Canada Time Wait

Compared to other countries, the Canadian Healthcare system is assumed to have one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Although this assumption is a big honour to Canadian citizens, there are many flaws in the Canadian healthcare system that go unnoticed. When Medicare was first introduced to the Canadian government in 1966, healthcare changed from a privately delivered and funded system into a public system accessible to Canadian citizens. In 1984, when the Canadian health act was passed, the government stated that the healthcare standard for Canadian citizens would be, “universal, comprehensive, accessible, portable, and publicly administrated” (citation). Not only did the new act seem sensible and beneficial for the population, but the new healthcare system decreased the health and healthcare quality among Canadian citizens. Some weaknesses found within the health care system include, poor access to healthcare services for minority groups, the long wait times for citizens to receive health care services, the cost of having a publicly funded health care system, as well as how the number of acute-care hospitals and acute-care hospital beds is decreasing. Although Healthcare in Canada has strengths within its system, the trends within the healthcare system are displaying more weaknesses resulting in a decrease in health and poor delivery of healthcare services to Canadian citizens.

This paper will discuss the Canadian healthcare system compared to the United States healthcare system. Although they’re close in proximity, these two nations have very different health care systems. Each healthcare system has its own difficulties, and is currently trying to find ways to improve. Canada currently uses the Universal Health Care system; which provides healthcare coverage to all Canadian citizens (Canadian Health Care, 2007). The services are executed on both a territorial and provincial basis, by staying within the guidelines that have been enforced by the federal government (Canadian Health Care, 2007).

When asked to describe what makes Canada unique compared to other countries, many outsiders might yell out “Hockey!” “Cold Weather!” or “Free Health Care!.” Health care is definitely one of Canada’s most noticeable trademarks when compared to the United States, but the reality is that our health care services are not what they are made out to be. Canadians tend to take pride in the fact that they have a Government funded health care system, but the system is failing at a rapid pace. One can gage the quality of health care in our country while at the emergency ward in any hospital, where most Canadians realize its downsides. The Government spends most of its budget towards health care but Canadians are not feeling an improvement. Waiting

One of the most talked about subjects regarding health care in Canada is the time it takes to be seen by a physician. For acute illnesses, an

The waiting time for medical services is long in both countries. The waiting time is mostly determined by the number of medical doctors and facilities available in relation to the population. According to the report done by the American Medical Student Association (2011), it was discovered that the doctor-to-patient ratio in the U.S. is more than in Canada. As a result, the survey discovered that about 42% of patients in Canada had to wait for about two hours compared to the U.S. whereby 29% had to wait for two hours. Also, 43% of Canadians compared to 10% of Americans are forced to wait for about four weeks to see a specialist. In addition, the same study discovered that 37% of Canadians compared to 34% of Americans found it difficult to access medical services during weekends and holidays. As a result, 47% of Canadians compared to 50% of Americans felt that it would have been possible for them to be treated on a regular basis than on an emergency basis if medical personnel were available (American Medical Student Association, 2011).

Accessibility and quality are being threatened due to cutbacks coupled with a lack of funding. There is a consensus now between medical professionals, the public, and the government that the health care system is deteriorating. It is failing to provide the quality of care promised in the CHA and prided by so many Canadians.

Canada’s healthcare system started in 1946 and is made up of a group of socialized health insurance plans that provides coverage to all Canadian citizens. It is publicly funded and administered on a provincial or territorial basis with in the rules set by their federal government. Since the late 1960’s Canada essential has had a universal health insurance system covering all services provided by physicians and hospitals. In 1966 Lester B Pearson’s government subsequently expanded a policy of the universal healthcare with the medical care act. Canada’s healthcare system is the subject of political controversy and debate in the country. While healthcare in America began in the late 1800’s but was truly born in 1929 when Justin Kimball

In this paper, there will be a comparative analysis to the United States (U.S.) healthcare system and Canadians healthcare system highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Canada’s health care system “can be described as a publicly-funded, privately-provided, universal, comprehensive, affordable, single-payer, provincially administered national health care system” (Bernard, 1992, p.103). Health care in Canada is provincial responsibility, with the Canada Health act being a federal legislation (Bernard, 1992, p. 102). Federal budget cuts, has caused various problems within Medicare such as increased waiting times and lack of new technology. Another problem with Medicare is that The Canada Heath Act does not cover expenditures for prescriptions drugs. All these issue has caused individuals to suggest making Medicare privatized. Although, Canada’s health care system consists of shortcomings, our universal

The term Medicare is referring to Canada's publicly funded health care system. Canada's health care system is a group of socialized health insurance plans that provides coverage to all Canadian citizens. The Canadian have 13 provincial and territorial health care insurance plans instead of having a single national plan. Under the health care system, all the Canadian residents have reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services without paying out-of-pocket. The health care system in Canada is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act of 1984, which individual provinces and territories in Canada may receive funding for health care services. The Canada Health Act required all resident of a province or territory

It is not subtle in the least, it seems that within Canada there is a pattern. There are many people with the same stories of waiting for hours, weeks, and even years to get the care they need. Operations, tests, shots, diagnosis take longer than it should for care that needs immediate action, or at least as quickly as possible. According to Crowder, the average waiting time for Canadians to see a specialist is 17.3 weeks (10-11). This is since Canada’s health care system is overburdened and inefficient it is, in turn, underfunded causing the Canadian people to face one of two options,

Strangely enough, the Canadian government has made many cutbacks regarding our universal health care and making it longer for the public to access. Many Canadians suffer from long wait times. Citizens

The system of universal healthcare generates a substantial level of medical incompetence through inadequate treatment and insufficient resources. The first way to judge universal health care’s ineptitude is by assessing the number of people left untreated. No more than two years after the implementation of socialized medicine in England, “more than half a million people were on waiting lists for hospitalization.” (Smoot 2). Today, that number has nearly doubled. “There are about a million people waiting to get into hospitals….Almost 900,000 Canadian patients are on waiting lists at any one point in time.” (Goodman 2). When asked about the possibility of a waiting period, Dr. Vitaly Levin, a Russian anesthesiologist who previously practiced under socialized medicine, states, “The chances are definite.” Minor procedures thought to be routine in the United States are considerably less obtainable in countries that embrace government sponsored health insurance. According to John Goodman, author of The Five Myths of Socialized Medicine, “Among people with chronic renal failure, only half as many Canadians as Americans get dialysis, and only a third as many Britons.” He continues stating “the rate of coronary bypass surgeries [in

I will argue that, long wait times are a root of reoccurring and on-going health problems among many Canadians, that waste money and time of the government and public. Long wait times in Canada are very common especially in sub-urban and urban areas around the country. Pro longing waiting times in hospitals and/or treatment centres do not help at all, to make patients better, instead these wait times add into making a patients health status lower. The problem with long waiting times for patients is that it is a huge waste of time. Also, patients that wait for a longer period of time are at a higher risk or being admitted into a hospital and/or at a higher risk of dying within the next seven days, compared to the patients who just get up and leave without being seen by a doctor, nurse or any other health care professional. (Guttman, Schull, Vermeulen & Stukel, 2011) They also face negative effects the more they are asked to wait for their treatments and appointments to see a doctor, including their family doctor. Negative effects including things such as more pain, mentally and physically and sometimes even the spread of cancer to other parts of the human body. The long wait times cost the Canadian government and many healthcare organizations a substantial amount of money and time.

However, longer patient delays leads to patients presenting themselves with advanced stages of the disease and diagnosis is unlikely to be missed [8] hence short provider delay. Hence, longer provider delay may not always reflect the inefficiency of the health system.