Unpublished Newswire

OTTAWA — A new report estimates that allowing Canadians to take out private insurance for basic health care services covered by public plans could ultimately lead to double-digit reductions in patient wait times, based on policies enacted in similar countries. The report, released Thursday by the Montreal Economic Institute, urges provincial governments to scrap legal barriers to duplicative private health insurance, which would allow patients to use private coverage for publicly insured procedures, including faster access at private hospitals and clinics. “Allowing duplicate...