Non-Americans, what's it like when you're sick and need to go to the doctor?
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But the wait times in US emergency rooms are longer since people are there who are unable to get the care they need elsewhere or they haven’t been able to afford to go to the doctor and have no waited until it’s an emergency.
Honestly, as someone who's spent a lot of time in emergency departments, it depends a lot on the hospital and the time of day. Sometimes they're packed and sometimes they're almost empty. (At those times it's very important not to invite disaster by mentioning how quiet it is.) Having an Urgent Care in the same place for Triage to divert people into helps a lot as well.
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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc
wrote last edited by [email protected]France
Most GPs afaik are liberal -they have their own private office instead of working in the confines of a hospital-, and there's three different possible cost levels, whether or not the GP adheres to what's called the "convention" with social security (which fixes prices for typical medical acts), adheres partly, or does not adhere at all (pretty rare). Full adherence to the convention means the base consultation costs 30e, and makes sure the patient is reimbursed to 70% of that cost with basic universal healthcare (=you have to pay 10e from your own pocket), the rest being covered by their (highly regulated) private insurance if they have one. I have a pretty standard one at 37e/month which ensures I get reimbursed for pretty much all acts. I am getting treated for a cavity and a fill replacement next week at no cost for me.
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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc
It's pretty much bullshit, you just get ignored or condescended to by assholes who want you out of their office so they can get the next "billable" in. When you demand competent attention, they just use their knowledge of the system to fuck with you. I had a doctor write me out a prescription the pharmacist took away, hiding the evidence of the doctor writing out a female hormone prescription rather than an appropriate treatment. 3 year wait list for a specialist, turned up they day of to find it had been cancelled a year prior. No recourse, can't contact these people by phone, when you trick the accounting dept to put you through to the office you had the appointment with, they lose their shit on you. STD check request? You get some moron demanding to know why you feel the need for testing. Canada, btw. I haven't had health insurance in 9 years, the first 6 because that province I lived i flat out refused to issue a health card, and the last three i this province, just because I am so over their bullshit I no longer care, I ever get hurt bad enough again need help, I'll worry about it then I guess. They just tend to let you die anyways, as far as diseases, injuries they'll do what they can, but cancer and the like they wait you out.
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Like going to a post office.
You walk in, show your health ID, get treated, then leave.
Edit: Assuming you're going to a hospital. Family doctor care is similar, although in my province they're contractors, and it can be hard to find one with an opening for new patients right now.
Oh, I just noticed it wait time was requested. It varies for family doctors; the local one that sucks can pretty much always get you in immediately. I'm with one that needs a couple days notice now, haha.
If you get referred to a specialist it's a long wait, like many months, and when you do go it's a human production line coordinated down to the second.
wrote last edited by [email protected]I know for a fact you haven't been using the health care system in any province if you're spreading this bullshit.
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From US and was visiting Singapore when I came down with a sinus infection.
Took the elevator from the government controlled housing to the ground floor.
Walked 5 minutes to the attached small community strip mall which consisted of cheap food options, a grocery/convenience store, and a number of essential stores including a small drs office.
Waited 15 minutes, saw the dr. Explained my condition, allergies and medication I usually take and went through the exam. We had to help look up some of the medication names.
Paid $35 for the exam. There was some confusion because I expected it to cost more and I asked about. They apologized and said that since I’m foreign I had to pay full price.
Walked across the mall to the small pharmacy. Waited 5 minutes for the antibiotics prescription. Paid maybe $5?
Bought some tea from the grocery and was better over a few days.
People from the US who travel and need healthcare know very well our system is the worst.
Guess you don't get to Canada much. People that actually need fixed now head to the states and pay, and are usually impressed by the treatment, both personal and medical. It's often life or death though, die waiting here or don't.
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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc
German here.
If I'm sick I just go to their practice during consultation hours. Without an appointment I have to wait a little, but rarely more than an hour. Then I get called in, the doctor takes a couple minutes to listen to me describing my symptoms, possibly does some minor checking, then writes me a prescription for whatever treatment I will need or a transfer slip to a specialized doctor.
For emergencies I can just go to the hospital. Oh, all of this costs me nothing at all, maybe a couple euros co pay for medications.
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France
Most GPs afaik are liberal -they have their own private office instead of working in the confines of a hospital-, and there's three different possible cost levels, whether or not the GP adheres to what's called the "convention" with social security (which fixes prices for typical medical acts), adheres partly, or does not adhere at all (pretty rare). Full adherence to the convention means the base consultation costs 30e, and makes sure the patient is reimbursed to 70% of that cost with basic universal healthcare (=you have to pay 10e from your own pocket), the rest being covered by their (highly regulated) private insurance if they have one. I have a pretty standard one at 37e/month which ensures I get reimbursed for pretty much all acts. I am getting treated for a cavity and a fill replacement next week at no cost for me.
