Medical wait times in Canada getting worse

[Anonymous]

Socialism kills.

I am not impressed with Canada's health care system. Israel's is superior.

Taiwan's health care is better and cheaper than Canadian health care.

[Anonymous]

By Colin Craig, president of Secondstreet.org, a new Canadian think tank



MRI choice for patients has grown substantially



Should you be allowed to use your own money to try to improve your health? A quarter century ago, it was a controversial decision for the Alberta government to say "yes" to that question when it came to allowing private MRI scans.



At the time, patients could either wait ages for the government to provide an MRI scan or leave the country and pay for a faster scan; private clinics were not allowed to sell scans to the public in Canada.



But all that changed when the Alberta government decided to allow a private MRI clinic to open in Calgary. Some critics, many of whom had a comfortable monopoly on health care, fear-mongered about the policy change, arguing that giving patients choice would "undermine" the government's health care system.



Well, that was 1993. Secondstreet.org decided to see where things are at today in Canada.



What we found was that a majority of provinces now allow patients the same choice Albertans have had for over a quarter of a century — wait for the government's health care system to provide an MRI scan at no charge or pay out-of-pocket at a private clinic.



British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick now allow private clinics to sell MRI scans to the public. (Note: The current B.C. government is in court trying to clamp down on private health care options in the province.)



Ontario outright bans private MRI scans, while Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland do not yet have private clinics that sell scans to the public (proponents would need to apply for approval).



In the case of Ontario, restrictive health care policies are still pushing patients— as well as some doctors and capital investment — from Canada to outside the country.



For example, one Ontario resident, Jocelyn, described to Secondstreet.org how she has taken her son and a parent to Buffalo for MRI scans in the past. Why? Because the procedures are provided much more quickly.



According to the Ontario government's own data on MRI scans, less than 40 percent of patients are scanned within the target time frame set by specialists and health care administrators.



Jocelyn is not alone when it comes to leaving the country for faster health care. Statistics Canada data obtained by Secondstreet.org shows that Canadian patients made over 217,000 trips outside the country in 2017 specifically for health care.



And each time a patient leaves the country for health care, their money helps create jobs and opportunities in other countries — not that you can blame a patient for trying to improve their health.



It should also be pointed out that each time a Canadian patient visits a private clinic for an MRI scan, they're one less person waiting in line in the government's system – shortening the waiting list for everyone else.



There are many countries with universal health care systems that perform better than Canada.



For example, Australia, New Zealand and Norway all provide better results according to the progressive Commonwealth Fund's 2017 study on health care systems. What do those countries have in common? They operate public health care systems alongside private health care clinics.



It should be clear that private health care doesn't "undermine," public health care. Not only does it provide patients more choice, it reduces the strain on the public system.

[Anonymous]

This is  true of every province, not just Alberta. Health care delivery must be reformed and soon.



Ben Eisen is a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute's Alberta Prosperity Initiative. This column was co-authored by Mackenzie Moir, a junior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute.



Health care reform at heart of any attempt to right Alberta's fiscal ship



In 2019, Alberta spent significantly more per person on health care than any of the other large provinces — specifically, between 13 per cent and 22 per cent higher than British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.



This despite the fact that all three of these other provinces have significantly older populations than Alberta, which places upward pressure on costs.



Moreover, Canada — as a country — is a big spender on health care compared to other economically developed countries.



As recently compiled data from Canada's Institute for Health Information shows, in 2018 Canada was among the highest spenders on health care in the world — 24 per cent higher than the average for the OECD, a group of the world's most developed countries.



Sadly, there's little or no evidence to suggest that all this spending translates into outstanding delivery of health care services.



For example, recent Fraser Institute research found that, in 2017, Canada was near the bottom or middle of the OECD pack for the availability of physicians, nurses and hospital beds.



Back in Alberta, there's worrying evidence that the province's big spending compared to other Canadian provinces may not be producing the desired outcomes.



For example, according to recent research, health care wait times are generally longer in Alberta than in the rest of Canada.



In 2019, Albertans faced a median wait time of 28 weeks for treatment after a referral from a family doctor compared to a national average of 20.9 weeks.



