To bust some myths:
1) "Canadian doctors are poorly paid"
Doctors in Canada get paid very well. There are even ophthalmologists earning >2 million/year in rural parts:
Eye doctors dominate list of top billers in Manitoba
Impressive list, no, for "socialized health care". BTW, I know pain doctors in Toronto/Vancouver (Desirable cities) that crank 600-700k. Maybe not 2 million, but comfortable living.
2) "Canadians come to the U.S for healthcare"
"The Fraser Institute report estimates that about one per cent of Canadian patients who received treatment from a specialist in 2015 got that treatment outside of Canada."
1% of Canadian patients receiving specialist treatment went abroad
Check out the chart
Here's a study that backs it up:
Phantoms In The Snow: Canadians’ Use Of Health Care Services In The United States
or a nice summary here:
No, Canadians do not flee en masse for US health care
"They also tracked Canadians' behaviors by examining data from the National Population Health Survey, where 18,000 Canadians were asked if they sought medical treatment in the US. "Only 90 of those 18,000 Canadians had received care in the United States; only 20 of them had done so electively."
Anecdotally, I have tons of Canadian friend who's parents have winter homes in Florida. If you spend more than 180 days in the U.S, Canadians lose their free healthcare. So none of them spend more than 6 months down south because most Canadians FEAR the American healthcare system. None of them will ever cross the border to get healthcare here.
I have a cousin who is dual citizen, Canadian-American, lives in Boston area, and takes his parents to Toronto for healthcare, despite living 5 miles from MGH/BID/BWH...his reasoning? Why deal with all the hassle and potential for having a huge $100k bill when you can get just as good, world-class care at hospitals like Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto Sick Kids, Toronto General Hospital, etc.?