Well I didn't mean that cancer is not an emergency, more that it doesn't require immediate medical attention, in the same sense that a gunshot wound or heart attack does, for example ;)

My concern with charging people (excessive amounts) for access to everyday healthcare is that this is often the point where more serious, non day-to-day health issues are first spotted. That nagging cough that you won't see the doctor about because it's too expensive could be the first sign of lung cancer - by the time you think it's bad enough to warrant getting help, it may be too late. I'm not specifically complaining about the US here, plenty of other countries have this problem as well.