Wisconsin Watch13%
How long have you waited for a doctor’s appointment? 2%
By Natalie Yahr0% Wisconsin Watch18%
7/15/2026, 12:00:00 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 6 faulty reasoning types, including Attempt to Sell a Product or Service, Confirmation Bias, and Hindsight Bias, with Availability Heuristic as the most egregious example at 6% saturation with 21 hits. Analysis detected 90 faulty-reasoning hits from 351 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 12.8% and a BS Rank of 2% (15,931 of 16,256 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 98.00% of the article peer group.
In early May, as I sat waiting for a connecting flight at O’Hare, I decided to finally do something that had been on my list for far too long: schedule a checkup.
It had been years since I’d seen a primary care doctor.
I had a baby the year before, and with all the pregnancy appointments, I felt like I was getting enough checkups.
But when I called my clinic, I learned that I’d been away long enough to be considered a new patient, and they didn’t have space for me.
No problem, I thought.
I looked up other primary care providers on my insurance company’s website and chose one more or less at random.
I called to schedule an appointment.
The person who answered the phone warned me that the doctor was booking “quite far out.”
I wasn’t shocked: I’ve heard that a shortage of primary care doctors is leading to long wait times.
I waited to hear just how long it would be.
I don’t recall if the next available appointment was in August or October.
I do recall that it was in 2027, more than a year away.
“Let’s try someone else,” I said.
I scheduled an appointment with another doctor for August 2026, about three months out.
What about you?
How long have you had to wait to see a doctor recently, and how does that wait compare with years past?
As a pathways to success reporter, I report on how workers get trained for the jobs Wisconsin needs most.
I’m interested in the steps Wisconsin is taking to help more people become primary care providers, and whether those efforts are working.
Drop me a note at nyahr@wisconsinwatch.org or call or text me at 608-620-5610.
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How long have you waited for a doctor’s appointment?
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Analysis
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