I had to see a neurologist not long ago and when it was considered critical, I saw one immediately. However, once it was deemed no longer an emergency, my followup appointment afterwards was 4 months later. The doctor put down that he wanted to see me in 2 weeks, but the earliest appointment available was 4 months later. Granted, perhaps he was in demand. It seems that long waits occur here as well. However, unless someone has been in the situtation and had to wait, they will deny waits exist in this country. I'm sure that if I knew a neurologist myself or had the funds to pay cash whatever they wanted to charge, I could probably get in to one somewhere in the U.S. without what is considered a life-threatening emergency.


>Good morning Tracy;
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>Good question. I have Blue Shield PPO so I can go to any doctor even without a referral. However, I have to see two doctors for different reasons and each one has a waiting list of four months! The biggest complaint I hear about medical care in places like Canada and the UK is the wait. So what is the difference?
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>Here I am back in the "real world" and all that. First day back to work. We are off to a good start. My major applicatgion worked for the three months I was away but does not work today. I guess that is one way to say hello! :)
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>Tom
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>>I am for universal health care in this country. However, Canada's situation concerns me. I have read many stories about Canadians flying to the U.S. for medical treatment as well as the alarming number of Canadian surgeons moving to the U.S. to practice here.
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>>Here are some:
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>>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/20/health/main681801.shtml?cmp=EM8705
>>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2007/08/22/abc-glosses-over-fact-canadian-parents-flee-their-country-give-birth
>>http://www.wockhardthospitals.net/news/canadian-patients.asp
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>>Whose system really does work? I am not looking to start an argument about the Canadian health care system, or the one here, or even any in the EU. I'm looking for a system that really works. The military healthcare system works, but it is too expensive to become a model for the U.S.