In short, per-person health care costs in Alberta are among the highest in the world, but the evidence suggests our health care system is not commensurately excellent.



Kenney's government has committed to putting Alberta's finances on a more sustainable footing.



This is a big job; it won't be easy.



But it will likely be impossible without policy reforms that find savings in the health care system.



As such, the government is right to seek expert advice on how to get better value for money in health care.



Hopefully, the soon-to-be-released Ernst and Young report will present evidence-based strategies and reform options to simultaneously find savings and reduce wait times, and thus take steps toward the creation of a truly world-class health care system in the province.

[Anonymous]

This is  true of every province, not just Alberta. Health care delivery must be reformed and soon.



Ben Eisen is a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute's Alberta Prosperity Initiative. This column was co-authored by Mackenzie Moir, a junior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute.



Health care reform at heart of any attempt to right Alberta's fiscal ship



In 2019, Alberta spent significantly more per person on health care than any of the other large provinces — specifically, between 13 per cent and 22 per cent higher than British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.



This despite the fact that all three of these other provinces have significantly older populations than Alberta, which places upward pressure on costs.



Moreover, Canada — as a country — is a big spender on health care compared to other economically developed countries.



As recently compiled data from Canada's Institute for Health Information shows, in 2018 Canada was among the highest spenders on health care in the world — 24 per cent higher than the average for the OECD, a group of the world's most developed countries.



Sadly, there's little or no evidence to suggest that all this spending translates into outstanding delivery of health care services.



For example, recent Fraser Institute research found that, in 2017, Canada was near the bottom or middle of the OECD pack for the availability of physicians, nurses and hospital beds.



Back in Alberta, there's worrying evidence that the province's big spending compared to other Canadian provinces may not be producing the desired outcomes.



For example, according to recent research, health care wait times are generally longer in Alberta than in the rest of Canada.



In 2019, Albertans faced a median wait time of 28 weeks for treatment after a referral from a family doctor compared to a national average of 20.9 weeks.



In short, per-person health care costs in Alberta are among the highest in the world, but the evidence suggests our health care system is not commensurately excellent.



Kenney's government has committed to putting Alberta's finances on a more sustainable footing.



This is a big job; it won't be easy.



But it will likely be impossible without policy reforms that find savings in the health care system.



As such, the government is right to seek expert advice on how to get better value for money in health care.



Hopefully, the soon-to-be-released Ernst and Young report will present evidence-based strategies and reform options to simultaneously find savings and reduce wait times, and thus take steps toward the creation of a truly world-class health care system in the province.

We're spending more on health care now than we ever have, it consumes about forty per cent of my province's budget, but services keep getting delisted and wait times keep growing..



Why are we spending so much for so little.

[Anonymous]

Interesting report on the state of Canada's mediocre health care system.



Steven Globerman, author of Understanding Universal Health Care Reform Options:



Private Insurance, to be released Tuesday by the Fraser Institute, breaks down the findings:



What Is the biggest TAKEAWAY?



Canada is unique in that it does not rely on private insurance for coverage of medically necessary services, where all other high-income



OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries (17 in total were involved in the study), which are considered to provide universal health care, have private health insurance to a greater or lesser extent, so that's the first point. I guess the takeaway from that observation is that it's certainly consistent with universal coverage to have private insurance or, to put it another way, having private insurance does not necessarily lead to a departure from universal health-care coverage, which is obviously a goal that Canada has.



Anything ELSE of INTEREST to CANADA?



The second takeaway is that there are different manifestations of private insurance. For example, precisely how it's provided and what it covers and that varies ... But the important point is that there is no evidence that allowing private insurance leads to ... lower-quality health care. In fact, the evidence is that in certain (cases), allowing private insurance actually improves outcomes, including for lower-income individuals, and this is particularly true with respect to wait times.



What does private INSURANCE have to do With Improving WAIT TIMES?



