So given that this seems to be happening fairly frequently with certain conditions that require specialized equipment and units, aren’t the Canadian people asking their government why the money that magically becomes available to pay full sticker price for these cross-border transfers, isn’t being spent to beef up the Canadian facilities? Births seem to be a big part of this phenomenon, unless that’s just reporting bias because it makes a catchier news story than some fat old geezer being brought over for an emergency bypass. I’ve even read reports of mothers having normal, uncomplicated, singleton births being sent over the border for lack of space is regular obstetric units in Canada.
The problem is that health care is the third rail for Canadian politicians (IOW touch it and you’re dead), so we just get more money thrown at it. All serious efforts to reform our health care mess have failed because our politicians don’t have the cojones to point out that “free” health care is costing us a fortune.