I'm late but I'd like to relay some personal experiences about the health care in Newfoundland, if that's alright.
From my understanding we go by how dire the situation is. When my Dads knee began crapping out it was six months before he was seen by a specialist and a year before surgery. The reason for that wait was because that was 'normal' wear and tear for 6'2, 240 pound man in his 50's. Understandable, if not annoying.
Two or three years ago my sister woke up with severe back pain and trouble breathing. A trip to the doctor later and she was whisked to a hospital where it was found that she had blood clots in her lungs as a result of the birth control she was on. The same day she saw a specialist and she was seen weekly after that. Just last week she was feeling pain again, went in, found an infection in her heart and she was on antibiotics and seen by a cardiologist the very next day and will be seen by one weekly.
When my grandmother had breast cancer she was in for treatment two days after they found out.
I guess my point is that wait times aren't a catch all thing? It's very case by case. A cyst on your ovary that is causing little trouble will be seen to but not before the woman who has a cancerous growth in the same spot is seen, you feel?
I dunno. I guess Americans pointing to the wait times bother me because they are focusing on the wrong parts.