Originally Posted by
Common Sense
Canada certainly does have an issue when it comes to wait times for specific procedures.
There are several factors that contribute to that...Canada is vast and remote communities are under served by healthcare providers. Our aging population means an increased need for services and a lack of professionals hurts too.
The myth that Canadian doctors (and patients for that matter) flood to the US is indeed overstated. Canadian doctors are making comparable incomes. Many do make less, but many do make similar incomes.
Canadians overall have more access to healthcare and it's not as if there aren't wait times in the US for many people.
Personally I've never had issues with wait times...but I live in a major city. If I want to see my doctor (who I chose), I can usually see them the next day and any specialists I've seen are immediate as well. I can also choose to pay out of pocket for things like MRIs as well.
The Canadian system is far from perfect and definitely is flawed, but Canadians are generally happy with it. I wouldn't insist Americans adopt it...but it's a good system.