Canada 's Health Care System

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).

In the book on a citizens guidelines to policy and politics, Katherine Fierlbeck argues that “The 1983 Canada Health Act replaced the 1947 Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services act because of the shift from a system of 50-50 federal-provincial cost sharing to a system of block funding established in Ottawa in 1977” (Fierlbeck 2011, pg.20). Until the period of the mid 1980’s, the Canadian health care system is to be categorized in a disarray, having no foundation to components and accomplishment. The system is to rely mainly on cost sharing; whereby in a health insurance policy only a portion is paid by the health insurance. While enabling the insured party to pay a portion of the price of covered services. In this case, cost sharing is based on 50-50 provincial and federal cost-sharing agreement to a fault. By Ottawa giving tax transfers to the provinces in replacement of direct transfers, but the federal government had no capacity to conceal cash. This in return is able to affect provinces because it deprived the federal government effective, efficient, and responsive measure of provinces holding the five principles of the Canada health care. According to About Canada Health Care, Pat Armstrong and Hugh Armstrong speaks about the five principles of health care, which are; “Public administration, Comprehensiveness, Universality, Portability, and Accessibility” (Pat Armstrong & Hugh Armstrong 2008, pg.28). These five principles holds the provinces accountable to the

Canada 's healthcare system is praised globally for its universal and free healthcare. It started to take shape after World War II in 1945. Health insurance was introduced and was attempted, but was not successful even though there was an increase in the spending of health related services and goods. Fast forward a few years to 1961 where Tommy Douglas, the premier of Saskatchewan, developed the idea for an all-inclusive insurance plan. He later inspired the Medical Care Act in Canada in 1967, when he pointed out health care is a right for all Canadians. From this one thought, Canada has become of the many countries with a universal health care system. Ever since Tommy Douglas sparked the idea for health care coverage, Canada is praised for the way it carries out its system because of several key features. This system is publically funded, is universal and is accessible to everyone across the nation. Because this is a public system, funding comes from the tax payers and some federal funding, so there is no extra cost for the patients. Also, being a universal system it has offered care to all Canadians, immigrants and visitors. Unlike the U.S who does not provide healthcare to its entire population because it is a private system; access depends on how much someone could afford, and how

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.

Under this system individual citizens are provided preventative care and medical treatments from primary care physicians as well as access to hospitals, dental surgery and additional medical services. With few exceptions, all citizens qualify for health coverage regardless of medical history, personal income, or standard of living. (Canadian Health Care, 2004-2007) These insurance plans are provincial or territorial and are financed by both the federal and the provincial authorities. Provinces are similar to states in the US, and Canada has 10 provinces, which are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan. From about 1940 to 1950 the American government stepped in and encouraged employers to offer health insurance as a part of employee compensation packages which in turn the supply of health insurance increased as more and more commercial insurance companies entered the market and the use of healthcare increased as medical technology became more sophisticated.

Canada has a system that consists of socialized health insurance plans that provide coverage to all its citizens. Canada health care is largely government-funded, with most services provided by private enterprises with some publicly funds all, which is controlled and administered, within guidelines set by the federal government ("Healthy Canadians: A Federal report on Comparable Health Indicators ", 2009).

Neighboring countries, United States and Canada have close ties to one another, share the same language and have many of the same fundamental and religious beliefs. It is an interesting debt as to which provides a superior healthcare system. In order to better understand the strengths and weakness of the two systems, this paper will review four important structural and functional elements of each system.

Canada is one of the most iconic countries when it comes to healthcare, and it has many pros like having a free health care that is accessible to everyone in Canada in spite of their income or class that is equally distributed on the provinces. But this does not make it perfect because nothing is, Canada has potential to be the number one when it comes to health care, because it has the resources, with it being the second largest country in the world, and having the right idea of free healthcare, it just needs some management to improve and solve the issues that are going on around. After reading this much information, it is for sure that the moral of the essay is that the Canadian healthcare system can be improved in many aspects and places,

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

Canada’s health care policy was designed to give all residents equal right and access to health care professionals. Although health care is available to all Canadian citizens, it publicly funded, not free. The provinces have separate health care plans but they all share common characteristics which were decided in the Canada Health Act. The Canada Health Act of 1984 was an amalgamation of two previous acts with an addition to give all Canadians access to health services; however, recently Canada’s health care policy has been challenged. It has been argued that there is confusion in the meaning of accessibility (Wilson & Rosenberg, 2004) and that Canada’s health care policy does not address the need for competent patient care (Liberman,

At some point in time, we all must have had a chance of sitting in a waiting room of a hospital. I had a chance to visit the doctor last week and it was horrible, I had to wait to meet the doctor for around 4 hours While I was dying of pain. That made me to curse the whole hospital system in Canada and that 's the main reason that lead me to prepare this essay . British Columbia health care system with emphasis on " Providing " patient-centred care". which is defined as "Shifting the culture of health care from being disease-centred and provider-focused to being patient centered". This represents a great polished political language which they use to make people feel content and confident by confusing without them knowing that they are being confused.

most of the elderly people have no insurance. There is a 10.4% of GDP that Canada spends while

Canada’s health care system is public, this means that Canada is associated with welfare state liberalism. For example, Ontario has their own insurance plan called Ontario Health Insurance Plan, which is otherwise known as OHIP. OHIP does not allow for charging or selling private insurance to cover medically necessary services that are covered by OHIP. The National Health Institute has been influenced by the constitution in the way which they

Health care in Canada is delivered through a publicly funded health care system called Medicare, which is a universal coverage, single payer plan for all Canadians and legal residents. This health insurance pays up to 70% of all medicals costs excluding dental, eye care and medications, which is covered by private sectors. The current health care policy is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act 1984. Approximately 99% of physicians’ service costs and 90% of hospital care are covered by publicly funded program. Historically, Canada’s health system was dated back to 1867 when the British North American Act was passed, which gave federal government the responsibility to take care of marine hospitals and quarantine. As for the provinces, its responsibility is to manage the local hospitals, asylums, charities and other charitable organizations. To compare with the United States of America, the American government does not have a single payer program, which results in a somewhat less efficient healthcare system. Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by private sector businesses. 58% of US community hospitals are non-profit, 21% are government owned, and 21% are for-profit.