Similarities Between France and Canada’s Health Care System

Wenzl, 2014). I selected France because it has the best health care system in the world

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’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

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).

Introduction A health care system is an organization of agencies, facilities, and resources that help a specific population to achieve their health needs. Each country has its own health system, which are managed differently. Some health systems are more successful than others, for example according the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2000 France was ranked number 1 out of 191 countries, whereas the United States (U.S.) was ranked at number 37 out of 191 (World Health Organization [WHO], 2000). The U.S. has the most expensive health care system and one of the most advanced medical treatments, yet it is ranked at 37.

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.

The French and the United States have several differences in the health care system. However, there were two differences that struck me. One, the cost of services and no hidden fees. Price of services is transparent, and cost of care are consistent at every doctor’s office. “French patients are informed up front, down to the last hundredth of a euro, how much they will pay for each medical procedure (Reid, 2009).” In the U.S., patients never know how much care will cost them. The price will depend on your insurance coverage. Furthermore, it depends what the doctors or the hospital want to charge. Reid also states (Reid, 2009), “My visit, a “consultation for joint pain or stiffness,” was priced at 26, or $33.80. …Back home, a

The Canadian healthcare system was first established in the late 1940’s and is made up of socialized health insurance plans that provide coverage to every Canadian citizen. Publicly funded and managed, rules are set forth by the federal government. In the 1960’s, Canada in essence, has had universal healthcare coverage for all services provided by physicians and hospitals. Change your source ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Canada 2014) Whereas, the healthcare system in America originated in the 1800’s, but truly wasn’t established until the late 1920’s. Healthcare in America was initially for teachers for a low cost in Dallas Texas by Justin Kimball. Change you source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/) Healthcare in the United States is mostly privately funded with only a few publicly funded entities such as Medicare and Medicaid. The Canadian and U.S. healthcare system s have been under a lot of scrutiny over the years, being the topic of every political conversation. In this essay, I will write about the main differences between the U.S and Canadian Health-care system, and help shed some light on how each system works. The main points I will be discussing are the wait times to see a primary care physician, the funding of each countries health care system, accessibility to medical care and the quality of care.

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

In 1984, the Canada Health Act was passed, which prohibited extra billing by doctors on patients. The health care system is for the most part publicly funded. Because of Tommy Douglas, Canada has free health care; it is funded through tax dollars. Health coverage is not affected by loss or change of jobs, as long as premiums are up to date, and there are no lifetime limits or exclusions for pre-existing conditions. The French health care system is one of universal health care largely financed by government national health insurance. In the 2000 assessment of world health care systems, the World Health Organization found that France provided the "best overall health care" in the world. In France, when you

The Canadian health care system is funded majorly by the public, with very few private donations. Over the past few decades acts of large-scale philanthropy by wealthy private donors have started to increase, due to the investments in social programs and infrastructure from the government declining. Without the aid of private donors and large sources of income from outside of the public (government) the infrastructure of all hospitals, clinics, and the totality of western healthcare systems would collapse and ultimately fail as the system is set up presently. There is an opportunity of keeping a healthy and happy society sustained by public funds, as long as the government is able to step up and provide the healthcare system with enough funds, making the donations from philanthropists an excess instead of a necessity.

According to World health organization (WHO), a state of social, mental and physical well-being and the absence of disease is defined as a health (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016a). The main aim of healthcare system is to provide health services to the people including permanent residents, tourists, temporary, citizens and students. The primary purpose of a healthcare system is to promote, maintain and re-establish health. The Healthcare system of a country includes emergency care, diagnosis of diseases, health advancement and maintenance, treatment of chronic and acute term diseases ( Health Education and Training Institute, n.d). In the past, doctors were not well trained and paid and the access to GP’s was not affordable

France was described as having a technically efficient and generous healthcare system that provides the best overall health care. Aspects examined in this evaluation included universal coverage, equity, distribution of costs, responsiveness of healthcare providers, patient satisfaction, patient and provider freedoms, and the health and longevity of the population (para. 4).

Addressing the cause of health care problems is one of the first steps in addressing the cost cutting issue. Much of what causes health care problems can be linked to dangerous lifestyle choices, dangerous living environments, and poverty. Countries with more successful universal health care systems, such as France, have laws restricting a person’s working hours while simultaneously providing a plethora of social services to ensure that their needs are always met, regardless of their income or social status. In turn, these exceptional social services drive down health care costs. France offers numerous programs to assist the poor, single working women with children, and families. The laws regarding health care oversight is also significantly less strict than that in the United States, yet they continue to be considered the best in the world in health care, while only spending 11.2% of their GDP (World Health Organization, 2012).

Is it possible for two countries which are thousands of kilometers away from each other to have some similarities in their health care system? Health care system is one of the most important and fundamental sectors in any country or region all around the world. Many countries pour a major amount of their overall income to support the health care system. And the main reason behind this tremendous effort provided by the countries all around the world for the health care system is that each country wants to provide a good and high standard health care services for all the population occupying the land whether they were local citizens or Non- local citizens . This essay will compare and contrast the health care system in two wonderful countries: