It's probably a bit of everything. And the fact that nobody wants to go places, especially not doctors offices, during the pandemic. That's basically the same reason I've been putting off a bunch of medical stuff too.
I have friends in Australia and New Zealand. Far as I can tell they've been only sporadically locked down during the whole time. So I feel like it's likely more that people have been avoiding care not that they are being denied.
I have the same deal as you, I put off going to a dermatologist for the last year. And getting new glasses.
I feel like peoples personal agency is wholly missing from the debate about what to do. Outfits like the WSJ are making the claim that the government is forcing people to stay home. When the reality is a lot of people have been noping out on their own irrespective of what government officials do.
Speaking as an Australian, it highly depends on where in Australia people are. A lot of Victorians will resonate with the article, I'm sure; Queenslanders not so much.
There were periods where the strong advice was to just wait a minute for non-urgent GP visits and general checkups. Also elective and non-urgent surgeries and day procedures have been suspended in hospitals a few times, either to manage infection risk or staffing shortages.
More than the actual closures though I think there’s been a perception in the public that it’s better to wait a bit. Vaccination rate is now 80% nation wide and over 90% here in Sydney so we’re up and running again.
I basically did the same for 2020 but it was more a "don't come for basics" attitude with the local provider so I am sympathetic.
In the 90's we did a rural health grant where we equipped an RV as a traveling doctor's exam room. I do wonder if that concept would have helped in the current situation.
