While most Canadians would agree on the human cost of waiting for surgery and other medical treatments in Canada, few realize that there is also an economic cost in addition to the frustration, pain and stress for individuals and their families.
According to a Fraser Institute study published last year, the surgical wait times in the country cost Canadian patients a combined $1.08 billion in lost time and productivity in 2011. Read More…
Canada does have a problem with excessive wait times but i have studied this extensively and found that there is no easy answer. We have quality health care and our costs are much lower because we are willing to live with wait times.
Never head of the OECD before. So they are countries that provide some kind of health standard?
Now imagine if you lived in the States. You’d be dead already.
It is referring to delays times for major surgery.
In Canada you may need to wait several months for things like organ donors too.
Wait times are a problem? What country are you in? I’ve gone to the hospital many times and never had to wait more than 30mins. Unless 30 is too long?
Can someone explain this to me?
I would still prefer our system versus the U.S.A. though where i read horror stories of people going into bankruptcy just for an infected thumb.
It’s true you need a combination of the two types: public and private to resolve this issue. I think in time Canada will look to this approach but for now i doubt it because to do so will actually increase the burden cost to tax payers since the price of healthcare will rise a little as it has with other OECD countries.