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Americans often "complain" (say negative things) about their doctors and other "healthcare providers" (people and institutions that provide medical care). Many Americans complain about how difficult it can be to schedule an appointment with their doctor. For example, "physicals" (annual exams of general health) sometimes have to be scheduled many months in advance. Another complaint is that once an appointment is scheduled, the patient is expected to arrive on time, but the doctor often comes late. The doctors sometimes get "behind schedule" (doing things later than planned) and the patients have to wait for a long time in the "waiting room" (the area where one sits until a nurse calls one's name) and in the "medical exam room" (the small room where one speaks with a doctor).

One "common" (typical; usual) complaint is doctors don't spend enough time with patients. In the United States, doctors are often "under a lot of pressure" (told that they need to do something) to see as many patients as possible each day. This is the best way for their medical office or hospital to make more money, but it means that each patient might see the doctor for only 5-10 minutes, or even less.

Americans also complain about the cost of seeing a doctor. Without health insurance, seeing the doctor is "prohibitively expensive" (so expensive that one cannot do something). Even a simple appointment may cost hundreds of dollars. Americans who don't have health insurance rarely see a doctor until they have to go to the hospital for an "emergency" (a very critical, serious problem).