A new study paints a stark picture of Canada's healthcare system, revealing that tens of thousands of citizens are leaving the country to receive medical treatment, often at great personal expense. The research, published by the Fraser Institute, estimates that 105,529 Canadians travelled abroad for care in 2025.
Record Wait Times Fueling an Exodus
The primary driver behind this medical exodus is Canada's notoriously long wait times for treatment. According to the report, the median wait between a doctor's referral and receiving treatment reached 28.6 weeks in 2025. This figure marks the second-longest wait ever recorded and is more than triple the wait time measured in 1993. Despite some of the highest levels of healthcare spending among developed nations, Canada consistently ranks near the top for the longest delays.
The study, authored by analysts Mackenzie Moir and Nadeem Esmail, is based on a survey of medical specialists. It found that nearly 2.1% of Canadian patients opted to seek care outside the country last year. The provinces with the highest numbers of residents departing were Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. The most common types of care sought abroad were in urology, general surgery, and internal medicine.
The High Personal Cost of Seeking Care
Choosing to go abroad for medical treatment is a significant burden for patients. They must leave their homes, often without the support of family and friends, and cover all costs out-of-pocket. This means Canadians are effectively paying twice: once through their taxes to fund the public system, and again for their private treatment and travel expenses abroad.
"One can only wonder how many more Canadians would seek care outside the country if they could afford it," the authors note. They also point out that their estimate is likely conservative, as it may not capture patients who leave without first consulting a specialist in Canada. Other methodologies suggest the true number of medical tourists could be substantially higher.
Beyond Wait Times: Seeking Better Options
While lengthy delays are the main factor, they are not the only reason Canadians look beyond the border for healthcare. Some patients seek access to more advanced medical technology, higher-tech procedures, or the chance for better outcomes. In some cases, patients are even sent abroad by the public system itself due to a lack of available resources or specific equipment at home.
The report contrasts Canada with other countries that have universal healthcare. In most comparable nations, patients have the option to access private alternatives within their own country if the public system cannot meet their needs. Currently in Canada, only Quebec offers some legal alternatives to the government system, with Alberta considering similar reforms. This lack of domestic choice forces those who can pay to travel internationally, while those who cannot are left to endure the wait.
The authors conclude that the flight of over 105,000 patients is a powerful indictment of the system's performance for those individuals. They argue that a better model would both work to reduce the reasons Canadians feel compelled to leave and allow them the option to purchase care privately at home, thereby increasing capacity and competition within Canada's borders.
