I believe that the issue isn't currently being fully portrayed. Before this 2-4-1 MRI program, governments paid for all MRIs and often sent patients to private clinics and paid for those as well.  Either way, the government was paying for the MRI and the patients were taken in order of the queue. Now, people can basically buy their way to the front-of the queue, thereby putting low-income at a further disadvantage to receive medical care.  Many people think that these privatized clinics are helping the wait-lists, but the government was already using these private clinics for the public, so it really is just buying your way to the front of the queue.  Additionally, if the wait-times are lowered by allowing this program, then the government has no incentive to continue purchasing MRI machines. When one breaks, they can just use the "well, they have the option of private if they don't want to wait" excuse and the wait times for the rest increase from 6-12 months.