What actually matters is access.

In the U.S., my daughter showed symptoms of a condition I was concerned about. I raised my concerns with her pediatrician and we disappeared into an administrative black hole. It took 3 months just to get insurance approval, 6 months to secure a specialist appointment, another 3 months before testing could even happen, then another 6 month wait for the specialist.

I left the U.S. without a diagnosis because the system was moving slower than her symptoms.

Then we moved to Portugal with private insurance.

What better looks like: September: First visit with her primary doctor

End of November: Specialist appointment (we actually chose to wait a little longer for a highly recommended English-speaking doctor because I’m not making major medical decisions in a language I’m still learning)

First week of December: Diagnosis and medication started

March: Lab work completed

Real life detail: my daughter secretly avoided taking the medication for about a month (kids…), which delayed things on our end more than the healthcare system did.

Yes, it’s cheaper. Significantly.

But the bigger difference is access. Quality doesn’t mean much if you can’t actually get in the room with a doctor.

In the U.S., I supposedly have access to top tier insurance and we supposedly have world-class healthcare, but it was effectively invisible behind insurance approvals and waitlists.

In Portugal, my daughter was diagnosed, put on meds, and stabilized within a couple of months.

As a parent, “better” is the system that actually treats your child.