High costs delay Albertans from accessing health care: report

CTV News

2 days ago

Many Canadians, including 60 per cent of Albertans, are delaying or skipping health appointments because of high costs, a new report says. (Pexels/Mikhail Nillov)
A growing number of Albertans are skipping or delaying health care appointment because they can't afford treatment, a new report says.
The 2025 Insurance Access and Affordability Study, released by PolicyMe in partnership with Angus Reid on Tuesday, states that high costs are a barrier for many people seeking health care, including those who have insurance.
The study found 56 per cent of Canadians are putting off appointments because they're too expensive. PolicyMe, a Toronto-based insurance company, says some are even skipping appointments entirely.
When it comes to Alberta, the report found 60 per cent of residents admitted to skipping, delaying or reducing the frequency of their appointments.
Many Albertans (64 per cent) are also paying out-of-pocket for dental care, followed by vision care (60 per cent) and prescription drugs (56 per cent).
Only four per cent of Albertans use the Canadian Dental Care Plan to cover costs, the report said.
'These numbers paint a clear picture: even as more benefits exist on paper, affordability continues to be a real barrier to accessing care, especially for those early in their careers,' the company said.
'Once they do secure coverage, however, the need is immediate. Over 50 per cent of PolicyMe customers submit a claim within the first 90 days, a strong signal that many are addressing long-delayed health care as soon as they're able.'
PolicyMe says many Canadians do have health insurance, but older residents are the most likely to not be insured.
Twenty-one per cent of residents over 55 years old have no health or dental coverage, the company said.
Furthermore, PolicyMe said 36 per cent of Canadians feel that economic instability could risk reducing or eliminating their insurance coverage.
The survey was conducted online from May 9 to 12 using a sample of 1,502 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.
The sample size has a margin of error of +/- 2.53 percentage points 19 times out of 20.