Nearly half of Canadians open to private healthcare: study

Following years of worsening healthcare performance and rising wait times, Canadians are becoming more open to exploring private healthcare, with some ready to make the switch.

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Following years of worsening healthcare performance and rising wait times, Canadians are becoming more open to exploring private healthcare, with some ready to make the switch.

SecondStreet.org published a study on Wednesday highlighting that 48 per cent of Canadians are interested in learning more about private health insurance, with 32 per cent ready to pay current market rates.

The study highlighted that if Canada allowed comprehensive private health insurance, the health sector would grow by around $21 billion annually, creating approximately 39,000 new healthcare jobs.

“Canadians are telling us they want the same health care choices available in France, the United Kingdom and Sweden — the choice to use a well-funded public system or to access care through private health insurance,” said Harrison Fleming, Legislative and Policy Director at SecondStreet and the study’s author. “This would make sense in Canada, just like it does in nearly every other country with a government-run health care system: taking pressure off the public system while reducing wait times for patients.”

Fleming told True North that the fact that no political leaders are focusing on healthcare alternatives is problematic considering the clear lack of confidence in Canada’s current system.

“If half the country is willing to explore alternatives to government-run health care, what does it say about people's confidence in the health care system? And why aren't policymakers responding to this concern?” he said.

Previous data released by SecondStreet showcased that almost half of Canadians were avoiding healthcare due to overwhelming wait times. Between 2018 and 2024, almost 75,000 Canadians died while on healthcare wait lists.

Fleming cited a 2023 Fraser Institute study that estimated Canadians lost between $3.5 billion and $10.6 billion in wages while on wait lists.

Younger Canadians were more open to the idea of private healthcare.

More than half of Canadians under age 54, 53 per cent, said they would be interested in purchasing comprehensive private health insurance. For those aged 55 and older, support decreased to 39 per cent.

While almost one-third of Canada’s population was interested in buying private insurance when presented with the cost estimates, only 11 per cent of those in the United Kingdom and 13 per cent of those in Sweden hold private insurance instead of relying on the public health system.

“The UK and Sweden are worth referencing, as they are our international peers when it comes to healthcare,” reads the study. “Both have a government-run universal healthcare system. Unlike Canada, however, these countries allow patients alternatives to government-run healthcare.”

However, Fleming noted that Sweden does not face the same waitlist backlogs seen across Canada so initial demand would be higher if Canadians were given medical choice.

Fleming told True North that the historical comparison of Canada’s healthcare to the United States was a bad example, as they are one of the countries with the most private healthcare in the world. He said that nobody wants American-style healthcare and that European countries have various successful mechanisms that Canada could copy and benefit from.

Following a 2005 Supreme Court ruling, private clinics were formally allowed in Quebec. A Quebec doctor with experience in both public and private healthcare told True North the latter was the clear winner concerning patient care.

Similarly, an initiative in Saskatchewan to outsource publicly funded medical work to private clinics reduced wait times in the province by 47 per cent.

The B.C. government also previously began paying for cancer treatments for their residents in the United States to combat wait times and overcapacity in the province’s cancer care system.

Fleming said the $21.6 billion annual contribution from private health insurance to the economy was likely an underestimate because it does not include variables such as Canada becoming a medical tourism destination and more organizations purchasing health insurance for their employees.

Fleming told True North that the $22 billion injection of cash that would be realized quickly would be a good way to deal with President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

While Canada’s healthcare spending has been among the highest in the OECD, the country’s healthcare system previously ranked second last in performance among high-income peers.

Fleming said it isn’t exclusively a choice between private and public healthcare. He highlighted that private competition in K-12 education with private schools and even homeschooling has created education choices and taken some pressure off the public system.

“Some argue that allowing more choice for patients would drive doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals to work for private providers, leaving the public system at a deficit. But again, one should reflect on the fact that European countries with better-performing systems all allow patients to choose between public and private options,” said Fleming.

He told True North that around 2,500 Canadian nurses leave for the United States annually because they do not want to work in Canada’s healthcare system.

He concluded that Canada should maintain its strong public system while allowing Canadians the option to explore private health options.

“Moving beyond the status quo would ultimately help patients by putting them first,” said Fleming.