So the teeth are covered by your standard insurance, or is a separate you factored into the price? I'm used to health, dental, vision, and life all being sesperate here in the U.S.
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I've lived in multiple places, so I'll talk about all of them.
Brazil
I lived in two places there, essentially you can choose between public or private systems.
Under the private system you would book an appointment with whatever doctor you wanted, usually one or two weeks in advance, pay them (which is relatively expensive depending on the doctor), have the consultation, they might ask for some exams (some of which are paid, others included), possibly get a prescription (that you would have to pay for yourself), possibly go back for a follow up appointment (included in the price you already paid).
On the public system you book an appointment, wait some time (months in some places, days in others), have your consultation (if the doctor is in that day), possibly get a prescription (that you would likely get for free), possibly go back for a follow up appointment.
Ireland
There's a public system, but you have to be below a certain income level to use it, otherwise you have to go through the private system. You have to register with your GP (most of which don't have available spots), for anything you first need to contact your GP (which usually takes a week), and pay €60, explain your problem and if they choose to forward you to and specialist (even if you go and say I need to see a cardiologist they might say "no, you do not", although that's unlikely), then they send an email to the specialist who only then accepts that you book with them (usually for a week or so later), then you have to pay the specialist (which is usually >€300), they might ask for some exams (which you have to book and pay on your own, some blood work I did was €700), they might give you a prescription (which is paid but there's a €80 cap on medicine per house per month, which is the only nice part of the whole system), and if you need a follow up it's usually €150. If you have health insurance (or at least mine was like this) they give you back 50% of all your expenses up to a certain limit.
Spain
I'm not too familiar with the options here because I have private insurance through my work and as you'll see I've had no reason to look elsewhere, but I've been told the public system is fairly similar. Whenever I need an appointment I open my insurance app or call a doctor office and ask if they take my insurance, book an appointment (usually for a week or two in advance), go there, show my id and insurance card, go to the appointment, if they ask for some exams I do them, if they give me a prescription I take it to a pharmacy and pay it out of pocket (this is the only part I know public system exists and is somewhat better because you get the drugs for free, but since I don't take any recurring prescriptions I haven't bothered to check), if I need a follow up I book it and go back. Never had to pay one cent for anything other than medicine. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop and getting billed for all of the Dr appointments, but so far it hasn't happened hahaha
Ireland
That's mostly accurate, though my GP always has appointments within 48h or on the day for urgent ones. Plus there's the out of hours doc where you will talk to someone and probably see someone that day/night.
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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc
Thailand. Private pay.
Take a ride share car to the private hospital.
Greeted by concierge when I walk in. She asks why I'm here and then directs me to another desk on another floor.
Entering the next room feels a bit like a hotel lobby. There are big sofas and comfortable lighting. It feels cozy even though it's a large space. There's a Starbucks. Another concierge approaches me. I explain why I'm here and I'm sat down and handed an iPad where I can fill in some medical background. They have my record from a previous visit so it's quick. I confirm that I will pay with a credit card instead of using any insurance.
In about 10 minutes I'm brought to a room where a nurse catches my weight and blood pressure. Then I'm brought to the patient exam room.
A few minutes later the doctor comes in and performs his examination. He makes his diagnosis types some notes into his computer. He asks me to come back for a follow-up in one week and pick up my prescription on the way out.
Leaving the exam room, another nurse catches me to hand me the diagnosis paperwork and points me to the pharmacy.
I walk to the pharmacy and hand them my paperwork. They collect my payment for the whole visit and ask me to wait until my name is called to pick up the prescription.
About 10 minutes later the prescription is ready and I'm out the door with a small bag of drugs and about $125 out of my wallet.
The service is comprehensive and everything is available in one building. For this country it's a bit expensive but you feel like you're very well taken care of and it's instant.
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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc
Switzerland
Depends a bit on the plan you have. Generally I would call the clinic registered with my health insurance or fill in their online form to make an appointment. Depending on what it is you get an appointment within the week, but for more pressing issues it's usually on the same day.
If it's an emergency I can go to any hospital or clinic, but depending on my insurance I would be transfered after the acute symptoms are taken care of.
If for some reason I'm not anywhere close to my registered clinic, I have to call a 24/7 number to get a referral to a doctor nearby.
