The average wait time to see a cardiologist is now more than a month
The average wait time in the United States to see a cardiologist is nearly 33 days, according to new survey data published by AMN Healthcare. This is significantly longer than it took even three years ago.
To be exact, the average weight time for a cardiologist appointment was 32.7 days. This was a 23% increase compared to the average weight time in 2022 and a 74% increase compared to 2004. Wait times varied from one day to 175 days.
Leah Grant, president of AMN Healthcare’s physician solutions division, told Cardiovascular Business that this increase comes from a variety of causes.
“Cardiology is caught in the same supply-and-demand squeeze as many other medical specialties,” Grant explained. “An aging patient population is spiking demand for cardiologists, while cardiologists themselves are aging out of the profession. Meanwhile, the supply of new cardiologists is limited as graduate medical education remains underfunded.”
The report also emphasized that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer in the U.S. and the world, all while patients continue smoke, drink excessively, get insufficient sleep or present with obesity. These details, Grant said, make the ongoing cardiologist shortage “sobering to consider.”
Another key takeaway from this report was the fact that 72% of cardiology practices said they accept Medicaid patients and 91% of practices said they accept Medicare. These numbers are noticeably higher than many of the other specialties included in the report.
AMN Healthcare included survey data from nearly 1,400 physician offices located in 15 U.S. metropolitan areas. All data were collected in January and February 2025. Other appointment types covered in the report included skin exams with a dermatologist, orthopedic surgery consultations, gynecological exams, physicals with a family practice physician and colonoscopy consultations.
The full report, “2025 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times and Medicare and Medicaid Acceptance Rates” is available for free from AMN Healthcare. Click here for the full document.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.