Universal Health Care Wait Time Concerns

Universal Health Care Wait Time Concerns

The Doctor Will See You—In Three Months
Business Week - Health
July 9, 2007

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In reality, both data and anecdotes show that the American people are already waiting as long or longer than patients living with universal health-care systems. ...

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All this time spent "queuing," as other nations call it, stems from too much demand and too little supply. Only one-third of U.S. doctors are general practitioners, compared with half in most European countries. On top of that, only 40% of U.S. doctors have arrangements for after-hours care, vs. 75% in the rest of the industrialized world. Consequently, some 26% of U.S. adults in one survey went to an emergency room in the past two years because they couldn't get in to see their regular doctor, a significantly higher rate than in other countries.

There is no systemized collection of data on wait times in the U.S. That makes it difficult to draw comparisons with countries that have national health systems, where wait times are not only tracked but made public. However, a 2005 survey by the Commonwealth Fund of sick adults in six nations found that only 47% of U.S. patients could get a same- or next-day appointment for a medical problem, worse than every other country except Canada.

The Commonwealth survey did find that U.S. patients had the second-shortest wait times if they wished to see a specialist or have nonemergency surgery, such as a hip replacement or cataract operation (Germany, which has national health care, came in first on both measures). ...

The Commonwealth study did find one area where the U.S. was first by a wide margin: 51% of sick Americans surveyed did not visit a doctor, get a needed test, or fill a prescription within the past two years because of cost. No other country came close.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_28/b4042072.htm

HR 3200: America's UNAffordable Health Choices Act of 2009
http://home.comcast.net/~zthustra/articles/unaffordable_health_choices.html

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• health
• care
• reform
• wait
• times
• universal

[jamesriepe]

This is all a bunch of lies!!! I live in Germany and never have to wait for any services when going to the doctor.

[zthustra]

@jamesriepe

In the video, I read the following "U.S. patients had the second-shortest wait times if they wished to see a specialist or have nonemergency surgery, such as a hip replacement or cataract operation (Germany, which has national health care, came in first on both measures)."

So, as I said, Germany has the SHORTEST waiting periods.

I'm confused by your comment.

[gnawershreth]

cont..

A popularity contest. People should be voting for the person who's the most qualified to lead the country but that sure doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

People want 'a man of the people', the black guy, the woman, the religious nut etc. There's nothing wrong with voting for a woman or whatever but that should NOT be the main attribute. Being a nice guy, a black guy, a woman, a veteran etc. does NOT make a good president.

Vote based on ability to do the job. That would help a lot. ;)

[gnawershreth]

Well, I don't mean any president in particular.. The American president always seems to have this weird idol status or something. Even among most of the people who don't agree with him.

He's the one working for the population.. But when you see him in public it's almost like ancient kings or something. A god walking amongst mortals.

The president is nothing without the people backing him up.. What is with the idolization? :/

A lot of Americans need to wake up and realize that it's not...

[zthustra]

I've been a third-party guy all of my adult life ... Libertarian. But I'm not a party-man. I break with the party on some issues, like health care.

The president? Same split as everything else, 33% worship him, 34% don't give a shit, and 33% think he's a devil. I just don't get it!

[gnawershreth]

cont...

It just seems so wrong that the medical, oil etc. industries openly pay the politicians to vote in their interest. To me that IS corruption.

Personally I would like to see the American population taking back the power. In the USA the president is almost worshiped by the people. But the president is working FOR the people. Americans seem to have forgotten about that. It's not the population who needs to stand by him no matter what.. It's the other way around.

[gnawershreth]

Well, I'm from Denmark so I may see things a bit different than the average American. I mean, we're used to different kinds of democracies..

To me, the two party system is horrible to begin with. Too many potential voters are left having to choose between plague and cholera so to speak. They don't really like any of the two choices. That leads to fewer people voting.

The American system also seems to be openly corrupt. Again, that's probably because I'm used to another system but...

[zthustra]

The system is too big, the representatives are too far away for their consitutents, theri are too many voters for any representative so the value of any given vote or voting block to too diluted.

[gnawershreth]

Maybe you're right. It's just kinda sad I think. Politics should be about.. Well, politics. Not about the name of the party.

People who voted for McCain/Palin in the last election must be nuts. Of course people have different reasons for doing so but I can't imagine any of them being good. The republican campaign was such a disaster that it's hard to imagine even the Bush family voting for them.

I don't think Americans are dumber than Europeans. The US political system is just awful. :/