By Jeff Bernhard – Revive Health
This is an interesting read on wait times for doctor appointments, comparing the United States to other Developed Countries.
There is a common belief that in Countries that have universal health coverage, the wait times to see a doctor are much longer than in the United States, where at least half of the country is on a private health care offering. As you will see in this article, this is no longer true. In fact, in the next few years, we will have longer wait times than most other countries with universal coverage.
This post is not a play for universal coverage, but instead hoping to raise the awareness of the situation and for all of us to start thinking about solutions. The provider shortage will continue to be an issue and likely get worse unless solutions are found in the next year or two.
So, it does not matter whether you have a low copayment, a large deductible or no copayment- you will wait for care like everyone due to the supply and demand issues we all face.
Quality virtual care is a real solution that will continue to gain popularity with the current situation.
Health Care Wait Times by Country 2023 (worldpopulationreview.com)