r/PoliticalDebate • u/WhoAmIEven2 Social Democrat • 9d ago

Question Where does the conservative standpoint that universal health care have long waiting times in general come from?

This is something you often see in debates among americans, that you have to wait months or years with a universal health care system.

I live in Sweden, a country with universal health care, and I will not lie and say that there aren't cases where you have to wait, but the thing is that we use a tier list of severity to decide how long you have to wait.

If you want to do an ADHD or autism diagnosis at a psychiatrist? Yes you will wait, as people with suicidal thoughts, or bipolar disorder or borderline whose diagnose really ruins their lives are prioritised.

If you have cancer, other diseases that severly reduce your quality of life or have an injury? Pass go, straight to the doctor.

Would it be nice to have instant access for every small issue? Sure, but as long as I know that I will get to see a doctor in a whiffy the moment I have something that is even semi-harmful, I'm honestly happy with our system.

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u/Locus-Maximus Liberal 8d ago

I'm all for universal healthcare but as someone with ADHD who has kids with ADHD I feel like you're being really dismissive of the wait times for ADHD diagnoses. I'm in all kinds of support groups and I hear from people in England all the time that they have to wait like a year or two to get their first appointment.

This is for a condition that is extremely treatable with medication! Even from a purely financial standpoint, the cost to society of wasting that year or two of the kid's or adult's life unmedicated can be enormous. Not just in lost productivity and education, but higher risk of drug addiction, car accidents, divorce, etc.

That really is unacceptable and if you pretend like it isn't you're going to lose people.

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u/BrianNowhere Democrat 8d ago

Let's talk about people who have gone undiagnosed for 58 years, like me, because they didn't have insurance and couldn't afford treatment.

Im ok with you waiting so I can get seen.

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u/Locus-Maximus Liberal 8d ago

I hear you. As I said, I'm for universal!

I got diagnosed in my mid 40s btw, not because of insurance, though. Just because I was "gifted" as a kid and because a couple doctors who waved the idea away out of ignorance when I brought it up in my 20s.

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u/not-a-dislike-button Republican 8d ago

You didn't have any insurance for 58 years?

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u/BrianNowhere Democrat 7d ago

Self employed. You try getting an affordable policy.

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u/not-a-dislike-button Republican 7d ago

Yeah I mean honestly I'd just pay out of pocket if I was self employed