America's medical system is a joke. Procrastination, delay and billing are its guiding principles. Most doctors could care less about a patients well being. If treatment is simple, they will often try to stretch it out over several appointments (which may extend over a month or more) so that billing can be increased. However, if the patient has more complex issues in which the doctor has to think for a few minutes, then this patient is most likely going to receive poor medical care. Most doctors do not like to think. They like text book cases.
Getting appointments to see specialists takes weeks or even months. Testing takes additional weeks. Sometimes testing is not even ordered on the first appointment but delayed to the 2nd or 3rd appointment so that additional revenue (via the additional appointments) can be generated for the practice. Time passes by and the patient simply rots away and deteriorates.
American doctors have no incentive to promptly treat patients.
Doctors define a successful practice as one in which income greatly exceeds expenses. A successful practice IS NOT defined as one in which patients receive prompt, timely diagnosis and treatment. Prompt treatment decreases billing. Many practitioners are perfectly happy making one misdiagnoses after another - provided they get paid. If the patients misery is extended by months or years then thats just tough luck for the patient.
The entire medical system in the US is a joke. And despite media hype, Obamacare does nothing to fix this problem.
In the future, the medical system needs to be scraped. A new system should be implemented whereby doctors are rewarded for properly - and promptly - treating patients. Perhaps all doctors can receive a standard salary based on their specialty and then they can receive additional income based on the numbers of patients they properly treat. Some type of regulatory body will be needed to gather patient input on their treatment progress. The federal government cannot be this regulatory body. They are inept. I asked them to send me a Schedule A tax form and they couldn't even do that right. They sent me an envelope stating there were 2 Schedule A tax forms enclosed. I looked inside the envelope and there were ZERO Schedule A forms.
This new regulatory body could possibly be financed thru patient fees. Most people will not mind paying extra up front if their problem is quickly diagnosed and fixed so that no additional appointments are needed and they are not stuck taking drugs for years (or life).
America's medical system needs a serious overhaul. Too many patients aren't getting the help they need. Doctors procrastinate and have little incentive to promptly treat patients.
