Medical wait times cost Canadian patients over $4.2 billion in lost wages and productivity last year
Long waits for surgery and medical treatment cost Canadians over $4.2 billion in lost wages and productivity last year, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
An estimated 1.4 million patients waited for medically necessary treatment across Canada last year, and each lost an estimated $3,043 (on average) due to lost wages and reduced productivity during working hours.
“Waiting long periods of time 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 valuable time during which they are unable to work effectively, enjoy time with family, or participate fully in their own lives,” said Nadeem Esmail, director of health policy studies at the Fraser Institute.
The Private Cost of Public Queues for Medically Necessary Care draws upon data from the Fraser Institute’s annual Waiting Your Turn survey of Canadian physicians who, in 2025, reported the national median waiting time from specialist appointment to treatment was 13.3 weeks.
Crucially, the $4.2 billion in lost wages is likely a conservative estimate because it doesn’t account for the additional 15.3-week wait to see a specialist after receiving a referral from a general practitioner. Nor does it count the many weeks patients wait for diagnostic tests like MRI or CT scans.
The total median wait time in Canada for medical treatment was 28.6 weeks in 2025—the second-longest in the survey’s history.
“As long as lengthy wait times define Canada’s health-care system, patients will continue to pay a price in lost time and reduced quality of life,” said Mackenzie Moir, Fraser Institute senior policy analyst.
Because wait times and incomes vary by province, so does the cost of waiting for health care. Residents of New Brunswick in 2025 faced the highest per-patient cost of waiting ($4,864), followed by Quebec ($3,912) and Alberta ($3,724).
