AFAIK, yesterday's eye exam would have cost me a fortune in the US. In fact, I would probably not have done it, the way I understand the health insurance system works, and I certainly couldn't afford next week's more thorough exam. A friend of mine works at Eli Lily's in Indianapolis and told me some pretty scary stuff about how their insurance works. It seems that the system would not even allow a second opinion like the one I'll get. I would have to pay for it myself.