Let’s Talk Health: Need to see a doctor? Get in line

In a conversation earlier this month, someone told me they recently scheduled a checkup with a new doctor. Their appointment was three months away – not by choice.

That was the closest available date. There was also a wait list. Best case scenario, someone would cancel an appointment and this person could snatch that slot.

Waiting three months to see a doctor – it sounds like a joke. (Not a very good one.) Unfortunately, it’s not.

Also long are the wait times after you’ve finally secured an appointment. We’ve all been there ‑ we fill out some paperwork. Fiddle our fingers, check our phone and glance back and forth between the clock and the Dr. Phil re-run softly playing in front of us.

How long have I been here?

Not that this is of any comfort, but you’re not alone.

A report recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that Americans spend an average of 121 minutes to see a physician. Only 20 of those minutes are actually spent with the doctor. Another 37 minutes are spent on travel time. The other hour and four minutes are spent in the waiting room.

Not only does this mean people spend a good chunk of their morning or afternoon in a clinic, but because they probably asked for time off work, long waits also result in a loss of money. The value of patient time based on forgone activities – in this case, working – is what researchers refer to as opportunity cost.

The report calculates that on average, Americans lose $43 worth of time when they see a doctor. That’s in addition to their out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The total annual opportunity costs to patients for doctor visits in the U.S. in 2010 was estimated at $52 billion.

Time spent getting to a clinic and in the waiting room also differed by race. Black people and Latinos spent 25 percent more time than white people when getting care despite getting the same face-to-face time with the physician, according to the study.

The 2010 data used in the report showed that white people spent an average of 97 minutes in getting care, while blacks spent 125 minutes and Hispanics spent 130 minutes in getting the same care. Meaning black people and Latinos wait longer and face higher opportunity costs.

While the study did not dive into the reasons behind the disparities, I don’t think it is farfetched to assume the difference in wait times is connected with more black people and Latinos tending to live in disadvantaged areas. Lower-income communities tend to have fewer doctors, which can result in overbooked clinics. Rural areas, with fewer clinics, also means people will have to travel farther to access care.

Crowded waiting rooms in Merced clinics are not a rare site. The demand for health care is significant and continues to grow as more people become insured under the Affordable Care Act. It is well known that the Valley in general struggles to attract physicians, who tend to flock to bigger cities with better pay.

The report does not, however, take into account health status, reasons for visits, illnesses or insurance status – all of which can also help explain the reasons behind the long wait times.

This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Let’s Talk Health: Need to see a doctor? Get in line."