A POLICY ANALYSIS OF HOSPITAL WAITING LISTS

The Canadian system of publicly provided health care has been praised for its cost containment attributes. Conventional cost measures do not identify costs associated with rationing access to medical facilities. This paper explores the economic relevance of hospital waiting lists and offers estimates of the economic costs of waiting for different hospital procedures in Canada. The estimated costs are relatively low as a share of overall economic activity but appear quite comparable to losses associated with labour strikes and lockouts. Copyright © 1991 Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management