At some point, every Canadian relies on the health care system. Today, it is failing too many of the people it was built to protect. In Dying for Care, physician and health economist Dr. Braden Manns confronts the growing crisis in Canada's health care system and offers a clear path forward.
Each year, nearly 80,000 Canadians die from causes that better health care, prevention, and coordination could have avoided. Millions cannot find a family doctor, emergency rooms are overwhelmed, and patients face wildly unequal wait times for the same procedures. As the population ages and chronic disease rises, this strain is only intensifying.
Drawing on decades of experience as a frontline doctor and health system leader, Manns examines the root causes behind these failures, identifying seven signs of systemic dysfunction undermining care across the country. Weaving patient stories, expert interviews, and rigorous evidence, he explains how the system went wrong and what can be done to fix it, offering practical reforms that could restore access, efficiency, and trust in Canadian health care.
From the Book
“Almost 80,000 people die every year in Canada—enough to fill five NHL arenas—from causes that could have been avoided through better health care, health promotion, and disease prevention.”
Endorsements
“Dr. Manns has filled his brilliant and easy-to-read analysis of healthcare with the stories of ordinary Canadians. The 'patient' in his book is the system itself, and the system is on life support. As an experienced clinician and health leader, Manns lays out what ails healthcare and how to fix it.”
Dr. Brian Goldman Physician, Mount Sinai Author, The Casino Shift and The Night Shift Host, White Coat, Black Art
“We hear often that Canada’s health care system is broken. But we don’t hear often enough exactly how it’s failing and, more importantly, how it can be fixed. In Dying For Care, Dr. Manns offers up a clear-eyed suite of solutions that leave us hopeful that medicare can indeed be revived. ”
André Picard Health columnist, The Globe and Mail Author, Neglected No More: The Urgent Need To Improve the Lives of Canada’s Elders
“Dr. Manns’ book reflects the credibility, integrity, and thoughtful advocacy he brings to every conversation about the future of healthcare in Canada.”
Dr. Verna Yiu
Provost and Vice President (Academic),
University of Alberta
Past President and CEO, Alberta Health Services
“Dr Manns offers a well-researched and very readable analysis of the challenges facing Canada’s healthcare systems. The text is enlivened by salient accounts of Dr Manns’ experience as a clinician and medical leader. No surprise, then, that his diagnoses and prescriptions for positive change are both evidence-informed and pragmatic. ”
Dr. David Naylor Former president of the University of Toronto Canadian Medical Hall of Fame inductee