Ironically some of the SEA countries probably have better medical services than Tokyo.

You guys are criticizing me for calling Asia a monolith but I can assure you the difference between Tokyo and Myanmar is smaller than NYU and the Midwest

You are correct indeed. That's why some countries in SEA are major medical tourism destinations for many people from western countries.

Some of the best medical centers in the country are in the Midwest...

Very true. But for every Cleveland Clinic there are a hundred other midwestern cities that lack a similar tier institution, but you might have three similar institutions to CC in NYC or on the west coast to choose from. Having to drive over an hour to see your specialist while you are senile is not ideal, but is a reality for a lot of people in the midwest by virtue of the sprawl and low density of services.

Have you commuted or driven around NYC or LA? Unless you live in the same neighborhood, your commute to the hospital is already going to be 30-60 minutes. Not to mention that of the top hundred hospitals in the country, only a handful are in NYC or LA.

One could make an argument that living in rural areas is worse than urban ones when it comes to access to top medical care, but that has nothing to do with the NYC/LA vs. the rest of the country.

Midwest like the Mayo Clinic?

Will you be living next to Mayo Clinic when you have your heart attack, or something closer to the median hospital in the region?

Like the Cleveland Clinic, Northwesten Medical, or University of Michigan?

There’s some confused thinking in this thread I think.

The 4 hospitals you've named will serve tens of millions of people?

How about the ambulances in Detroit which take 45 mins, or the south Chicago hospitals who refuse to treat gunshot wounds?

Of course there are institutions in the midwest. Some of the best universities are in the midwest. But practically if you lived in, say Lodi, it would take you over an hour to drive to the cleveland clinic main campus to see a specialist. That might be fine while you are 35 but untenable when you are 85.

The services are there but the density is low and the sprawl is wide in the midwest, and your only option is the car or to be entirely dependent on a relative to shuttle you to your appointments as public transit is anemic to non existent outside of chicago.