Prices are reasonable for the high level in Switzerland. Deductibles limits handle how much you have to pay out of pocket, so it rarely fucks you up.
The real issue is the ever increasing insurance premiums. They are not tied to your income level, but to where you live, your gender and age. Poorer people get support by the government, but that's just tax money flowing directly into private insurance companies.
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German here.
If I'm sick I just go to their practice during consultation hours. Without an appointment I have to wait a little, but rarely more than an hour. Then I get called in, the doctor takes a couple minutes to listen to me describing my symptoms, possibly does some minor checking, then writes me a prescription for whatever treatment I will need or a transfer slip to a specialized doctor.
For emergencies I can just go to the hospital. Oh, all of this costs me nothing at all, maybe a couple euros co pay for medications.
French here. Basically all the same.
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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc
Australia, Canberra
Zero cost, 10 to 20 minute wait, no wait if my appointment is early in the day, 20 minutes if it's in the afternoon
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German here.
If I'm sick I just go to their practice during consultation hours. Without an appointment I have to wait a little, but rarely more than an hour. Then I get called in, the doctor takes a couple minutes to listen to me describing my symptoms, possibly does some minor checking, then writes me a prescription for whatever treatment I will need or a transfer slip to a specialized doctor.
For emergencies I can just go to the hospital. Oh, all of this costs me nothing at all, maybe a couple euros co pay for medications.
Well not entirely true. We pay 9~10% out of our gross salary for this service
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Norway, I book online if it's not urgent and wait a few weeks. If it's urgent I call them and get it same day. Costs about ~250 NOK or ~20 USD I think.
Public doctors are always at least 45 minutes late (unless you are late if course, then they call you on time)I also had a non-urgent matter, but felt like wait time was too long (holiday season) so I went to a private clinic, got appointment same day and paid about 700 NOK I think.
I go there, tell my story, if they need to take some samples they can usually do them on site right away for no additional charge.
If I need some medicine they prescribe that and tell me to come back in x weeks if it's not getting better.
If they can't help me I get a referral. It could take a long time to get certain procedures, especially if they are not urgent/very important, but most of the time it's been a few weeks for my issues.
My GP is often running 15-20m late, but the flipside of that is that there's not really a sense of urgency during the appointment. Doctors here take their time with you, which is very pleasant.
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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc
wrote last edited by [email protected]Germany. It has gotten worse over the last decade regarding waiting times but for regular appointments it might mean waiting 1 week to almost a year. Less, depending on your urgency or precondition. Usually it's still OK.
Regarding the finances it's still great in international comparison. I was resuscitated and taking quite a lot of medicine and am not broke but you still (might) pay a (very) small part on hospital stay and regular medication. Compared to.the full price on both that is neglegible though.
AMA!
In short: you go to the doctor based on medical requirement and not Financials. You call the ambulance whenever urgency is needed.
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So the teeth are covered by your standard insurance, or is a separate you factored into the price? I'm used to health, dental, vision, and life all being sesperate here in the U.S.
wrote last edited by [email protected]It's all under the same umbrella. I did not know insurance was separated in the US. Back when social security was created after the war (see complete history of its creation helmed by Ambroise Croizat), it was conceived as a single fund for 1.health 2.unemployment and 3.retirement, the idea being that discrimination would be impossible and everyone would chip in for everything. Basically socialism. It was quickly (within a few years, would have to check exactly) split into separate funds, but social security has been pretty sturdy ever since, in the sense that private sharks were kept at bay (compared to the US). This is not the case for retirement funds, unfortunately, which have been shifted to a capitalisation method recently caused by lobbying from fucking blackrock. Anyway, I digress.
To give you an idea, my private plan is 37e a month and covers 100% of medical acts with up to 540e dental expenses a year, one pair of glasses every two years with a ceiling of roughly 200e (depends on the lens type), hearing aids with a ceiling of 1700e, and 150% on GP appointments if they go over standard rate (home or night visits will do that). Dental covers 150% on prostheses as well, I assume those aren't fully covered by universal healthcare but I haven't checked for sure. Anything related to hospital stays is also covered 100%, as well as transport (SMUR, ambulance, etc). Maternity stay is also covered for 12 days a year, but I'm a dude.
We're also in the process of in vitro fertilisation and our entire stay overseas is paid for : lodging, transport, and of course the process itself : daily shots and echographies for her, spermograms for me, as well as a few appointments... This one required special request to social security (to attest that there's an actual possibility of conceiving), and does not involve private insurers at all.
Thanks for making me peruse all this, I probably wouldn't have if not to share the info over here.
