Reply #17: Well, if you want to go back to ancient times,

[Cleita]

healing was done by doctor priests in the temples. It was available to everyone. The temples collected offerings from kings as well as beggars to intercede with the gods so they didn't charge fees. The Romans had an impressive infrastructure of hospitals run again through the temples, for everyone, and funded by the emperor and other offerings from rich Romans for the intercession of the gods.

The Romans, as fascist as they were politically, recognized the benefits of a healthy population. For this reason the baths were for everyone to keep away plague and the populace could get medical help regardless of whether they were slave, plebe or patrician. The emperors also distributed bread to the populace so they wouldn't go hungry. Starvation and plague would lead to riots and mob rule and this wasn't healthy for the emperor.

We don't seem to be as civilized as them. Maybe we need some mob rule to straighten out our leadership.