What's the longest time you waited to see a doctor.

[Falconer02]

People aren't looking at the current system and fail to realize it's not working. Example-

OMG! Back in the day I remember long waits, but in the last fifteen years, my waits have been under 15 minutes. However, you just wait until Obama Care kicks in...it will get much worse! Not only that, the doctors will be so taxed, the quality of care will go down, and there will be months long waits for surgeries and tests and treatments. I remember the well known Canadian woman with a brain tumor who had to come to the US for treatment and surgery. Canada has an "Obamacare like" health system. Her wait was so long that she would have long since been dead when her number finally came up.

And yet everyone here is complaining about long wait times. I'm sure it largely has to do with the area each of us lives in. I myself have waited 1.5 hours to see a doctor for a simple sprained ankle. "Obamacare-like" systems do work in many first world countries. The one example you gave is isolated. Either way, she still got help.

Then I read a story about a man in the UK  (they have similar to Obamacare, too.) He weighed almost a thousand pounds. They had to remove him from his home with a wench and a flatbed truck, paid for with healthcare, cuz he was too huge for any Gurney or Ambulance. He needed to be hospitalized for months on end to be tube fed so he could lose weight. When he lost weight he was to be given a gastric bypass. One problem to hospitalizing him. Patient rooms were on the second floor. His weight would have collapsed the floor. So before he went in, a team of engineers were hired to stabilize the floor from below. Again charged to health care!

He actually had a horrible eating disorder and he couldn't afford to see a specialist due to their healthcare system not covering it. I guess if the healthcare system allowed that, the medical bill would have been much less. Seems in that specific instance that their system is much like ours atm-- nobody can really afford decent health insurance to cover ailments. The only difference is in the US, nobody pays the bill. Collection agencies are booming!

Again charged to health care! No wonder their income taxes are 49 percent! Can you imagine working and handing 49 percent of your salary in taxes to the government? It will eventually happen here, thanks to Obamacare

Indeed that would suck on an individuals economic level, but you will need to post sources of how such healthcare systems are failing miserably in firstworld countries. Last time I checked, most nations using such methods are more economically prosperous than ours.

People don't realize how this thing will morph into a monstrosity.

And it could! But something needs to be done about it. If you cannot throw a better system on the table or think the current care system is fair, you're either just being pessimistic or naive (no offense). When I had to pay 2000+$ out-of-pocket for a doctor to do 10 seconds of work (pop my shoulder back into place), something's wrong with the system.

Speaking of which, If Obama has his way, regarding firearms, we will be like the UK......No way to defend ourselves, and only the criminals will have firearms.

Where/when did Obama say he was taking everyone's guns away?

[lkeys81]

About 2 hours to see the doctor.

[jkhanson]

I learned a long time ago to call the clinic BEFORE I leave home to go to the clinic.  I ask the receptionist if my doctor is running on time.  They always tell me.  So if he is on time, I head to the clinic.  If he is running late, the receptionist tells me to come in at "such and such" a time.

[dmahoney]

I will wait an hour (and be steaming mad) but after that I'm out of there.        But in the mean time I do check th make sure that they have not over looked me or to see if I need to reschedule at a more convenient time. I feel that my time is just as valuable as theirs!

[TAZALISCIOUS]

Where I live we have so many clinics be them walk-in or by appt. plus our family doctor, the hospitals and still the waiting is forever. For my own family doctor many times I wait around an hour and a half. At the hospital I have waited 8 hours. Even the clinics can be about 4 hours. It's terrible. I know that we have medicare and that we are lucky to have these opportunities but really. When you already don't feel good and you have to wait with other sick people in a crowded waiting room, it isn't fun. Especially if you have kids or you are taking some time off of work. It really takes up a whole day by the time to get ready to go, you drive there, wait there, get seen and then go home. Many times it isn't worth it so I try to avoid it all together until I really need to be seen.

[melissaotto1982]

I have waited 4 hours with my father to see his cancer doctor.

[ben50]

I can't afford to go to doctor I don't have health insurance, but the emergency room 6 hours

[rricardi58]

I waited one time for over 2 hours and I had a 4PM appointment and I did not get taken until shortly after 6PM.  I was so angry also because other people came in and were taken
right away.  Plus I learned that the doctor was backed up and behind in his schedule.  I think it was due to the fact that most of his patients were elderly and he spent an
inordinate amount with them, probably longer than he should have.  Plus when I expressed that I was not happy, he snapped at me and actually asked me, what am I doing here?

[twol]

The longest I've ever waited was an hour and a half.

[Optiwoman]

Since I work in a doctors office, I do know that sometimes emergencies can cause us to be behind.   I tell my staff to let patients know when they come in if we are running behind due to emergencies though.  However, I also know how often we run behind because he is on the phone, talking about sports with a patient instead of the reason they are at the office, etc.  I won't wait longer than 20 minutes for an appointment myself.   I tell the receptionist that I have a 15 minute waiting room policy when I make my appointments.  I give it 20 minutes and if I have not seen the doctor, I leave - and tell someone on the way out why.  It's an APPOINTMENT

[ushaann]

2 hrs

[Phx0808]

I waited two and a half hours for a doctor once. Never again. If I haven't been called back in 10 minutes past my appointment time, I get up and leave. If I do get called back and wait more than 10 minutes I walk out.  

[dbsaus1]

I learned a long time ago to call the clinic BEFORE I leave home to go to the clinic.  I ask the receptionist if my doctor is running on time.  They always tell me.  So if he is on time, I head to the clinic.  If he is running late, the receptionist tells me to come in at "such and such" a time.

Likewise, Mr doctor has a tendency to run behind so his office suggested that I call prior to leaving the house. This has worked well and I seldom have to wait.

I do know people in my area that have waited a long time (hours). In my eyes this is just plain inconsiderate.

[king4cash]

I have to say that, I once confronted a doctor, about him being late, and he stated that "he does not wait on Patients, Patients wait on him". This gives you an idea how these people think about your time.

[ljrjess69]

1 hour,,unless u count the er docter,,