First of all, nothing is free. It comes from your tax money.
That was in 2009. My friend got a problem with his spine. An MRI exam would be helpful for the diagnosis, however, the wait time is 3 months in Toronto. He couldn't afford such a long wait, because he was hardly able to sit or stand.
He chose to pay by himself and do the MRI in Buffalo. There was basically no wait time. He made the phone call on Friday, and got the appointment of Monday morning.
3 months vs 3 calendar days. "free" vs paid. Socialism vs capitalism.