I trained in Boston so I periodically keep tabs on the medical scene there. In the same vein of the previous entry I wrote today, comes this story from the Boston Globe.
. . . new patients in Boston wait an average 37 days to see a cardiologist, 45 days to see an obstetrician-gynecologist, and 50 days to see a dermatologist “” the longest waits of the 15 cities.
. . . They not only uncovered long waits, but also discovered that patients may ï¬nd it hard to reach a live person. Many physicians’ ofï¬ces had answering machines directing callers seeking appointments to leave messages. In many cases ofï¬ce staff did not call back even after the researcher left two or more messages.
. . . The Massachusetts Medical Society argues that in recent years physicians have begun fleeing the state “” or refusing to come “” because of relatively low fees and high malpractice premiums and cost of living.