Two-in-five respondents say they would pay out of their own pocket or travel to another country to have quicker access to medical services that currently have long wait times.
Almost half of Canadians have no qualms about Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams’s decision to seek medical treatment in the United States, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,001 Canadian adults, 44 per cent of respondents agree with the premier’s decision while 30 per cent disagree and 25 per cent are undecided.
Paying and Traveling for Health Care
Overall, 40 per cent of respondents say they would be willing to pay out of their own pocket to have quicker access to medical services that currently have long wait times.
The largest proportions of Canadians who would be willing to pay are in Quebec (48%) and Atlantic Canada (47%).
Also, 42 per cent of Canadians would consider traveling to another country to have quicker access to medical services that currently have long wait times.
At least two-in-five respondents in Ontario and all of the Western Provinces would be willing to travel.
Views on the Health Care System
Three-in-five Canadians (59%) think there are some good things in the country’s health care system, but many changes are required. Three-in-ten (29%) believe the health care system works well, and only minor changes are needed to make it work better, and just nine per cent say the health care system has so much wrong with it that it has to be completely rebuilt.
Confidence in the System
Three-in-four Canadians (76%) are “very confident” or “moderately confident” that they would have access to all the help from doctors and hospitals that they would need if they were to become sick today. Respondents in this group say they trust Canadian physicians and nurses (54%), that the health care system will work in a timely manner (31%), and that medical facilities are up-to-date (also 31%).
About one-in-four Canadians (23%) are “not very confident” or “not confident at all” in having access to all the help from doctors and hospitals that they would need if they were to become sick today. Respondents in this group are primarily concerned with long wait times (77%), but also cite ill-equipped medical facilities (32%) and high costs (22%).
Biggest Problem
Canadians identify three key problems with Canada’s health care system: a shortage of doctors and nurses (27%), long wait times (26%), and bureaucracy and poor management (21%). Fewer respondents are worried about inadequate resources and facilities (9%), little focus on preventive care (6%), lack of a wider range of services for patients (3%), or insufficient standards of hygiene (1%).
There are some significant regional differences on this question. While Albertans are primarily concerned about long wait times (32%), Quebecers (33%) are more likely to cite a shortage of doctors and nurses. British Columbians (36%) place bureaucracy and poor management at the top of the list of problems.
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
CONTACT:
Jodi Shanoff, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
+416 712 5498
jodi.shanoff@angus-reid.com
I am one of those not upset at him for travelling for medical treatment. I am, however, upset that he had to travel to get it. If he had the opportunity to pay for the treatment here in Canada we would have won two ways; shorter wait times for those on the list and the money would have stayed in the Canadian health system to improve it. Any politician that travels for better health care at their own expense should not stop others from doing it right here in Canada.
Hang on here, did not a report come out that millions of Canadians had high blood pressure and that 66 percent were being treated by drugs and is under control. Is not that figure 44 percent in the United States were they claim to have better health care ? Oh yes, thats right, it is only for the rich and those who can afford the wild insurance premiums and deal with the large deductables that go with it. No thanks Canadas health care system I shall take every time thank you very much. Oh yes the poll what a joke.