Home Breadcrumb caret Economy Breadcrumb caret Economic Indicators Breadcrumb caret Investments Breadcrumb caret Market Insights Canadian healthcare comes up short Universal healthcare is often touted as a perk of being Canadian. But for Canadian retirees — and for Canadian employees, for that matter — putting extra money aside for healthcare in another country might be a wise move. Although Canada spends more on healthcare than nearly all comparable countries, it ranks low in performance, finds […] By Staff | October 27, 2016 | Last updated on October 27, 2016 1 min read Universal healthcare is often touted as a perk of being Canadian. But for Canadian retirees — and for Canadian employees, for that matter — putting extra money aside for healthcare in another country might be a wise move. Although Canada spends more on healthcare than nearly all comparable countries, it ranks low in performance, finds a study by the Fraser Institute. Canada’s system has fewer resources, mixed reviews on care quality and long wait times. Read: Ailing parents need their children’s help Yet in 2012, the most recent year of readily comparable cost data, Canada’s healthcare spending as a share of GDP (10.6%) ranked third highest after adjusting for age — behind only the Netherlands and Switzerland. Read: Canada’s retirement system gets a B from global pension index Comparing 28 universal healthcare systems in developed countries, the study finds that Canada ranks: 24th out of 28 for number of physicians (fewer than three per 1,000 people); 18th out of 26 for the number of MRI machines (9.2 per million people); last for wait times (29% of patients wait two months or more; 18%, four months or more); last for the number of acute care beds. Read the full report online. Read: People aged 55 and up are heating up the job market Staff The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998. Save Stroke 1 Print Group 8 Share LI logo