Today I saw a doctor who actually spent 20 minutes with me: listening, asking questions, and reviewing my health history with care. In the U.S., the last time I got more than 15 minutes with a doctor was when I was in labor…
After the appointment, I went straight to the pharmacy. They checked my ID, pulled the medication from a cabinet, labeled it, and handed it to me on the spot. No waiting. No confusion. No insurance maze. From start to finish- doctor visit and prescription included- it took 50 minutes.
We still don’t have a diagnosis yet- we’re investigating whether my childhood lung condition has returned after having COVID in 2023- but I already have follow-up testing scheduled in two weeks. In the U.S., just getting in to see a pulmonologist covered by insurance could take months. November if I was lucky. January if I wasn’t.
And the cost? In the U.S., this would’ve easily been $400 or more- plus missed work and endless paperwork. In Sweden? $40. That’s it.
Here’s the thing: I don’t think the world truly understands how bad the U.S. healthcare system is. Honestly, I don’t even think most Americans know. We’re spoon-fed horror stories about long queues in “socialist” systems- but the irony is, the wait times and lack of access in the U.S. are worse. You just don’t notice it as much when you’re drowning in paperwork, co-pays, and denial letters.
Every system has flaws, but being treated like a human being instead of a billing code shouldn’t feel revolutionary. And yet… here we are.
Swedish Wanderlust 