Craig Paulson claims the median patient wait time in Canada to receive treatment from a specialist after referral is greater than four months (“Single-payer health care is not the answer,” Sept. 22). He refers to a 2014 report created by the Fraser Institute. The Fraser Institute has been funded by big business and the Koch brothers.
A 2016 report by the Commonwealth Fund states that 56 percent of Canadian patients wait longer than four weeks to see a specialist. I’m no statistician, but I believe if the number was 50 percent the median wait time would be one month. This survey also shows that 22.6 percent of Americans surveyed believe their health care systems needs a complete rebuild, vs. 8.6 percent of Canadians.
The specialist wait time in Canada may be the longest among EU/Canada/U.S. This doesn’t mean a single payer system should be dismissed. All health care systems have challenges.
Paulson cherry picks “facts” which support his opinion. I believe the moral of this story is to be careful who you listen to, particularly in Utah.
Douglas Rush
Millcreek