

I had my gallbladder out on a Wednesday and went back to work on the Monday. Nothing stronger than acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Laparoscopy is amazing.

It was a desk job and my team was great. I didn't even think twice.

Reckon you've just summed up the US health care system to a tee.

Harder, faster, stronger, smarter