The Private Cost of Public Queues for Medically Necessary Care, 2019 finds that Canada’s long wait times for medically necessary treatments cost Canadians $2.1 billion—or $1,924 per patient—in lost wages and time last year. Including the value of lost time outside the traditional work week—evenings and weekends—the estimated cost of waiting for medical care jumps to $6.3 billion. It’s estimated that more than one million Canadians waited for medically necessary treatment in 2018.