“The collapse is caused mainly by debt and the economic crisis in Puerto Rico and historic privatization of the health care system there. Our research shows patients are waiting for six to eight months to get an appointment with a specialist. If that’s not a sign of collapse, I don’t know what is,” said Varas-Diaz.
Puerto Rico is just the canary in the coal mine. The entire US healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.
I’ve known people who’ve had to wait 6 to 8 months for a specialist and also, that privatization of health care thing.
Yep. It’s what’s gotten my father to pull his head out of his ass regarding public Healthcare. His last argument was longer wait times in Canada/UK, and the difference us pretty much gone. Broken doesn’t even begin to describe it.
A buddy of mine is a staunch republican, like almost died with covid because it’s not real type, he’s also a veteran. When he had to go to the VA after he got out, he said he needed a PHD to get his healthcare. That while he was a soldier, his only healthcare decisions were to go or not to go in for what he needed. His dad was a doctor growing up, so he didn’t know normal healthcare. I explained that civilians have had the VA type of healthcare for decades. I told him that was what Obamacare was supposed help with and be more like what he had as a soldier but the r’s weren’t having it. Next topic.
My buddy has* VA healthcare. The rest of us don’t even get to see a doctor, dentist or anything else.
Corrected.
It’s working as designed.
I live near a college town with a big medical center and lots of doctors graduating. Some of the specialists here are not taking new patients at all and there is no waiting list. Only alternative is to drive 50 miles to another city.
You’d think with the internet and all, that we could have better healthcare, not worse. Specialists could see you over zoom with a nurse taking all of your vitals in person. They’re just taking tests and talking to you, it’s not new science that way. You could even have 2 specialists seeing the same info and you could have them discuss it between themselves. Healthcare hasn’t been about health and healing for a very long time.