Half of Canadians Avoid the Doctor Because of Wait Times. Here’s What Newcomers Need to Know

It was a small moment, but one that truly surprised me given what I know about accessing care in Canada. The picture many of us carry – one family doctor, office hours, possibly long waits – isn’t accurate. 

 And, due to a recently-released Leger poll for SecondStreet.org, I also know I’m not alone in this. The poll found that about half of respondents said they avoid going to a hospital or doctor because they do not expect timely treatment.  

Interestingly, about a third of survey respondents who were born outside of Canada have found a loophole of sorts – private-pay healthcare.  

In some ways, this isn’t surprising. Many newcomers to Canada have lived in systems with hybrid access to public and private care. I’m from Australia – So I’ve one of them. In that regard, it makes sense that they’re comfortable (or at least familiar with) looking for private care. But for many newcomers, knowing where to look can be a challenge.  

Key Takeaways 

• If you want a quick overview of Canada’s healthcare system before reading more about private care access, read our guide to healthcare in Canada. 

• Canada’s healthcare system can come with delays, but it’s important to seek care when needed.  

• Canada’s healthcare system is changing, with new options opening including telehealth and private-pay options for imaging and more.  

What Canadians say about the healthcare system 

In the poll of 1,510 adults that I mentioned above, 27% said they had paid for private care to avoid long waits or unsatisfactory public services, most often in their own province. In Canada, this can range from telehealth consultations through private providers to privately paying for diagnostic imaging to accessing concierge clinics for health assessments and care coordination.  

Canadians born abroad were more likely to have done so: 34%, compared with 25% of those born in Canada. That group includes long-settled immigrants, not only recent arrivals. As we said above, this wasn’t surprising to us since many newcomers are comfortable or at least familiar with hybrid systems. 

Opinion is shifting the same way. Sixty-one per cent of those surveyed support keeping public healthcare while letting patients pay privately for surgery when timely public care isn’t available, up from 59% in 2025. A quarter (25%) oppose a hybrid system in Canada. 

For clarity, this poll measures people’s opinions, not actual wait times and how they align with medical guidelines.  

How To Access Public Care in Canada

My surprise about the access to a publicly funded doctor through my pharmacy shows that care is showing up in new places. Some of the challenges associated with accessing care might be more about looking in the right places.  

Healthcare in Canada is no longer limited to a family doctor’s office during office hours. Pharmacies are doing more, with pharmacists in some provinces able to assess some conditions and prescribe certain medications. Nurses are a phone call away across Canada (excluding Manitoba and Nunavut), via a free 811 non-emergency line. Then there’s access to publicly-funded virtual care via some pharmacies. 

But sometimes, the care you need in Canada isn’t available when you need it. This is something many Canadian residents are feeling.   

Where private coverage fits 

So, what role does private coverage play in Canada?  

Private insurance won’t move you up a public waiting list. What it can do is fill specific gaps, such as protection before provincial coverage begins, costs public plans often leave out including routine dental care, glasses, outpatient prescriptions, and counselling. Increasingly, it also includes virtual care on your schedule. 

Private coverage is available to individuals, but it’s not uncommon for it to be provided through your employer in Canada too. So if you’re working here, check whether your employer offers private coverage and, if so, whether there’s a waiting period for you to become eligible. Other questions to consider when looking into private health insurance include:   

• Does it cover me before provincial coverage begins? 

• What exclusions apply to existing conditions and pregnancy? 

• Are virtual consultations included, at what hours, and in which languages? 

• What’s covered outside Canada, including visits home? 

• What’s the deductible (what you pay before insurance contributes), and what are the annual limits? 

Knowing more than one way in 

Finding out about the virtual appointment option didn’t fix Canada’s wait times. But it showed me that getting care here increasingly means knowing more than one route. For newcomers, the best time to learn those routes is before you need them: register for provincial coverage early, save your 811 number, check what your benefits include, and decide how you’ll fill the gaps. 

If you’re interested in private healthcare coverage to fill the gaps in Canada’s healthcare system, get your free quote from our trusted partner, Cigna Healthcare.