Fraser Institute News Release: Medical wait times cost Canadian patients almost $3.5 billion in lost wages last year
May 02 2024 - 5:00AM
Long waits for surgery and medical treatment cost Canadians almost
$3.5 billion in lost wages and productivity last year, finds a new
study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent,
non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
An estimated 1.2 million patients waited for medically necessary
treatment last year, and each lost an estimated $2,871 (on average)
due to lost wages and reduced productivity during working
hours.
“Waiting for medically necessary treatment remains a hallmark of
the Canadian health-care system, and in addition to increased pain
and suffering—and potentially worse medical outcomes—these long
waits also cost Canadians time at work and with family and
friends,” said Nadeem Esmail, a senior fellow with the Fraser
Institute.
The study, The Private Cost of Public Queues for
Medically Necessary Care, 2024, draws upon data from the
Fraser Institute’s annual Waiting Your Turn survey
of Canadian physicians who, in 2023, reported the national median
waiting time from specialist appointment to treatment was 13.1
weeks.
Crucially, the $3.5 billion in lost wages is likely a
conservative estimate because it doesn’t account for the additional
14.6-week wait to see a specialist after receiving a referral from
a general practitioner.
Taken together (14.6 and 13.1 weeks), the total median wait time
in Canada for medical treatment was 27.7 weeks in 2023.
“As long as lengthy wait times define Canada’s health-care
system, patients will continue to pay a price in lost wages and
reduced quality of life,” said Mackenzie Moir, a senior policy
analyst at the Fraser Institute and study co-author.
Because wait times and incomes vary by province, so does the
cost of waiting for health care. Residents of Prince Edward Island
in 2023 faced the highest per-patient cost of waiting ($4,805),
followed by New Brunswick ($4,800) and Nova Scotia ($4,683).
Average value of time lost during the
work week in 2023 for patients waiting for medically necessary
treatment (by province):
British Columbia |
$2,963 |
Alberta |
$3,470 |
Saskatchewan |
$4,033 |
Manitoba |
$2,277 |
Ontario |
$1,660 |
Quebec |
$2,828 |
New Brunswick |
$4,800 |
Nova Scotia |
$4,683 |
Prince Edward Island |
$4,805 |
Newfoundland and Labrador |
$1,915 |
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MEDIA CONTACT: Nadeem Esmail, Senior
FellowFraser Institute
To arrange media interviews or for more information, please
contact:Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute604-688-0221 ext.
721drue.macpherson@fraserinstitute.org
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian
public policy research and educational organization with offices in
Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global
network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve
the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future
generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the
effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on
their well-being. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does
not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit
www.fraserinstitute.org