Wait times for medical treatment in Canada by province median 2023 | Statista (2024)

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Wait times for medical treatment in Canada by province median 2023 | Statista? ›

In other words, the median wait from a referral by GP to treatment in Canada reached an average of 27.7 weeks in 2023. However, the median waiting times in Canada ranged from 22 weeks in Ontario to 57 weeks in Nova Scotia.

Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2023 is an annual survey of physicians across Canada, finding a median wait time of 27.7 weeks—the longest ever recorded—with national wait times longest between a referral by a GP and plastic, orthopaedic, and neurosurgery, while shortest for radiation and ...

As reported by the Health Council of Canada, a 2010 Commonwealth survey found that 39% of Canadians waited 2 hours or more in the emergency room, versus 31% in the U.S.; 43% waited 4 weeks or more to see a specialist, versus 10% in the U.S. The same survey states that 37% of Canadians say it is difficult to access care ...

Canada fares better than the United States with regard to coverage, cost, and health outcomes. While overall access is better in Canada, patients are sometimes required to endure longer wait times than in the United States.

In Ontario, the average wait time for the thousands of prospective patients on the province's list looking to be connected to a family doctor is, according to the government, around 90 days. But that, of course, is the average.

British Columbia, the top-ranked province, places third behind Switzerland and Sweden, with “A”s on 4 of the 11 indicators.

In other words, the median wait from a referral by GP to treatment in Canada reached an average of 27.7 weeks in 2023. However, the median waiting times in Canada ranged from 22 weeks in Ontario to 57 weeks in Nova Scotia.

Canada has the longest waits for family doctors, specialists and emergency care of 11 peer countries.

Canada does not pay for hospital or medical services for visitors. You should get health insurance to cover any medical costs before you come to Canada.

Several factors have been identified as contributing to the excessive wait times for access to specialists in Canada, including limited specialty care resources, inconsistency in family physicians' abilities to order advanced diagnostic tests, and higher demands on the health care system at large.

What is the biggest problem in healthcare in Canada? ›

A 2022 survey found that 63 percent of Canadian individuals indicated a lack of staff was the biggest problem facing the national healthcare system. Access to treatment and/or long waiting times were also considered to be pressing issues.

The U.S. generally offers lower taxes and higher average salaries across medical specialties. Canadian doctors have lower education, insurance and operational costs. Lastly, remember that compensation is not the only factor to consider.

Even though Canada is just over the border, your U.S. health insurance plan will not be accepted there unless it specifically provides global coverage. American Medicare also is not accepted in Canada. It's important to purchase travel medical insurance in case you suffer an injury or fall ill while in Canada.

CMAJ: Why are wait times so bad in Canada? Simpson: There are bottlenecks everywhere. A lot of delays are driven by the fact that hospitals operate at very high capacity because there are large numbers of patients requiring alternate levels of care [who have nowhere else to go].

CIHI's data suggests the problems may persist. Although Canada's population continues to increase, fewer people are becoming family doctors than before. The five-year growth rate of family physicians in Canada slowed from nearly 13 per cent between 2012 and 2016 to 7.7 per cent between 2017 and 2021.

At the end of August 2021, nearly 169,000 Montrealers were waiting to be matched with a family doctor. The average wait time ranges from 279 days in the West Island for patients with urgent health problems such as cancer, up to 619 days for people in good health in neighbourhoods such as Verdun.

CMAJ: Why are wait times so bad in Canada? Simpson: There are bottlenecks everywhere. A lot of delays are driven by the fact that hospitals operate at very high capacity because there are large numbers of patients requiring alternate levels of care [who have nowhere else to go].

The national wait time average across Canada in 2023 was 68 minutes, a 31 minute increase from 2022 when it was 37 minutes.

Once you have Permanent Resident status and are actually in Canada, there is a wait period which varies from province to province. I believe three months is the average. If you are not a Permanent Resident or Canadian citizen you will not qualify for any provincial healthcare plan.

Healthcare in Canada is publicly funded, meaning the cost of health and medical expenses is shared by taxpayers. This single-payer system means that eligible users typically do not have to pay for most healthcare and hospital services in Canada.