Our wait times worst in developed world

Whether you ask physicians or patients, the answer is the same — Canada is failing to provide timely access to medical care.

The U.S.-based Commonwealth Fund, in conjunction with the Canadian Institute of Health Information, just published the results of their health policy survey of adults in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The results indicate that Canada is not just lagging, but is literally scraping the bottom when it comes to indicators of timely access to health care.

Every country examined (except, some would argue, the U.S.) has a universal health-care system that ensures access to treatment regardless of ability to pay. They just do it differently. Most of these countries generally allow the private sector to provide core healthcare insurance and services and require patients to share in the cost of treatment.

In the Netherlands, the top performer in-terms of ability to get a same/next day appointment and after-hours care, individuals must purchase a standard insurance package from private insurers in a regulated, but competitive, market. A for-profit company is the market leader.

Whether it’s the Commonwealth Fund report or the Fraser Institute’s annual wait times survey, the evidence is clear. Canadians wait far too long for treatment — compared to 26 years ago, compared to what doctors consider reasonable, and compared to other countries with universal health care.

It’s time to fix the system. To retain the promise of universal health care that Canadians cherish, we must change the way we attempt to deliver it. Bacchus Barua is an economist at the Fraser Institute.