Thousands of Canadians continue to flee the country to seek medical treatment abroad, with the United States a common destination.

An estimated 42,173 Canadians left their homeland in 2012 to seek medical treatment elsewhere. This is a decrease from the 46,159 Canadians who fled the country in 2011 for medical treatment.

“In some cases, these patients needed to leave Canada due to a lack of available resources or a lack of appropriate procedure/technology,” according to a report by the Fraser Institute — a free-market Canadian think tank. “In others, their departure will have been driven by a desire to return more quickly to their lives, to seek out superior quality care, or perhaps to save their own lives or avoid the risk of disability.” [Emphasis added]

While the number of Canadians looking abroad for health  is still significant, it’s unclear whether or not the drop in the number leaving is related to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in the U.S.  More at: dailycaller.com.