> $150 to have a nurse put a popsicle stick on my tongue and tell me that my throat infection would probably go away on its own.

Or you could see it this way :

$150 to have a nurse put a popsicle stick on your tongue and tell you that you are very lucky to have presented today because you have a suspicious growth - which on examination turns out to be a rare form of cancer that is easily cured if detected early, but most certainly fatal otherwise