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Which country are you in and what's a typical doctor visit like? How much? Wait time? Etc

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Brazil

An USian journalist recently described his health care treatment in Brazil: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/06/29/brazil-health-care-sus-hospitals/

I believe this is a good description of the public health care here. I disagree with his statement on workers' strike. He didn't mention that Bolsonaro and Temer (last 2 presidents) reduced spending in public health care which probably impacted the hospital this journalist got taken care.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

We go to see a private doctor.

Here in Costa Rica you have to wait like 5 hours to get attended on a public hospital.

For the appointment you have to pay like $50 plus medications

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

I was on vacation in Portugal and twisted my ankle badly. It was in remote area, so hospital was not the best. But experience was ok. It was in a town with around 25k people. 2 hours of waiting. x-ray and doctor visit costed me 55 euros.

In my home country I pay 20 euros per month for private health insurance. This includes basic dental insurance. I guess, most expensive procedure I had is MRI of brain, but it was also fully covered so I’m not sure what was the price. There is free healthcare but I only had to resort to it once

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Poland:

If I'm sick or it's the 1st step in getting something diagnosed: I call the (public) clinic to book an appointment, get a date within like 3 days max. I usually leave with a prescription and paid doctor's leave for work. The visit costs nothing. If it's urgent you can walk in without an appointment or call the ambulance/go to the ER in your local hospital. This is free.

Sometimes the doctor gives you a medical referral to a specialist or for a certain test. This can be realized in the public health system, or at a private clinic.

Wait times vary a lot - some things like a blood test are very quick, but some specialists in the public system have very long wait times. Like, 6 months to a year. Some surgeries in the public system can take even longer. The public system is free, or has a small symbolic fee.

The private system is much faster for certain specialists - dentists, psychologists, dermatologists, injury rehabilitation, ect. but it also can't do everything. In my experience, almost all serious and niche surgeries are done in the public system for example.

Overall it's a decent experience, but the system is severely underfunded. This isn't really a case of mismanagement imo, it's genuinely just a lack of money in the system. Some surgeries can get delayed because money allocated for them ran out for the year.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Germany.

Well, the health system is great, as long as you don't get sick. Or need life-saving emergency care immediately.

But not for many things in between.

Example ADHD: The GP can write a referral to get diagnosed, for free, but no psychiatrist or psychological therapist (the only ones allowed to do that) will take you. So best bet is to pay out of pocket in a practice that does it over video and is recognised in Germany. Can be done under 1k EUR that way, at least (~ 2k EUR with a private, out-of-network therapist). Recurring prescription and private doctor is about EUR 150 per month; a therapy session costs EUR 200. It is absolutely realistic to get the prescriptions and meds covered by a doctor in the insurance network, though. Therapy through insurance is also a possibility if it's not urgent and you don't ACTUALLY have ADHD or depression so you can do many phone calls, like 6 - 12 months, and you don't care who treats you.

Glasses are also not covered, e. g. workplace glasses > EUR 500 out of pocket. But, randomly, a write-off. Treatment by a homeopathic practitioner - covered, just for the lulz.

But yes, about to die within 48 hours? As long as you can convince them that this is the case (got to self-diagnose and be a persistent ass if it's not obvious), you'll get help, it might be at a very decent level even compared to many other 1st world countries, and it'll be completely covered by insurance.

Also, the monthly premium is EUR 1100 (includes nursing care insurance; there isn't much nursing happening either way though). Employer pays half, freelancers pay full. It's not legal to quit and be "uninsured". Also, you can have it lowered if you can prove that you make under 66k per year (to 19 % of income).

Oh, and only the insurance premium is a tax write-off. What you have to pay out of pocket (talking about treatment that your GP deemed essential, not dental bleeching) is paid for by your net income.

Some other random things also work out within a month and are covered, such as a quick eye checkup, dental checkup / very basic dental filling (pay out of pocket for most filling materials, but not the time), anything a GP or family doctor can do in 10 minutes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

That...sounds much worse than what I or anyone in my immediate family and friend group have in the US.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

We don't have the right to just quit the system entirely, and that's a problem. That way, I pay the 1100 monthly premium and still nearly everything out of pocket.

The German system is far superior when you need immediate life-saving treatment AND are very very poor. Appendicitis, arm chopped off, cancer - they'll save you, and it costs nothing.

