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Published on May 2, 2024 • 2 minutes reading time
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 2, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Long waits for surgeries and medical treatment cost Canadians nearly $3.5 billion in lost wages and productivity last year, a new study says today published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-medical company. 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 work hours.
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“Waiting for medically necessary treatment continues to be a hallmark of Canada’s healthcare system, and in addition to increased pain and suffering – and potentially poorer medical outcomes – these long waits also cost Canadians time at work and with family and friends.” said Nadeem Esmail, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.
The study, The private costs of public queues for medically necessary care, 2024draws on data from the Fraser Institute’s annual report Wait your turn Survey of Canadian doctors who reported in 2023 that the national average wait time from specialist appointment to treatment was 13.1 weeks.
Crucially, the $3.5 billion in lost wages is likely a conservative estimate as it does not take into account the additional 14.6 week wait to see a specialist following referral from a general practitioner .
Combined (14.6 and 13.1 weeks), the average total wait time in Canada in 2023 was 27.7 weeks.
“As long as long wait times characterize Canada’s health care system, patients will continue to pay a price in lost wages and reduced quality of life,” said Mackenzie Moir, senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and co-author of the study.
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Because wait times and income vary by province, the cost of waiting for health care also varies. Residents of Prince Edward Island had the highest waiting costs per patient in 2023 ($4,805), followed by New Brunswick ($4,800) and Nova Scotia ($4,683).
Average 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 |
MEDIA CONTACT:
Nadeem Esmail, Senior Fellow
Fraser Institute
To arrange media interviews or for further information, please contact:
Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and education organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal and is connected to a global network of think tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and widely communicating the impact of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. In order to protect the institute’s independence, it does not accept government grants or research contracts. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org
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