americans wait longer to see primary-care physicians than patients in britain, germany, australia, or new zealand--all countries with strong public-health systems.
nearly one quarter of americans reported waiting six days or more for an appointment with their doctor. new zealand scored best, with just 3 percent waiting that long, followed by australia (10 percent), germany (13 percent), and britain (15 percent).
canada rounded out the bottom, with more than a third waiting six days or more. similarly, america shares with its northern neighbor the dubious honor of being ranked last in terms of patients' ability to make same-day appointments.
only 26 percent of americans and canadians reported being able see their doctor on the day they called, compared with 60 percent in the netherlands and 48 percent in britain....
