I can tell you why hospitals are closing in California: Millions of illegals use the ER as their primary care physician, and they never pay their bills. My sister is an RN in California, and the stories she tells about illegals and California hospitals would likely stun you.
As for medical care before medical insurance, most people never went to hospitals, and they treated themselves or had a veterinarian or dentist treat them. Fact.
I don’t know what part of the country you’re from, but no one I have known has ever sought medical attention from a veterinarian.
Were these people who went to veterinarians smarter than an average gopher?