Take Australia or Denmark. These are two countries where private insurance is primarily used to facilitate faster access to medical services and also a wider selection, a greater choice, of who your provider's going to be — particularly who your specialist provider is going to be. now, obviously what the private insurers want to do ... is to enable their customers to have faster access to services. so the private insurers will pay doctors and clinics sufficient money so that they will provide the services that the insurers' clients want. and if they want faster service, then they'll pay more for those providers and clinics to stay open longer hours to provide that service.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine needs an operation on his wrist. He has been waiting almost one year. Manitoba Health Care is crap.

[Anonymous]

Canada is not the model Americans want if they are planning major changes to health care delivery.



https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/while-americans-pine-for-medicare-for-all-canadians-look-for-us-style-private-insurance?fbclid=IwAR0neWgSEgD2nkzTUNPomYKdb5bbVWERQqnzmoZwTahsKHkEClEN8OztTVw">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opin ... lEN8OztTVw">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/while-americans-pine-for-medicare-for-all-canadians-look-for-us-style-private-insurance?fbclid=IwAR0neWgSEgD2nkzTUNPomYKdb5bbVWERQqnzmoZwTahsKHkEClEN8OztTVw

While Americans pine for 'Medicare for all,' Canadians look for US-style private insurance



Right now, Canada is the only high-income country with universal health coverage that bans its citizens from purchasing private insurance for anything deemed "medically necessary." "Medicare for all" would make the U.S. the second.



 Last year, Canadians faced a median wait of nearly 21 weeks to receive specialist treatment after getting referred by a general practitioner. Certain procedures come with longer waits. End-to-end, patients waited a median of 39 weeks for orthopedic surgery in 2019.



Private insurance could alleviate those waits. The Fraser Institute's research concludes that those using private insurance in other countries demand less care under the publicly funded coverage scheme. That frees up resources to treat needier patients, who must rely exclusively on public insurance. The result, per the new Fraser report? "A private health insurance market in Canada would reduce wait times for most, if not all, Canadians."



As Canada shows, government-provided universal coverage, and its ban on private insurance, isn't worth the wait.

[Anonymous]

Canada is not the model Americans want if they are planning major changes to health care delivery.



https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/while-americans-pine-for-medicare-for-all-canadians-look-for-us-style-private-insurance?fbclid=IwAR0neWgSEgD2nkzTUNPomYKdb5bbVWERQqnzmoZwTahsKHkEClEN8OztTVw">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opin ... lEN8OztTVw">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/while-americans-pine-for-medicare-for-all-canadians-look-for-us-style-private-insurance?fbclid=IwAR0neWgSEgD2nkzTUNPomYKdb5bbVWERQqnzmoZwTahsKHkEClEN8OztTVw

While Americans pine for 'Medicare for all,' Canadians look for US-style private insurance



Right now, Canada is the only high-income country with universal health coverage that bans its citizens from purchasing private insurance for anything deemed "medically necessary." "Medicare for all" would make the U.S. the second.



 Last year, Canadians faced a median wait of nearly 21 weeks to receive specialist treatment after getting referred by a general practitioner. Certain procedures come with longer waits. End-to-end, patients waited a median of 39 weeks for orthopedic surgery in 2019.



Private insurance could alleviate those waits. The Fraser Institute's research concludes that those using private insurance in other countries demand less care under the publicly funded coverage scheme. That frees up resources to treat needier patients, who must rely exclusively on public insurance. The result, per the new Fraser report? "A private health insurance market in Canada would reduce wait times for most, if not all, Canadians."



As Canada shows, government-provided universal coverage, and its ban on private insurance, isn't worth the wait.

Canada's health care is not very good, but it's expensive..



I know a lady that had a hysterectomy when I was in Taiwan that was sent home right after her surgery and

clearly before she was ready..



But, beds are needed.

[realgrimm]

Yup the ripple effect,we scrap the immigration process,open the gates with the promises of free accomidations and healthcare and you dont think the system is gunna bloat,Doctors have been trying to privitise under the guise of wait times and not being appreciated enough, not from lack of work but higher wages elsewhere..



System will fall to this soon enough and free healthcare for all will be our downfall

[realgrimm]

Hiccup

[caskur]

Yup the ripple effect,we scrap the immigration process,open the gates with the promises of free accomidations and healthcare and you dont think the system is gunna bloat,Doctors have been trying to privitise under the guise of wait times and not being appreciated enough, not from lack of work but higher wages elsewhere..



