Health care is “free” in Canada, but there is a catch. In Canada, it’s hard to make timely appointments for specialty care. SecondStreet.org, which is based in Canada, has been tracking patient data in Canadian provinces related to delayed surgeries and COVID-19. SecondStreet.org has documented 2,256 cases of patients who died while waiting for what could have been life-saving/life-improving surgery or diagnostic scans.

Private health care enterprise is banned for the most part in Canada. Many Canadians travel abroad to get the health care they need. Craig discusses one case of a mom who lost two children while waiting for health care. The most recent child had COVID-19 and was too sick to travel for care. Craig discusses how his organization compiled the data and sees where the trend is heading. Listeners in the U.S. might want to take note. Canada’s situation gives a glimpse of what Medicare for All could mean.

SecondStreet.org’s report can be found here: https://www.secondstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Policy-Brief-Died-on-a-Waiting-List-June-2021.pdf

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