According to a recent study on the global trade in medical tourism, governments worldwide are increasing their efforts to attract affluent travelers for medical care. This involves medical tourism in Canada, where it is viewed as a promising revenue stream for medical facilities.
According to Yanick Labrie, a Fraser Institute researcher, an increasing number of Canadians believe they must travel abroad to receive necessary medical treatment. One of the most often cited reasons for the trend is the long wait period for treatments in Canada. It is a sign of significant problems in Canada’s national healthcare system, according to critics of Canadian medicare.
Surprisingly, Canadian medical tourism takes place in the opposite direction. Hospitals compete on the international market to draw foreigners willing to pay a high price for treatments. As shown in a study on Toronto’s University Health Network, their facility handled 621 international patients between 2011 and 2015.
Although the majority of travelers who use Canadian medical facilities do that in an emergency, revenue-driven patient referrals do exist. However, according to Colleen Flood, a professor at the University of Ottawa, the financial benefit of being a medical tourism destination is a temporary phenomenon.
