Tommy Douglass Influence On Health

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

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

Shortly after, he moved to Weyburn, Saskatchewan. At that time he witnessed all the suffering the people in the province were facing due to the great depression. Tommy Douglas felt something had needed to be done, and so he decided that politics was the way. 1933, Tommy Douglas had joined the Cooperative Commonwealth Foundation (CCF), a socialist political party in Canada. Which later became the New Democratic Party (NDP). During the 1934 Saskatchewan elections, he was unsuccessful, but he did not give up. At the 1935 federal election, he ran as a member of the CCF. This time he was successful. During his time in Parliament, he spent much of the time advocating for civil liberties and such that others did not agree with. Tommy Douglas built a reputation as a witty debater. In 1944, Tommy Douglas decided to resign from the Parliament and run for the Saskatchewan general election. He spent the next 17 years as premier. His most notable achievement as premier, was the establishment of a government funded medical care plan. 1961, Douglas resigned as premier to lead the NDP. Lots were accomplished in his lifespan, but he did not live forever. Tommy Douglas passed away in 1986 due to

This campaign was the fight for government assisted health care for all. The government of Canada officially passed the Medical Care Act in 1966, which created a universal health care system for all Canadians. This was a significant step in Canadian history as many countries at that time, and still today, lack laws of equality like this one. For this reason, Canadians find great pride in the fact that all people in Canada have equal access to medical care. However, this law did not easily come about, it took much time and persuasion to even be considered. Tommy Douglas began the fight for universal health care for all Canadians in 1961 when he left the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in Saskatchewan to be a part of the federal government (Colyer, et al, 2010, p.326). Douglas had the idea of giving all Canadians universal health care after he had succeeded in doing this for the people of Saskatchewan. After proving his outrageous idea of medical care being partially paid for by the government, it was easy to convince the rest of Canada. For only a small fee each month, Saskatchewan residents had their medical bills partially paid for and after only two years provincial debt was reduced by twenty million dollars (Colyer, et al, 2010, p.326). These same rules were implemented in the rest of Canada as a result of the 1966 Medical Care Act (Health Canada, 2012, online). As a result, Canadians were now supported by the government when they needed medical help. Consequently, universal health care brought both pride and equality to Canada because very few countries had the same luxuries that Canadians now

In todays world Canadians help each other fund money to help those in need; Canadians help so much that most medical services are funded public sources. Many of us would not even bother to help those in need, but Lester B. Pearson changed that part of us. He made health care such a big issue that it can not hide anywhere in this world. Lester B. Pearson, the man that gave Canada Universal Medicare also created the United Nations Peacekeeping Force.

In 1967, Tommy Douglas had a great impact in establishing Canada’s universal health care system which guarantees health care to its residents regardless of factors such as race or ethnicity, religion, income, and age (Tommy Douglas: The Father of Medicare, n.d., para.1). In the 1974 Lalonde Report it emphasizes that health services were only one of the many factors that affect health (A New Perspective On the Health of Canadians, 1974). Others factors which include income, food security, the level of education, shelter, status of health, social status, employment and working conditions, and living conditions also contribute to the status of ones’ health. These factors are known as the social determinants of health or one’s socio-economic status that provide an insight to the health of Canadians.

Tommy Douglas and Health Care System One man can save the lives of millions of people with one idea. An

Health care is an essential service needed by citizens. As a result, the government plays an important role by designing an appropriate health care system for its citizens. In this paper, a comparison between the health care system in the U.S. and Canada has been made. Using various literary sources, the comparison has been done considering the four components of health care services delivery; financing, insurance, delivery, and payment. The findings indicate that the health care system in the U.S. is expensive but more efficient than the single-payer health care system in Canada.

Many people who know of Tommy Douglas and his impact on Canada, could easily say that he is one of the greatest Canadians in all of Canada’s history. Tommy Douglas is no ordinary person, he played a big role in why Canada is great to this day. He believed that every Canadian has a right to quality healthcare, regardless of the social or economical state that, that person might be in. In sticking to his belief, he led the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation(CCF), a government which was formed as a political coalition of progressive, socialist, and labour groups that requested economic reformation to help the Canadians who suffered from The Great Depression. CCF won Saskatchewan to form the first socialist government in North America. This party

Tommy Douglas being determined benefited Canada's economy while R.B Bennett bring determined as well did not. Douglas being determined is shown when he introduces his first idea to reach his goal of universal healthcare.”Douglas made the province financially stable enough to introduce universal hospitalization for all residents of Saskatchewan for an annual fee of $5.” “The grandparent of today's national Medicare system, began providing hospital coverage at $5 per person” (Margoshes 60) Bennett's determination is shown when he suggests solutions to Canada's fallen economy.“ Bennett had tried to bring back prosperity using traditional economic tools, including high import tariffs.” When Tommy Douglas create public hospital insurance it boosted Canada's economy because it helped citizens save money avoiding bankruptcy meaning companies would have a more healthier and productive workforce and also gave people jobs (insurance agents etc) reducing unemployment. But Bennett's goal of benefiting the economy did not work out because the raising tariffs only made unemployment rise even more especially when the Great Depression was happening during that time. To sum up, Tommy Douglas’s determination lead to a stronger economy by putting people to work and giving companies a more healthier and productive

”8 With the availability of Medicare, sick labourers returned to good health allowing them to go back to work. The return to work provided family members with an increase in income, therefore stimulating the economy with the extra money available to spend. The Medicare system promoted a sense of patriotism wherein Canadians helped Canadians. Because of Pearson’s implementation of the Medicare system, positive significant changes resulted for

     In the past, Canada’s government-funded, universally accessible, health care system has been praised and admired both at home and abroad as one of the finest in the world. A great source of pride and comfort for many Canadians is that it is based on five fundamental principles. Principles that are a reflection of the values held by Canadian citizens since the formation of Medicare in 1966. These principles were reinforced in the Canada Health Act, (CHA), of 1984 and state that the Canadian system is universal, accessible, portable, comprehensive and non-profit.

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

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 lack of flexibility within government, however, as Armstrong articulates that “opposition now comes not only from the big provinces but also from forces such as doctors’ organizations […] those seeking for profit” (Armstrong, p153). Governments’ are influenced from behind the scenes in the form of private investment and wealthy investors such as lobbyists. I do believe that if the government becomes more flexible, it would under these conditions - eliminate public funding across the board and implement a free market due to the persuasion of partisan funding. With the electoral system Canadians have in place, bipartisan voting and four or five-year electoral schedule, it differs political parties from imposing such changes, as they are confined to public opinions (Malcolmson, p227). In comparison, Armstrong defines our ‘rigidity’ as praise for resistance of private corporations and lobbyists, avoiding “pressuring individual legislators” (Armstrong, p21). The for-profit industry is heavily funded, therefore, can offer significantly more public persuasion. Furthermore, as discussed by our guest lecturer, we are geographically linked to the largest for-profit regime on the globe – our television is directly influenced by American advertisements, enticing our population to believing that we are restrained in choice of care by our government.