Internship support

Summary

The purpose of this project was to allow an intern to complete research for the Fraser Institute in the areas of education and health care. The research concluded that fund allocation in Ontario’s education and health care systems is not being optimized under current conditions. The objective of the Fraser Institute is to redirect public attention to the role of competitive markets in providing for the well-being of Canadians.

Grant Outputs

2028 or Bust: Ontario’s Unsustainable Hospital Funding – http://www.fraserinstitute.org/publicationdisplay.aspx?id=12774&terms=2028+or+Bust

This report examines the financial sustainability of hospital spending growing in excess of tax revenues. A demographic projection was combined with current spending and taxation trends to demonstrate fiscal and regional impacts to 2015 and 2028. The report concludes that due to population growth and aging, health care spending is expanding faster than economic growth. It suggests that per-person spending in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is the lowest, and that Toronto’s suburbs will increasingly subsidize health care costs in Toronto and the rest of the province. The report concludes that by integrating more market competition into the healthcare sector, future problems could be avoided.

Let the Funding Follow the Children: A Solution for Special Education Ontario – http://www.fraserinstitute.org/publicationdisplay.aspx?id=13163&terms=let+the+funding+follow+the+children

This report identifies problems in serving special education students in the public school system in Ontario, and the opportunity presented by the independent education sector for addressing these problems. It suggests that special education students are being left behind because of lack of personalized learning plans and effective diagnosis and care. The report recommends that students with special education learning requirements be allowed to spend up to 75% of the funds allocated for their enrollment at a public school to attend the private institution of their choosing.

Where Does the Money Go?: A Study of Worker Pay in Ontario’s Hospitals – http://www.fraserinstitute.org/research-news/display.aspx?id=13598

This report examines two central policy issues: unsustainable hospital spending, and access to hospital services. It suggests that certain health care workers (e.g., nurses and senior management) have relatively high pay compared to equivalent workers in other provinces and states, while other groups (e.g., doctors) have relatively low pay. The report argues that because of this disparity, the number of doctors in Ontario is decreasing and patient wait times are increasing. In order to solve this problem, the report suggests that market competition should be integrated into the Ontario health care system, so that wages will reflect other provinces and more doctors will work in Ontario, thereby decreasing wait times.