American living in Germany the past 5.5 years

When I first moved to Germany 5.5 years ago, it took me 1.5 years to visit a doctor (even with full health coverage from day one) and i didn't take a real vacation for 2 years (was always staying home and catching up on things). Now i go to the doctor when im sick or something isn't right and I've been traveling all over the world, but i remember very well how foreign (lol) just going to the doctor felt when i wasn't about to die, and going anywhere away from home for more than 1 week.

I think it would take a looooong time for an average American to realize this as well and it worries me that if we do finally go in that direction, most of my people will not understand it.