105,000 Canadians Left the Country for Medical Care in 2025. Here Is Why.

In January 2026, the Fraser Institute published its annual estimate of Canadians leaving the country for medical care. The number: 105,529 Canadians received non-emergency medical treatment outside Canada in 2025. That figure represents approximately 2.1% of all patients who received treatment that year — and a 66% increase over the past decade.

The Medical Tourism Association puts the broader figure even higher, estimating that 432,000 Canadians sought treatment abroad in 2025, accounting for patients who traveled independently and were not captured in the physician survey methodology.

Who Is Leaving and Why

The Fraser Institute report, authored by senior policy analyst Mackenzie Moir, health policy director Nadeem Esmail, and senior fellow Yanick Labrie, identified several reasons Canadians chose to seek care abroad:

• Avoiding negative medical consequences of waiting — the most commonly cited reason, driven by the 28.6-week median wait from referral to treatment
• Lack of available resources or procedures in their province
• Seeking more advanced facilities and technologies for better outcomes
• Quality concerns with locally available care
• Cost savings on procedures not covered by provincial plans (dental, cosmetic, fertility, LASIK)

The Most Common Procedures Sought Abroad

The data reveals which specialties are driving the exodus:

Source: Fraser Institute, Leaving Canada for Medical Care, 2025. Estimates based on physician surveys across 12 specialties in 10 provinces.

Where Canadians Are Going

The Fraser Institute report does not break down destinations, but other sources indicate the top destinations for Canadian medical tourists include:

• United States — primarily for time-sensitive procedures and second opinions
• Mexico — dental and bariatric surgery, driven by proximity to Western Canada
• Colombia — cosmetic surgery, dental, IVF, LASIK, orthopaedics — growing rapidly with new direct flight routes
• India — cardiac surgery, orthopaedics, and complex procedures
• Turkey — hair transplants and dental tourism

The Double Payment Problem

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect for Canadians seeking care abroad is the financial reality: they are paying twice for healthcare. First through their taxes (Canadians pay an average of $4,400–$17,000 per year for their public healthcare system, depending on income), and then again out of pocket for the procedure abroad.

Provincial health plans provide virtually no reimbursement for planned procedures abroad. Ontario's OHIP, for example, reimburses a maximum of $400 per day for emergency inpatient services and nothing for elective procedures. The message is clear: if you leave the country for care, you are on your own financially.

Why the Number Will Keep Growing

Three structural factors suggest the trend will accelerate:

1. Aging population: demand for joint replacements, cataracts, and cardiac procedures will continue to outpace supply
2. Physician shortage: 6.5 million Canadians lack a family doctor, creating bottlenecks before patients even reach a specialist
3. Improved access to information: online research, medical tourism facilitators, and direct-to-patient marketing from international clinics make it easier than ever to compare options

What This Means for You

If you are one of the 1.4 million Canadians currently on a wait list, you are not powerless. Medical tourism is not for everyone, but for procedures with long waits or that fall outside provincial coverage, it offers a legitimate alternative that more than 100,000 of your fellow Canadians chose last year.