Universal health promises clash with long waits and rising euthanasia rates

Canada’s publicly funded health system now sees median waits of 28.6 weeks from referral to treatment, with orthopedic and neurosurgical patients often waiting close to twelve months, generating over $4.2 billion in lost wages annually. The prolonged delays have coincided with a rise in deaths attributed to the medical assistance in dying program, where roughly one in twenty Canadian deaths in 2024 involved patients, many with disabilities, who faced isolation and insufficient care.

Meanwhile, U.S. physicians are burdened by extensive documentation, prior-authorization demands, and quality-reporting requirements, prompting a wave of early retirements at an average age of 48. Nearly half of those exiting cite the “hassle factor” of bureaucracy as a primary driver, reducing clinical capacity further. Both nations illustrate how removing price from health care can create scarcity measured in waiting time, diminished function, lost earnings, and, in extreme cases, loss of life. The column argues that ignoring these hidden costs undermines the promise of universal health care.