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Well not entirely true. We pay 9~10% out of our gross salary for this service
Ah yes of course, the system must be financed somehow in the end. Still infinitely better than the american system which works worse for the average citizen and costs a lot more.
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It's all under the same umbrella. I did not know insurance was separated in the US. Back when social security was created after the war (see complete history of its creation helmed by Ambroise Croizat), it was conceived as a single fund for 1.health 2.unemployment and 3.retirement, the idea being that discrimination would be impossible and everyone would chip in for everything. Basically socialism. It was quickly (within a few years, would have to check exactly) split into separate funds, but social security has been pretty sturdy ever since, in the sense that private sharks were kept at bay (compared to the US). This is not the case for retirement funds, unfortunately, which have been shifted to a capitalisation method recently caused by lobbying from fucking blackrock. Anyway, I digress.
To give you an idea, my private plan is 37e a month and covers 100% of medical acts with up to 540e dental expenses a year, one pair of glasses every two years with a ceiling of roughly 200e (depends on the lens type), hearing aids with a ceiling of 1700e, and 150% on GP appointments if they go over standard rate (home or night visits will do that). Dental covers 150% on prostheses as well, I assume those aren't fully covered by universal healthcare but I haven't checked for sure. Anything related to hospital stays is also covered 100%, as well as transport (SMUR, ambulance, etc). Maternity stay is also covered for 12 days a year, but I'm a dude.
We're also in the process of in vitro fertilisation and our entire stay overseas is paid for : lodging, transport, and of course the process itself : daily shots and echographies for her, spermograms for me, as well as a few appointments... This one required special request to social security (to attest that there's an actual possibility of conceiving), and does not involve private insurers at all.
Thanks for making me peruse all this, I probably wouldn't have if not to share the info over here.
Thank you for doing so! Our insurance varies drastically. The last time I had insurance available from work it was $134 per pay period so ~3500 U.S. dollars a year. It had a $5000 deductible, so while you had a co-pay/consult fee so the doctor would see you for $15. But if you needed them to do something, say fix a broken arm, you pay out of pocket until you pass that $5000 mark for the year. Prescriptions they pay some of, but for people like me it's not much different than just not having the insurance. Amoxicillin is less than $10 with a prescription, and that's usually all I need if I get a soar throat and jazz. So once every couple years I'll get that and Mucinex D and I'm usually good in a few days.
Now if you want dental or vision those come separate. My last job offered them but I can't remember what they are split, something like $20 per pay period, so another $240 a year.
You also pay copays for the visits and deductibles for the procedures and something's aren't covered like normal.The sad thing is that is considered pretty good insurance to many people. My uncle always used private healthcare, and his was much higher than that.
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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc
wrote last edited by [email protected]It's immensely expensive!
I went to the doctor and he charged me 1 euro.
The imaging in the hospital and the orthopedist only cost 2.8 euro.
So they're really leeching it.But seriously it's difficult to get an appointment and nowhere do they take new patients.
Smart government decided on a numerus clausus and now there aren't enough doctors.
The ones that are there lately don't want to work fulltime, so even less availability. -
Thank you for doing so! Our insurance varies drastically. The last time I had insurance available from work it was $134 per pay period so ~3500 U.S. dollars a year. It had a $5000 deductible, so while you had a co-pay/consult fee so the doctor would see you for $15. But if you needed them to do something, say fix a broken arm, you pay out of pocket until you pass that $5000 mark for the year. Prescriptions they pay some of, but for people like me it's not much different than just not having the insurance. Amoxicillin is less than $10 with a prescription, and that's usually all I need if I get a soar throat and jazz. So once every couple years I'll get that and Mucinex D and I'm usually good in a few days.
Now if you want dental or vision those come separate. My last job offered them but I can't remember what they are split, something like $20 per pay period, so another $240 a year.
You also pay copays for the visits and deductibles for the procedures and something's aren't covered like normal.The sad thing is that is considered pretty good insurance to many people. My uncle always used private healthcare, and his was much higher than that.
5000$ deductible ? shit... must make you wonder why you're insured in the first place. The other big difference is that your insurance is tied to your job. What if you're unemployed, do you just not get glasses ? or the tooth filling that you need ? what's the alternative ? if you're unemployed at the moment, it stands to reason that you would have less earnings... at least 240$/year for dental (or is it dental+vision?) seems more reasonable.
There will be a day where USians will be able to boast about how good and cheap their coverage is, I'm confident. First the people have to win the revolution for that to happen, but surely it's something worth fighting for.
