My Field Of Interest On Health Care

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 purpose of this paper is to compare the Canadian and the United States health care system. the first part of the paper will focus on describing each country health care system. The second part will focus on analyzing, evaluating and comparing these two countries system efficiency and benefits. The last part, is an overview of the recent policies changes and its effect (positive and negative) on each country citizens and proposed future reforms for better coverage in these countries.

America has a very disorganized and fragmented healthcare system while Canada has a very structured and established system. Since there is no healthcare system in the world that is considered perfect all countries implement polices that they believe will be the most beneficial for their residents, The United States’ and Canada’s systems are both constantly being reformed to fit the current needs their residents however there are strengths and weaknesses for both of the systems.

In Canada, the provinces and territories provide their own universal health insurance programs. The Canadian government administers funding to the provinces and territories on a per capita basis. Furthermore, services not included in public health coverage, such as medication, dental care, vision and home care are covered by private insurance. (4). Most physicians are paid fee-for-service, are self-employed in private practices and bill provincial governments directly.

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.

Obamacare, Medicare, universal, privatized, public, parallel; these healthcare systems (HCS) may sound a little confusing and scary for a person who values their health and the health of their family. In the United States of America, there are several different options of health coverage to choose from: health insurance for people with disabilities, long term care insurance, traditional-fee-for-service, and preferred provider organization, this is just naming a few (USA.org, 2017). With all these choices, how do you know which one is the best for you and your family? Usa.org emphasizes that several questions must be considered when choosing a healthcare provider: Are there any deductibles? Can I see any doctors or go to any hospital? Will all medications be covered that the doctor prescribes? Again, seems confusing, right! Therefore, Canada's HCS is based on the patients' needs and not what they can afford (Government of Canada, 2012). Although Canada's HCS is widely known for their universal coverage, many Canadian citizens have various concerns; one being excessive wait times.

​There are different models of universal healthcare systems. The first is compulsory insurance which demands that residents should buy insurance; various legislations usually enforce this request.  Another type of universal insurance is the single payer health care system which is defined by the government providing funding for the health care services. The United States health care system uses the former while Canadian system utilizes the latter. The National healthcare insurance program describes the Canadian system as a system run and administered by the government. The health insurance coverage is universal (Ridic, Gleanson, & Ridic, 2012). The United States model, on the other hand, is characterized by a health package that is purchased in the private corporations or offered by the federal administration. The private insurances can be obtained from commercial insurance firms and non-profit insurers. Approximately 84% of United States residents are sheltered bythe government or private insurance (26%) (Ridic, Gleanson, & Ridic, 2012; Earl, Klees, & Curtis, 2000). Additionally, a huge percentage of coverage is employment related. In most cases, employers voluntarily sponsor the health insurance coverage (Ridic, Gleanson, & Ridic, 2012). Evaluation Canadian and US healthcare systems, this study provides an evaluation of the United States and Canadian universal healthcare systems.

The Canadian health-care model is a system that is primarily funded by the government, with service principally delivered in non-profit hospitals, by doctors who are in private practice (para). Public health-care insurance as it is known today ..... dates back to the late 1950s (quote). Over the decades since, Canada 's model has evolved into a system that ranks highly based on the quality of care that is provided (para Washington post). In a recent survey, a strong majority of Canadians were satisfied with the Canadian model. (para gallop). While most Canadians are satisfied with the current system, the publicly funded model is not without fault.

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).

The major difference in the healthcare delivery between Canada and the United States is Canada operates under a single payer system verses the U.S. private multi-payer system (O 'Neill & O 'Neill, 2007). In many countries, medical care is usually delivered and or financed by government funding. Unlike the United States, where most of the population pays and receives medical care through private sectors (Bodenheimer and Grumbach, 2012). In the1960’s the Canadian federal government passed the universal health insurance plan, which became fully operational by 1971. Canada’s universal health care system is fully funded by the federal and area government, where hospitals, physicians, and supplementary services are provided “free”, there are no out of pocket charges (deductibles, copayment, or premiums) to patients (O 'Neill & O 'Neill, 2007). Presently, approximately one-third of the area health expenses are funded by the federal government, provincial taxes (varies in province) cover the remainder. Legal Canadians regardless of their wealth, job or retirement status, and age (under 18 or over 65) everyone is qualified and receives equal health care coverage. Of course there are few services and persons excluded or limited under the universal health care in Canada, these include illegal immigrants and refugees (denied), dental, optical, prescription drugs, home health care, chiropractic and ambulance, services private rooms or additional nursing services if admitted

The Canadian government-financed health system is a public, single payer health care system that is funded partially by federal government and the rest is funded by provincial taxes such as income taxes, payroll taxes, and sales taxes (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2008). Federal taxes had accounted for 50% of financing for health care services during the 1970s; however, this had decreased to

Health care in the United States has been an ongoing dispute and a major concern to all involved from the provider to the consumer. There have been other countries who have a demonstrated success in providing better health care practices at an economical cost for providers and consumers. Currently the United States spends more per person on health care comparatively speaking to other countries. Perhaps taking a looking at what has worked for other counties and their current health care system will benefit the United States Affordable Care Act in adopting the best practices to deliver a health care system that actually works for all involved. Thus far there are three systems that have a proven track record respectively, Canada’s - National Health Insurance (NHI), Great Britain’s - National Health System (NHS), and Germany’s - Socialized Health Insurance (SHIS), examining each of these systems can provide useable information for the United States.

Since there are no alarming concerns there we take a look at the services available in the two countries. In Canada the health care program is encompassed under the Canada Health Care Act. This means that the federal regulation determines how the health care is provided based on providences within Canada. The heath care act provides basic services, which would include visits to a primary care physician, a hospital and the like. General care and well being services are provided under the act, and limitations apply as well. Dental coverage is not included, vision plans and prescriptions are other services not provided, so in order for a Canadian to avoid out of pocket costs for these health issues they would need to obtain private insurance coverage.

Canada 's health care system is 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, within guidelines set by the federal government. Under the health care 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 a few exceptions, all citizens qualify for health coverage regardless of medical history, personal income, or standard of living. In addition to public health care providers such as primary care doctors and hospitals, many private clinics offering specialized services also operate in Canada.

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.