Canadians Feel the Healthcare System Is Deteriorating. What Can We Learn From Taiwan?
Across the country, Canadians are expressing growing concern about the state of their healthcare system — and the data supports that sentiment.
A recent Angus Reid Institute survey found that 70% of Canadians believe healthcare in their province has deteriorated over the past decade, despite nearly doubled healthcare spending during that time. Source: MSN
Access remains one of the biggest pain points:
- Half of Canadians say they either don’t have a family doctor or struggle to see the one they have — a 25% increase in difficulty since 2015.
- 55% report difficulty accessing specialist appointments.
In short, Canadians are paying more — but feeling less confident in the system.
A Crisis of Access and Coordination
The deterioration many Canadians perceive isn’t necessarily about the dedication of healthcare professionals. It’s about systemic strain:
- Physician shortages
- Aging population pressures
- Administrative inefficiencies
- Fragmented digital systems
- Long wait times for diagnostics and specialists
Even as funding increases, structural bottlenecks remain. The challenge isn’t simply spending more — it’s organizing care more effectively.
Looking Abroad: Taiwan’s Model
While no healthcare system is perfect, international comparisons provide useful perspective.
Taiwan consistently ranks at the top of global healthcare system indexes. Its National Health Insurance (NHI) system combines universal access, strong outcomes, and operational efficiency. Source: MSN
Key characteristics include:
- A single-payer, compulsory social insurance model
- Universal coverage with low administrative overhead
- Competitive private providers operating within a coordinated national framework
- Strong digital infrastructure enabling efficiency and delivery
- Minimal wait lists and broad access to care
Taiwan’s system is frequently praised not just for quality — but for deliverability. Care isn’t just theoretically available; it’s accessible in practice.
What Can Canada Learn?
Canada’s system is built on strong principles of universal care. However, increasing complexity, regional fragmentation, and outdated infrastructure have created gaps between intention and execution.
Taiwan demonstrates that:
- Centralized coordination does not require eliminating private providers
- Administrative efficiency matters as much as funding levels
- Digital infrastructure can dramatically improve care delivery
- Universal coverage can coexist with operational agility
Canada’s healthcare system doesn’t necessarily need to be replaced — but it may need modernization.
The Role of Technology
Improving healthcare access is not solely a policy question. It is also an infrastructure question.
Digital coordination, predictive planning, and AI-supported triage systems can:
- Reduce administrative burden
- Improve scheduling efficiency
- Enhance care visibility across providers
- Help prioritize patients earlier
While technology is not a cure-all, countries with strong digital integration tend to outperform those relying on fragmented legacy systems.
A Moment for Reflection — and Reform
Canadians are signaling dissatisfaction. Policymakers are acknowledging strain. International comparisons show better outcomes are possible.
The question is no longer whether the system is under pressure. The data confirms it.
The question is: How do we modernize responsibly?
At VCMx, we believe part of the answer lies in smarter infrastructure — systems that improve coordination, reduce friction, and help clinicians deliver care faster and more effectively.
Canada’s healthcare values are strong. With the right modernization strategy, its execution can be too.
📩 Interested in supporting this work or learning more?
Contact darhl@vcmx.ca to start the conversation.
