Waiting for necessary medical treatment in Canada last year cost more than 1.2 million patients almost $3.6 billion in lost wages and productivity — an average of $2,925 per patient — according to a new study by the Fraser Institute.
The report by the fiscally conservative think tank, “The Private Cost of Public Queues for Medically Necessary Care, 2023” says this is a conservative estimate because it only factors in the median wait time of 14.8 weeks patients face from when they see a specialist to when their treatment begins.