Something that will probably kill you in the next 8 years, or a curable condition like depression that makes you unable to work for years? No chance for treatment with coverage, but got to keep paying the premium anyway. Well, if unable to work, it's free, but you will not get your depression treated anytime soon.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

Ireland here. I have been relatively lucky with my health since I've been here (last 10 years). The GP I go to gives a small discount because of where i work. I pay 50 euros a pop to see the doc (usually 60 I think) but the last two times I needed to see the doc it was a same day appointment. I paid for insurance the first year I was here, tried to use it when I saw a GP and they laughed in my face. Also frequently had my daughter seen (for free), they seem to keep increasing the age for which kids are seen for free, now up to age 7?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

US expat in Colombia

For the general population, if you're sick you go to urgent care and maybe wait for several hours. If you need to see a specialist, those appointments can take a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on the type of specialty. Either way, the cost is about $3 (all prices are rough equivalents in USD) per visit to see a doctor.

My employer signed me up for private insurance that gives me "concierge service," so I have access to a different network of doctors with shorter wait times. If I'm sick, I can get a same-day house call. If I need a specialist, I can usually get an appointment in a two-week time frame. I pay about $50 per month for that (in addition to my normal taxes, which are used to fund the public system). My copay per visit, regardless of the type of doctor or procedure (exams, MRIs, etc.) is about $10.

One time, I paid out of pocket for an ultrasound because I didn't want to wait for the insurance company to approve it and go back for a separate appointment. It cost me about $25.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Costa Rica : You can have an appointment the same or the next day, and appointmens can be requestet online, by phone or getting to the nearest medical medical center. Costa Rica's social security covers everything, from medication to surgery and you are covered for the next theree months if you lose your job. There are few surgeried that are not practiced in the country as some may need technology that we do not have. The cons of Costa Ricas social health's service is that for some processes the waiting lines are very long and could take even a year or more. Might not be as good as european social health's services, but for a third world country I think is not any bad.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Sounds pretty good to me. If you lose your job and are still unemployed 3 months later, what happens then?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

You might still have access to social health care but you will be charged, if im not wrong would be something near a 10% of a minimum salary, in Costa Rica that is around 600 to 700 USD. But there are ways to keep your access, you can rely on your spouse coverage if you are married, some conditions might be treated if your life is at risk and children, elder people, indigenous people and people with certain dissabilities will always be covered.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

Netherlands. I can call to make an appointment, or do it online. Then i walk/bike there, its in the neighbourhood. We have about 10 minutes for an appointment. The doctor either refers me to a specialist, prescribes drugs (most doctors have a pharmacy attached), or does small procedures. For jabs, check ups, stool samples, that type of stuff, the assistent takes care of it most of the time. You can leave without paying.

We pay a monthly insurance that pays for everything, basically. im over simplifying, its not that straightforward, but its what it boils down to.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Netherlands here, I call, have an appointment the same or next day, insurance covers all costs.

If they proscribe meds, I pay a part up until a maximum of 385 euros per year (called "own risk") , anything above that is covered as well.

I'm also covered for physiotherapy (18 sessions without "own risk"), psychological therapy, dentistry and a variety of alternative medicine!

I pay a pretty hefty premium, like 170 euros a month, but that's because I have the lowest "own risk" and I blow through that in the first month or 3 with my rickety ass body 😂

Definitely beats footing the bill completely, I've seen what dentistry costs 😱

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Very affordable! 170 euros is less than typical US Obamacare insurance, which isn't top-grade and I don't think includes dentistry.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

385 is less than typical Obamacare per MONTH, depending on the state you're in.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

My bad, I quoted their yearly "at risk" not their monthly premium. Fixed it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

I'm in France in a small village but I'm quite lucky with the doctor situation.

If I'm sick I go online, see what shot is available for my doctor and book it, usually in the best few days. If it's urgent I can call or go there and I'll usually get an appointment during the day with my doctor or one of the other two doctors working there.

Then I walk there since it's 400m away.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Canadian here.

This one time 10 years ago I drove to my family doctor's office without an appointment and got lucky that it was a walk in day.

I saw my doctor within an hour of arriving and it cost me nothing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Hey! You better check if your family doctor is still there and say hi. At the minimum get a tetanus shot.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

I have seen my family doctor many times since then. No worries.

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