System will fall to this soon enough and free healthcare for all will be our downfall

Isn't your "free" healthcare paid by a tax levy by all tax payers? Ours is 3%.



There is not such thing as free healthcare because tax payers pay for it.



And private funded healthcare is a racket.

[realgrimm]

Yup the ripple effect,we scrap the immigration process,open the gates with the promises of free accomidations and healthcare and you dont think the system is gunna bloat,Doctors have been trying to privitise under the guise of wait times and not being appreciated enough, not from lack of work but higher wages elsewhere..



System will fall to this soon enough and free healthcare for all will be our downfall

Isn't your "free" healthcare paid by a tax levy by all tax payers? Ours is 3%.



There is not such thing as free healthcare because tax payers pay for it.



And private funded healthcare is a racket.

Agree



Governing bodies put "free" to encourage migrants ,stating nobody in Canada will go untreated due to poor class.. like in the 80s we were told gst was only going to be taxed for a year or two,now its used on our vices ,cigarettes,alcohol,booze,weed since the politicians can make us internalize it so it becomes our character flaws and our stoopid decision..so why is it there and why are some things more taxed then others, whats the rational,these are local sourced items yet its the governing body making sure its citizens are never fully comfortable

[Anonymous]

Yup the ripple effect,we scrap the immigration process,open the gates with the promises of free accomidations and healthcare and you dont think the system is gunna bloat,Doctors have been trying to privitise under the guise of wait times and not being appreciated enough, not from lack of work but higher wages elsewhere..



System will fall to this soon enough and free healthcare for all will be our downfall

Isn't your "free" healthcare paid by a tax levy by all tax payers? Ours is 3%.



There is not such thing as free healthcare because tax payers pay for it.



And private funded healthcare is a racket.

Agree



Governing bodies put "free" to encourage migrants ,stating nobody in Canada will go untreated due to poor class.. like in the 80s we were told gst was only going to be taxed for a year or two,now its used on our vices ,cigarettes,alcohol,booze,weed since the politicians can make us internalize it so it becomes our character flaws and our stoopid decision..so why is it there and why are some things more taxed then others, whats the rational,these are local sourced items yet its the governing body making sure its citizens are never fully comfortable

We pay GST on the carbon tax.

 

[Anonymous]

Yup the ripple effect,we scrap the immigration process,open the gates with the promises of free accomidations and healthcare and you dont think the system is gunna bloat,Doctors have been trying to privitise under the guise of wait times and not being appreciated enough, not from lack of work but higher wages elsewhere..



System will fall to this soon enough and free healthcare for all will be our downfall

Isn't your "free" healthcare paid by a tax levy by all tax payers? Ours is 3%.



There is not such thing as free healthcare because tax payers pay for it.



And private funded healthcare is a racket.

Taiwan's health care is a mix of public and private..



It's cheaper and delivers much better care than Canada's..



Actually, nearly all services in Taiwan are better quality and cost taxpayers less than comparable services in Canada..



I miss Taiwan.

[caskur]

Yup the ripple effect,we scrap the immigration process,open the gates with the promises of free accomidations and healthcare and you dont think the system is gunna bloat,Doctors have been trying to privitise under the guise of wait times and not being appreciated enough, not from lack of work but higher wages elsewhere..



System will fall to this soon enough and free healthcare for all will be our downfall

Isn't your "free" healthcare paid by a tax levy by all tax payers? Ours is 3%.



There is not such thing as free healthcare because tax payers pay for it.



And private funded healthcare is a racket.

Agree



Governing bodies put "free" to encourage migrants ,stating nobody in Canada will go untreated due to poor class.. like in the 80s we were told gst was only going to be taxed for a year or two,now its used on our vices ,cigarettes,alcohol,booze,weed since the politicians can make us internalize it so it becomes our character flaws and our stoopid decision..so why is it there and why are some things more taxed then others, whats the rational,these are local sourced items yet its the governing body making sure its citizens are never fully comfortable

politicians are scum...





I don't know how many times I have to write that.