A recent survey of Canadians found that one in five would be willing to pay monthly health care fees enabling them to bypass waitlists for medical and surgical procedures. But when asked whether they would be open to private health care if their employer purchased the same health insurance for them, the number jumped to nearly 50%, according to the Angus Reid poll commissioned by B.C.-based Envision Insurance Services.

Envision Insurance Services is a fully owned subsidiary of Envision Financial, B.C.’s third-largest credit union with approximately $3.4 billion in assets under administration.

The survey revealed that 45% of Canadians are very concerned about lengthy medical wait times. Forty-nine per cent of Canadians who have an employer would approve of their employer offering medical insurance benefits that would enable them to obtain immediate medical service from private and U.S.-based health care providers. Twenty per cent of Canadians and 19% of B.C. respondents even said they’d be willing or very willing to pay for such insurance themselves.

Envision says it plans to introduce Medical Access Insurance (MAI) to give British Columbians affordable access to alternative sources of health care, including private clinics and U.S. hospitals.

“It’s clear that many Canadians want increased choice and expanded health care options available to them,” says Tim Mackie, assistant vp and general manager of Envision Insurance Services.”

Envision’s basic MAI package covers pre- and post-surgery specialist conditions, diagnosis-such as MRI and CT scans-and surgery for over 135 conditions and procedures. Service kicks in as soon as a client is placed on a medical wait list. Once a client is approved, treatment is expedited immediately.

Individual coverage starts at less than $25 per month, with family coverage starting at approximately $60 per month. There are no medical exams or co-payments required, and pre-existing health conditions are covered after 24 months.

Individuals and families who have MAI can also to choose to upgrade their coverage to MAI Plus and get improved access to specialists.

Angus Reid Strategies conducted the online survey on behalf of Envision Insurance Services from August 22 to August 23, among a representative sample of 1,067 adult Canadians.