The nonpartisan Fraser Institute reported that 46,159 Canadians sought medical treatment outside of Canada in 2011, as wait times increased 104 percent — more than double — compared with statistics from 1993.I expect most of those came to the U.S. Danny Williams, the premier of Newfoundland, went to Miami for his heart surgery (San Francisco Chronicle)
However, many retired Canadians spend winters in the southern U.S. where it's warm. When they become ill and seek medical care in the U.S., they aren't fleeing Canadian wait times. They are getting care where they happen to be: Palm Springs, Mesa, Brownsville, or Sarasota.
I expect that could account for a quarter of those cited. On the other hand, Canadians who winter in the U.S. could become accustomed to short medical wait times and intolerant of what they deal with back home.
