A Spanish woman living in the United States, clear about the use of healthcare in our country

One of the most envied aspects of Spain is its healthcare . The public healthcare system offers free coverage to any resident and local, high-quality primary care. Locals often criticize the slowness of waiting lists or specialist appointments, and those who travel abroad can appreciate how fortunate we are in Spain.

And other leading countries, which many look up to, have extremely expensive healthcare systems. The perfect example is the United States, which arguably has the best doctors and techniques, but is particularly unequal and expensive, as well as not universal. Cristina , a Spaniard who has lived in Dallas (United States) for some time, notices the differences between the use of healthcare in both places.

That's why she now decided to compare how Spaniards and Americans are dealing with this issue on her TikTok profile (@cristinadasendallas) . Her comment, which goes beyond praising Spanish healthcare (as many would do), is quite surprising and has received 29,000 views.

"In Spain, you get a little stomach ache and you go to the emergency room. In the United States, you think twice," she begins her video, in which she confirms that, based on her experience, they are widely used here. "There, I think a lot more before going to the ER," Cristina emphasizes, also explaining that since living there, "I value time much more."

She points out that they live on the outskirts of Dallas, and there, "the price varies depending on whether it's before or after 8 p.m.," and also whether the care is provided at night. "When something hurts, you often think about whether I have to go now, and if not, I won't go until tomorrow ," she admits, aware that this thought comes to mind because "we've never faced a real emergency."

For all these reasons, Cristina wonders, "If it's not a real emergency, is it worthy of an emergency room or not?" To add more detail to the question, the Spaniard explains that a consultation for a simple pharyngitis can cost around $1,500 , and that's if you don't go by ambulance. "If you call 911, it's not even worth it..." she continues, before revealing that she's heard of cases of people going to the emergency room in Uber, and that for them to call an ambulance, it has to be something really serious.

"Do you think emergency room visits are overused in Spain?" she ends her post with this open question. Nearly 300 people have responded, and among the comments is one from Rubén, a healthcare professional who asserts that "emergency care in both countries is a world apart" and explains that in Spain, due to the universal system, there is "a certain saturation because urgent care is often confused with emergency care. We see many cases that could be resolved in primary care."

He himself emphasizes that, in the United States, the cost "makes patients think twice before going. The result is that when they arrive at the emergency room, in most cases, they are in truly serious situations, true emergencies." He also adds that "cultural perception also plays a role" and that "in Spain, people assume that 'the emergency room is for everything,'" while in the United States, scheduled care is much more prioritized. "Bravo! You explained it PERFECTLY ," Cristina thanks him.