Medical wait times cost Canadian patients almost $3.6 billion in lost wages last year

“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 Bacchus Barua, director of health policy studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of The Private Cost of Public Queues for Medically Necessary Care, 2023.

The study draws upon data from the Fraser Institute’s annual Waiting Your Turn survey of Canadian physicians who, in 2022, reported the national median waiting time from specialist appointment to treatment was 14.8 weeks.

Crucially, the $3.6 billion in lost wages is likely a conservative estimate because it doesn’t account for the additional 12.6-week wait to see a specialist after receiving a referral from a general practitioner.

Taken together (12.6 and 14.8 weeks), the total median wait time in Canada for medical treatment was 27.4 weeks in 2022—the longest in the survey’s history.

“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, Fraser Institute policy analyst and study co-author.

Because wait times and incomes vary by province, so does the cost of waiting for health care. Residents of Manitoba in 2022 faced the highest per-patient cost of waiting ($4,463), followed by Nova Scotia ($4,230) and New Brunswick ($3,691).

Average value of time lost during the work week in 2022 for patients waiting for medically necessary treatment

(by province):

Media Contact:

Mackenzie Moir, Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute

Bacchus Barua, Director of Health Policy Studies, Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute

drue.macpherson@fraserinstitute.org