A new media analysis report led by researchers at Cape Breton University highlights a troubling shift in Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program. Released in October 2025, the research reveals that the country's assisted dying framework is increasingly colliding with economic hardship and systemic healthcare industry shortages.
To understand the scope of the issue, it is helpful to understand how the system works. MAiD was legalized in Canada in 2016 to allow medical practitioners to assist someone with their death if they meet specific criteria. There are two main legal pathways. "Track 1" applies to patients whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable. "Track 2" was introduced later for individuals whose death is not reasonably foreseeable, but who suffer from a grievous and irremediable medical condition.
The Economic Driver
The data presented in the report paints a stark economic picture of who is utilizing these services. Among individuals assessed under Track 2, nearly 30% lived in poverty. The report documents alarming cases where patients opted for assisted death due to the inability to afford basic needs or access timely care.
In Toronto, a 31-year-old woman was reportedly conditionally approved for MAiD after she failed to secure safe housing.
In Saskatchewan, a couple in their 70s were presented with MAiD as an option because they could not afford rising hospice care fees.
A middle-aged injured worker in Ontario told his doctor that measly government support left him "with no choice but to pursue MAID".
Instead of a purely medical last resort, the report notes that several media stories characterize MAiD as a cheaper alternative to offering robust medical and social supports. Some observers and reports argue that the procedure is beginning to function as a way to "compensate for lack of resources and reduce healthcare costs" within a strained system.
Impact on the Healthcare Industry
For the healthcare sector, this rapid expansion is creating significant strain, regulatory compliance concerns, and workforce imbalances. The sheer volume of procedures is notable: in 2023 alone, there were 15,343 MAiD deaths in Canada, representing a 15.8% increase from the previous year.
The report highlights a controversial phenomenon known in the industry as "doctor shopping". Because patients can legally seek multiple assessments, they can effectively shop around until they find a clinician who will sign off on their MAiD request, even if previous doctors have denied it.
Furthermore, the distribution of these procedures within the medical workforce is highly concentrated.
In 2023, just 89 practitioners accounted for approximately 5,344 MAiD cases, averaging over 60 instances each.
Health Canada reports that more than one-third of all MAiD cases are carried out by physicians and nurse practitioners whose primary professional focus is assisted death.
Meanwhile, other healthcare professionals are experiencing severe moral distress. Doctors are reporting feelings of guilt and unease over providing MAiD, especially when patients request the procedure because health and social services are chronically inadequate. The Ontario Coroner’s Office flagged 428 compliance issues over five years, yet only four cases were reported to professional regulators.
Looking Ahead
The report's authors conclude that as Canada prepares to potentially expand MAiD eligibility to include applications based solely on mental illness (a move currently delayed until 2027) policymakers must pause. When assisted dying becomes a substitute for a robust social welfare and healthcare system, it undermines the foundational ethical principles of the medical industry.