Myth: User fees would stop waste and ensure better use of the healthcare system.

There’s an old idea that frequently sparks debate: that patients rampantly abuse the healthcare system. They indulge in unnecessary, expensive medical procedures all because they can get them for free. So why not teach Canadians to be more responsible by making them pay a charge for every health service used? Because the idea just doesn’t hold water. Research has long proven that user fees won’t eliminate inappropriate care nor do much to reduce costs, and even the claim that patients waste healthcare resources is faulty.