I'm in the US and have to make an appointment with my GP 3 months in advance. If I don't call between 10am and noon or 2pm to 4pm, I can't make an appointment. The last time I went to the hospital, I waited 5 hours before I was seen. All they did was puncture a fingernail and wrap it up. That little maneuver cost me over $1000.
When I lived in the Bay Area, everyone wanted to go to USCF, which is understandable being a world-class medical system. So it wasn't that easy getting an appointment.
But for routine medical check-ups? I just went to another system and could get a same day appointment no problem. Hell, I even had 5-6 different slots I could pick from the same week.
Depends on how good your insurance is. PPOs, sure - though most of the country does not have as many doctors per capita as SF. Typically an HMO will only let you have one primary care provider.
Do those kind of HMOs even exist anymore? Last time I had an option like that from work was 2009 or something. Everyone switched to offering PPOs and HDHPs.
