Comment by ceejayoz
7 days ago
It's a bit tough to compare between countries like this. Those stats don't reflect the infinite wait time that may be the case for someone without health insurance in the USA.
Even with insurance, in my area, neurologists book out 3-6 months.
Your own link offers this summary:
> A common misconception in the U.S. is that countries with universal health care have much longer wait times. However, data from nations with universal coverage, coupled with historical data from coverage expansion in the United States, show that patients in other nations often have similar or shorter wait times.
You have that in other countries too. In Sweden the govt decides which healthcare is to expensive and they deny that treatment (while americans with healthinsurence might get it). You wouldnt say wait times in sweden are infinite.
Both setups have a "is this deemed medically necessary and be covered" step, yes. The key difference is that "yup, necessary and typically covered" in Sweden gets you the procedure. In the US, it doesn't. You need coverage (or you pay out of pocket) for anything to be covered.
No insurance? The only care you can't be denied over payment is emergency care. (And the definition is narrow - they'll give you pain meds and IV fluids for your cancer and send you home. They will not do surgery/chemo for it without payment.)
As a bonus, Sweden's setup costs half as much, with similar outcomes. That's inclusive of taxation. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2023/11/health-at-a-gla...
You’re right of course, but even this comparison gives an incomplete picture. An example is that many other countries can institute drug price caps because the US does not. It’s not unlike how NATO countries can historically pay less into defense because the US pays so much. There’s an argument those are essentially subsidizing lower costs abroad.
That’s not to say the US healthcare system isn’t in need of massive reform, just that it’s a much more complicated problem than many realize.
I ack that it is hard to really grok these numbers. And yeah, I wasn't trying to hide that we have problems. Indeed, my prior would be that we are middling across most stats.
I also question if using a neurologist wait time is illuminating? What is the average wait time by country for that one? Quick searches shows that isn't necessarily extremely high, either.
You'll see significant variability by specialty, area, and insurance plan.
Ultimately, Americans wait for care just like participants in other health systems. It's just a lot more likely to result in a big bill, too.