Canadians are increasingly seeking medical treatment abroad鈥攁 trend known as medical tourism鈥攆or several key reasons, many of which stem from challenges within the Canadian healthcare system:
1. Long Wait Times
- One of the biggest drivers.
- According to the Fraser Institute, median wait times for specialist consultations and procedures can range from weeks to many months, depending on the province and specialty.
- Delays can significantly impact quality of life and health outcomes, prompting patients to look for faster options abroad.
2. Limited Access to Specialized Treatments
- Some cutting-edge procedures, treatments, or drugs may not be available or approved in Canada.
- Patients with rare diseases or complex conditions sometimes go abroad for experimental treatments, advanced diagnostics, or surgical techniques not yet adopted domestically.
3. Restricted Private Care
- Canada has a largely public, single-payer system that prohibits most private healthcare services for publicly insured treatments.
- Some patients prefer private clinics abroad to bypass restrictions and gain more control over their healthcare choices.
4. Cost-Effective Options for Uninsured Services
- Some procedures (e.g., dental work, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments) are not covered by provincial health plans.
- These can be far cheaper in countries like Mexico, Thailand, India, or Costa Rica, even after travel costs.
5. Increased Global Awareness and Access
- The internet and global marketing make it easier to find and evaluate reputable foreign healthcare providers.
- International hospitals increasingly cater to medical tourists with English-speaking staff, accreditations, and bundled travel packages.
6. COVID-19 Backlog
- The pandemic created further delays and backlogs in non-emergency surgeries and diagnostics.
- This intensified frustrations with the system and led more Canadians to explore alternatives abroad.
Common Destinations for Canadians Seeking Care:
- United States (especially for urgent, specialized, or high-tech care)
- Mexico (dental and cosmetic procedures)
- Costa Rica, Thailand, India (elective surgeries, wellness retreats, and lower-cost private care)
Would you like examples of specific procedures Canadians often seek abroad, or stats on how many go each year?
Why does CANADA want more IMMIGRANTS? – VisualPolitik EN
Video COMMENTS:
The Fine Print: Trudeau defeated Harper against all odds? Umm, We all knew Harper was done. It was merely a question of would it be an NDP-Liberal coalition, a Liberal minority, or a Liberal majority. Turns out it was a Majority.
John Hill: Harper made our economy one of the strongest in the world and then milked that for the next 8 years, didn’t accomplish much else XD
Brenton Siddons: ….please prove your point…in what way did Harper “milk the economy”….by managing the country through a major recession successfully?
TrapDaddy65: Just because some people are against open borders does not mean they are anti-immigrant. I have a front door. That does not mean I don’t want anyone in my house. It means I want to decide who comes into my house.
MajorrBison: I believe you!
Desean Dollaz: You want Canadians to help the world yet people like myself living in Canada needs help and change. Inflation keeps going up yet minimum wage doesn’t budge, the average cost for a home in Ontario is roughly about seven hundred thousand and statistics say 70 % of people within my age group 20 to 30 will be homeless in the coming years. This is the result of many who cannot keep up with the cost of living and working pay check to pay check sets us up for failure. So before we help the world we should start right a home by helping our self’s. That would be a commercial worth watching, call it “Start at Home”
tvhjtg yghyt: i am aged 49 without home, I felt myself failure and also feel life is so hard!
Nethan Lewis: Apparently Germany and Sweden is really safe right now. Also ask Britain.
President Donald J. Trump: Because unlike you Eurocucks, in North America we make sure our immigrants are actually from where they say they are from lol
Mathieu MacAdam: One sided much jeesh…. thanks for being honest about being 100% globalist while not showing any of the difficulties associated…..
Candice Nicole: Andy Lee oh yeah – since you obviously feel globalism is a left right question, I’m curious how you came to that conclusion given the Conservative Party has signed the vast majority of global trade agreements…
Andy Lee: Candice Nicole -No. You’re likely making assumptions. I don’t think it’s a left/right issue at all. In practice I see little difference between politicians of either brand. The fact that individuals are left to choose between evil and a “lesser evil” is no accident in my opinion. If you were free to live your own life as you see fit, without hurting another individual or taking their property, would you not support their right to do the same?
alex black: Justin is working for George Soros.
Truth Monger: Multiculturalism is a slow death to the host population, and Canada is certainly proving this. Our standard of living is actually DROPPING every year, as our infrastructure crumbles; ridiculously long wait times for health care; mass unemployment in all the provinces except Ontario and Quebec; our native aboriginals are living in filthy plywood shacks; we’re importing endless waves of Muslims who are notorious for refusing to integrate into their host country and instead make ever increasing DEMANDS to push their Sharia Law into Canada. The Muslims have now infiltrated our politics, and have recently introduced bill M103 which makes it ILLEGAL for Canadians to criticize Islam, and yes, you could be thrown into jail. Canada continues to flush its European heritage down the toilet. Funny how this Liberal host fails to mention any of these facts because he gets all his news from the liberal, corporate-run mainstream media.
Maurice Pleau: You are so right. I just have a really bad feeling that Canadians are going to stick this asshole back in charge of Canada. It seems that Canadians (like most western nations) have to be deeply affected in a very personal way and have their families and/or lifestyles seriously threatened before they will so much as open their eyes. And even then, it will take them half a generation to realize just what the hell happened. Not to be crass, but what in the hell is lighting a bunch of candles and throwing flowers around for the victims and their families and then praying for the whining scumbag cowards who are the perpetrators going to do? What has that ever done? Not a damn thing. Hey…I have a great idea, lets light more candles and buy more flowers and pray for these brainwashed assholes to just go away, or even become Christianized? Like that will work eh?