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Comment by codruterdei | Hacker News Reader

Judging by your name, I presume your Romanian. I think it’s very much ingrained in eastern European culture that sitting around this bad whereas more western cultures do not condemn it so much. So part of your hating the boring activities might be a cultural thing as well, even as a child. Also, it’s a deeply eastern European thing to have to wait around too much at the doctors office. However, I have the same experience with hating it, but I don’t think I had the balls to try to negotiate myself out of it.

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> Also, it’s a deeply eastern European thing to have to wait around too much at the doctors office. I remember waiting for an hour or so at the doctor's office in France. The doctor would give appointment times that assumed he'd spend 15 minutes per patients but he was friendly and patient with answering questions so he'd always end up being very late by the time evening came. Had that with multiple doctors so doesn't seem to be unique to Eastern Europe.

> The doctor would give appointment times that assumed he'd spend 15 minutes per patients but he was friendly and patient with answering questions so he'd always end up being very late by the time evening came.

I have a doctor like this, and it's totally worth the wait as she actually listens to people and provides useful information. I do generally try to get a morning appointment with her though, as otherwise it can take a loooooonnnnngggg time.

Yes, the wait is annoying but I do love doctors like this. It's a sign of a great doctor. Just always found it funny that they don't just adjust their appointment time given that the estimate they have is never actually attained in practice.

Mine told me that this always happens, so I schedule my appointments appropriately.

I typically show up an hour late at the doctors office if my appointment is in the afternoon. It gives the doctor some time to catch up on patients and when I show up I’m the next in line. It benefits both of us.

If you did that in the USA, you would lose your appointment and possibly be billed for a no-show.

A bill for healthcare? Foreign concept in Europe.

Hm? They have the Ausfallhonorar in Germany for if you miss a scheduled appointment.

It's not a bill for healthcare. It's a punishment for wasting resources. Like at buffets where they charge you for uneaten food on your plate when you leave.

HCPs in socialized medicine often still get reimbursed based on activity, so a missed appointment means they miss out on reimbursement. Makes sense you ought to owe them for costing them money.

Don't know about "Europe", but in France they're looking into setting up something similar for no-shows. Not sure where the law's at, but it's being considered at least.

I stand corrected

No, I grew up in a western culture and I also hated riding a train for 5 hours without entertainment.

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