Business
Canada has fewer doctors, hospital beds, MRIs and among longest wait times than other countries with universal health care
From the Fraser Institute
By Mackenzie Moir and Bacchus Barua
Among a group of 31 high-income countries that have universally accessible health care, Canada has among the lowest availability of doctors, hospital beds, and most medical technologies—and some of the longest wait times, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“There is a clear imbalance between the high cost of Canada’s health-care system and the value Canadians receive—particularly in terms of availability of medical resources and timely access to care,” said Bacchus Barua, director of health policy studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Comparing Performance of Universal Health Care
Countries, 2024.
The study compares 31 universal health-care systems in developed countries using over 40 indicators.
In 2022, using the latest year of comparable data and after adjusting for age, Canada ranked among the top third of health care spenders—4th highest for spending as a share of the economy (11.5 per cent) and 9th highest for spending per person.
Despite Canada’s high level of spending, availability and access to medical resources is generally worse than in comparable countries.
For example, Canada ranked 28th (out of 30) for the availability of doctors, 25th for hospital beds, and 25th for psychiatric beds.
That same year, Canada ranked 27th (out of 31) for the number of MRI machines available per million people, and 28th for CT scanners.
Crucially, among the nine comparable universal health-care countries that measure wait times, Canada ranks 8th (second-worst) for patients who waited more than a month to see a specialist (65.2 per cent), and the worst (9th out of 9) for patients who waited two months or more for non-emergency surgery (58.3 per cent).
“Canadians are increasingly aware of the shortcomings of their health-care system,” said Mackenzie Moir, policy analyst and co-author of the report.
“To improve health care for Canadians, policymakers should learn from other countries around the world that do universal health care better.”
- Among 31 high-income universal healthcare countries, Canada ranks among the top third of spenders but receives average to poor value in return.
- After adjusting for differences in age between countries, Canada ranked fourth highest for spending as a percentage of GDP and ninth highest for spending per person in 2022 (the most recent year of comparable data).
- Across over 40 indictors measured, Canada’s performance for availability and timely access to medical resources was generally below that of the average OECD country.
- In 2022, Canada ranked 28th (of 30) for the relative availability of doctors and 25th (of 30) for hospital beds dedicated to physical care. The same year, Canada ranked 27th (of 31) for the relative availability of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines, and 28th (of 31) for CT scanners.
- Canada ranked last (or close to last) on three of four indicators of timeliness of care; and ranked sixth (of nine) on the indicator measuring the percentage of patients who reported that cost was a barrier to access.
- Notably, among the nine countries that measure wait times, Canada ranked eighth worst for the percentage of patients who waited more than one month to see a specialist (65%), and reported the highest percentage of patients (58%) who waited two months or more for non-emergency surgery.
- Canada’s performance for use of resources and quality and clinical performance was mixed.
- Clearly, there is an imbalance between the value Canadians receive and the relatively high amount of money they spend on their health-care system.
Authors:
MxM News
Quick Hit:
The Trump administration is investigating the Biden administration’s policy of mass poultry culling in response to bird flu, which led to the slaughter of 100 million chickens and skyrocketing egg prices. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced new efforts to lower costs and explore alternative containment strategies.
Key Details:
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled a plan to combat high egg prices, blaming Obama-era overregulation for the crisis.
- The Trump administration is reviewing whether mass culling is necessary and launching pilot programs to test alternative methods.
- Short-term relief efforts include importing eggs, though Rollins emphasized domestic solutions as the priority.
Diving Deeper:
The Trump administration is investigating the Biden administration’s handling of the bird flu crisis, specifically the decision to slaughter over 100 million chickens in an effort to contain the virus. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the inquiry during an appearance on America’s Newsroom, where she also introduced a new plan aimed at stabilizing egg prices.
The mass culling policy, which led to devastating losses for poultry farmers, was implemented during the Biden administration under federal guidelines that mandated widespread slaughter whenever bird flu outbreaks were detected. The move, coupled with supply chain disruptions, sent egg prices soaring in recent years. Rollins criticized the policy as part of a broader pattern of overregulation dating back to the Obama administration.
“When you go back to the long road of overregulation, it really started under President Obama,” Rollins said. “The result has been farmers struggling, higher food prices, and ultimately, policies that aren’t even proving effective.”
Rollins confirmed that the Trump administration is researching whether a shift in policy could mitigate outbreaks without resorting to mass culling. She revealed that pilot programs would be launched in select farms across the country to test alternative containment strategies.
“The avian flu spreads rapidly, and in many cases, the chickens succumb within days. But we are working with farmers who are willing to try new approaches,” she explained.
While the administration pursues long-term solutions, Rollins said they are taking immediate action by increasing egg imports to offset supply shortages. However, she emphasized that relying on foreign eggs is not a sustainable fix.
“This is about getting prices down now, but we are committed to ensuring America’s farmers are in the best position to supply our own food,” Rollins stated.
The Trump administration’s investigation into the Biden-era policies could lead to a shift in how the U.S. handles future avian flu outbreaks. With food prices remaining a top concern for American families, the administration is making it clear that restoring affordability and protecting farmers is a top priority.
From LifeSiteNews
Trump said in his first cabinet meeting that his administration will soon begin placing tariffs on products from the countries of the EU, accusing the European Union of cheating the US.
President Donald Trump blasted the European Union during the first cabinet meeting of his new administration, saying that “The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. That’s the purpose of it.”
“I love the countries of Europe,” Trump began, “but the European Union was formed to screw the United States.”
“Let’s be honest. The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States,” he reemphasized. “That’s the purpose of it.”
“And they’ve done a good job of it,” he said, before warning: “But now I’m president.”
Trump said that his administration will soon begin placing tariffs on the products of the countries of the EU.
Asked if he expected the EU to retaliate if the U.S. imposes stiff tariffs, Trump said: “They can’t. I mean they can try, but they can’t.”
“We are the pot of gold,” he explained. “We’re the one that everybody wants, and they can retaliate, but it cannot be a successful retaliation, because we just go cold turkey, we don’t buy any more, and if that happens, we win.”
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