Can't Get A Doctor's Appointment For Months? Here's Why.
HuffPost
The number of people waiting a long time to see specialists such as neurologists and cardiologists is disheartening. Experts reveal what's going on.
In a recent social media thread, dozens of people — even those with serious medical conditions — are speaking about the unnaturally long times they have to wait for an appointment with a specialist.
The original poster shared that her friend couldn’t get a neurology appointment after a stroke until May 2026 (yep, you read that right), and she herself couldn’t get an appointment with a gastrointestinal doctor until November. Several other users replied with similar sentiments about this problem — which is one of many in the U.S. health care system.
Many theories about why this is happening are floating around, and many of them are correct, doctors say. Below, specialists tell all about what’s going on behind the scenes and what they advise patients to do until more systemic changes can be made.
There’s a shortage of specialists.
The first reason is perhaps the most obvious: People have to wait forever to see a specialist because there simply aren’t enough.
