You're absolutely correct. When I worked for a GP in North Carolina for a few years, I was always a bit irked at the parents who would let their kids be sick all week, then take them to the ER on Friday night with an ear infection and I was amazed at how many people were using the ER as a walk-in clinic instead of going to their doctor. Of course, I wasn't a parent myself then and now as a mom of an 8 year old daughter who always seems to get sick after office hours or on weekends, I understand a bit more.
Unfortunately, those who abuse the system make things difficult for those of us who don't. I don't run my kids to the doctor every time they sneeze even though we have very good insurance; as a matter of fact, they're usually extremely sick by the time I bring them in because I try to do what I can for them at home before calling the doctor. But...I've actually had to have the doctor put a note on my oldest daughter's chart to the effect that when I call and say she needs to be seen that she really needs to be seen and not to blow me off with the usual "it's a virus and she'll be fine" line. I've had it happen twice that my daughter had pneumonia but because she wasn't running a fever yet when I called the nurse didn't want to give me an appointment, so the first time she went 5 days without being treated and by the time we got her in, the doctor was saying "Oh, my goodness! Why didn't you bring her in sooner?" (I went off on the doctor about her 'Nazi' nurse that time). The second time I had to give the nurse an ultimatum to get an appointment by saying "either you see her today or I'm bringing her to the ER" and she still didn't want to give me an appointment (no fever) until I pointed out that my daughter was audibly wheezing.