Medical wait times cost Canadian patients almost $5.2 billion in lost wages in 2024: report
Canadians waiting to have their health issues addressed are losing a significant amount in the process, according to a recent report.
People waiting for medically necessary treatment lost an estimated $5.2 billion in productivity in 2024, reports the Fraser Institute.
That number is “possibly substantially more in lost productivity and leisure time,” says Mackenzie Moir, senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and author of the report.
The study calculates the economic cost of waiting times by measuring lost working hours among patients unable to fully participate in the labour market due to health issues.
The report estimates that 1,543,994 Canadians were waiting for care following a specialist appointment last year. These individuals faced an average wait time of 15 weeks, an increase from 13.1 weeks in 2023.
The economic cost, based solely on weekday working hours, averaged $3,364 per person.
"Waiting for medically necessary treatment remains a hallmark of the Canadian health-care system, and in addition to increased pain and suffering—and potentially worse medical outcomes—these long waits also cost Canadians time at work and with family and friends," says Nadeem Esmail, a senior fellow with the Fraser Institute.
When all waking hours—excluding eight hours of sleep per day—are included, the total estimated cost rises to $15.9 billion, or $10,266 per patient.
The Fraser Institute’s analysis uses updated data from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey. Moir based his calculations on the proportion of patients who reported difficulty with daily activities due to delayed treatment, estimating that 13.2% of those in the queue experienced significant hardship.
In February 2024, the federal and Ontario governments signed a $3.1-billion, 10-year agreement for major enhancements to the health care system in the province.
The Fraser Institute report found wide variation across provinces.
Prince Edward Island recorded the highest average cost per patient at $6,592, while Nova Scotia had the lowest at $2,387. In total, Canadian patients collectively waited approximately 31.1 million weeks for treatment in 2024—up from 24.1 million weeks the previous year.
“These findings point to the growing burden of long wait times not only on individual well-being but on the broader economy,” Moir said. The Fraser Institute emphasised that this estimate is conservative, as it excludes the costs borne by family caregivers, reduced quality of life, and the risk of medical complications due to delayed care.
Since 2004, the inflation-adjusted per-patient cost of waiting has increased by nearly 79%, according to the report. Compared to 2023, the cost rose 14.4% in real terms.
The Fraser Institute’s findings come as wait times continue to rise across Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system. The average total wait from referral by a general practitioner to treatment reached 30 weeks in 2024.
“The rationing of health care in Canada through queues for medically necessary health services imposes direct costs on those waiting for care. The ability of individuals who are waiting to enjoy leisure time and earn an income to support their families is diminished by physical and psychological pain and suffering.”
Ontario and Manitoba previously announced their efforts to reduce medical wait times in their own jurisdictions.
