INTERSECTIONS: US has longest health care waiting times

[KT2000]

1. Crazy thing happening

where I live. For people new to their health plans, they have to select a doctor. All doctors in the area will not schedule a new patient for 3 months. No specialists will see patients without a referral so that means a 3 month plus wait. I should say that most doctors are employed by the hospital.
Our local ER is not very busy during the day but after work hours it is jam packed with people needing non-emergency care.

Maybe it is like this everywhere but it does not make sense. How could every doctor require the 3 month wait unless it was something dictated to them.

I was dealing with a friend who was obviously having a mental issue and when I asked where I could take him I was told he would need a referral after the 3 month wait.