Furthermore, Canada has an issue with the distribution of equal health care among those in rural areas. Funding for health care is done at a provincial level based on demographics, meaning that health facilities in larger areas in a province are likely to receive more funding than a health facility in a more rural area. As a result, one living in a rural area may have to travel further distances in order to receive more quality care. In addition, Canada does not have as many hospitals compared to other developed countries, such as the United States. In the piece titled Why Does Health Care Cost So Much in America? Ask Harvard’s David Cutler, it is stated by Professor David Cutler that “in all of Ontario there are 11 hospitals that can do open …show more content…
As stated, wait times are a large issue in the Canadian health care system, with many often having to wait weeks to see a doctor. These wait times are potentially due to the global budgeting system that Canada has in place, in which health facilities are given a particular budget for the year. This budgeting system is in place in order to control overall costs in the country, however, Canada is still spending nearly the same amount of GDP on health care as other countries with single-payer systems in place, such as the United Kingdom. In order to reduce these long wait times, Canada could attempt to put fewer restrictions on the budgeting system, functioning more so like the United Kingdom where wait times are not an issue. Smaller budget cuts could be made in other departments to allow for the budgeting of health facilities to rise leading to smaller wait times. Furthermore, Canada can also expand on their coverage of medications by following the model in the United Kingdom in which they are covered by the government. A 2012 study by the University of British Columbia found that one in ten Canadian’s currently struggle to or simply cannot afford to purchase prescription drugs. Through following the United Kingdom’s lead in having prescription drugs, and other services such as optometry, covered by the government, Canada could potentially have a more efficient health care system. Moreover, physicians in Canada are paid on a fee-for-service basis meaning that the quantity of care is arguably more important for some over the quality. This method in which physicians are paid contrasts from the United Kingdom as in the country they are paid by a method of “salary, capitation, and pay for performance, with heavy emphasis on capitation”. The latter method is conceivably more efficient as the
Pithoven, A. A. (2009). Why U.S. health care expenditure and ranking on health care indicators are so different from Canada’s. International Journal of Health Care Finance & Economics, 9(1), 1-24. doi:10.1007/s10754-008-9044-0
A Canadian Dermatologist who once worked in the United States breaks down the pros and cons of Canada’s health care system and explains why he thinks the Canadian system is superior to America’s. Canada runs a single payer health care system, which means that health care is controlled by the government rather than private insurance companies. One of the main pros of the Canadian health care system is that everyone is insured. He says that in the province of Ontario, the Ministry of Health insures all of its citizens, all important health needs such as physician visits, home nursing and physical therapy are covered. Since every resident is covered under the government plan the problem of patients being turned away due to lacking medical coverage
It is generally accepted that the method of payment to physicians affect their professional attitude and behaviour. Consequently, health policy makers manipulate payment system in an attempt to achieve optimal health care for their citizens such as improve accessibility, quality of care, patient’s satisfaction and cost containment. In Ontario, there are a wide range of mechanisms that are used to pay physicians for their services that are funded by both federal and provincial government. According to Canada Health Act annual report (2013), the majority of primary healthcare physicians are funded using the fee for service payment arrangement but of that majority, only less than 30% are compensated exclusively according the fee for service plan. The remaining physicians are funded using one of the following mixed compensation models:
The Saskatchewan heath care system is made up of several provincial, regional and local organizations, which provide the people their basic right to reasonable health care (“Health Systems,” 2014). Not having enough health care providers seem to be a problem, which Canada as a whole has struggled with (“College of Family,” 2014). The shortages of medical providers have lead to major discrepancies in the level of patient care between major urban centers and rural areas (Howlett, 2013). In the case of Saskatchewan many communities are facing this challenge, not only rural areas but also the capital city of the province (“Saskatchewan ER,” 2013). Stats Canada has showed that the number of physicians is at a historic high, yet Saskatchewan still face shortages (Howlett, 2013).
An analysis of the US and Canada’s systems reveals advantages and drawbacks within each structure. While it is apparent that both countries could benefit from the adoption of portions of the others system, Canada’s healthcare system offers several benefits over the US system.
It is an assumption by many that Canada has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. But do they really? There are numerous health services in Canada which should be part of the universal care nonetheless are not. These include but are not limited to: dental care, vision care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and prescription drug coverage. This report will solely focus on why basic dental care should be a part of the Canadian universal healthcare. Dental care is predominantly delivered in the private sector on a fee-for-service basis, with approximately 62.6% of Canadians paying for care through employment-based insurance and 31.9% through out-of-pocket expenditures and only a small amount of the Canadians, 5.5%, are qualified for public funding through government assistance programmes (Ramraj and Quinonez, 2012). It was seen that by 2009, dental coverage affordability became a problem not just for the low income families but also impacted middle-income earners as a result of their lack of, or decreased access to comprehensive dental insurance (Ramraj, 2013). It is stated by the World Health Organization that universal health care coverage should reassure access to necessary care and protect patients from financial hardship, and that the governments are obligated to
... wait times and the problem of our physician shortages. Becoming aware of the reasons why our physicians leave Canada, will be the stepping stone to create/match the attractive deals that steal them from us. The shortage of our physicians and the long wait times in the emergency room is closely connected. The government needs to look at all propositions that have been mentioned in order to fix these issues. There are all kinds of advanced health care providers that can help with this problem by aiding in the emergency rooms and remove the burden of overworked physicians. If we organize our health care providers in a new way, the wait times in our emergency rooms could be greatly reduced. The public should take control of their health by not tolerating the present state of affairs. Their health is being harmed by extended wait times and lack of health care workers.
At the beginning of the 20th century healthcare was a necessity in Canada, but it was not easy to afford. When Medicare was introduced, Canadians were thrilled to know that their tax dollars were going to benefit them in the future. The introduction of Medicare made it easier for Canadians to afford healthcare. Medicare helped define Canada as an equal country, with equal rights, services and respect for every Canadian citizen. Medicare helped less wealthy Canadians afford proper healthcare. Canadian citizens who had suffered from illness because they could not afford healthcare, were able to get proper treatment. The hospitals of Canada were no longer compared by their patients’ wealth, but by their amount of service and commitment. Many doctors tried to stop the Medicare act, but the government and citizens outvoted them and the act was passed. The doctors were then forced to treat patients in order of illness and not by the amount of money they had. Medicare’s powerful impact on Canadian society was recognized globally and put into effect in other nations all around the world. Equality then became a definition which every Canadian citizen understood.
Brian Lindenberg, “Canadian Healthcare: What Works and What Doesn’t | Benefits Canada,” accessed February 14, 2014, http://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-wellness/canadian-healthcare-what-works-and-what-doesn%E2%80%99t-27647.
The public health care system in Canada is still flawed, proven through the wait times that many patients have to go through. Canadians may wait up to six to nine months for “non-urgent” MRIs . The waiting list is dreary for Canadians, unlike Americans who can get their services immediately through paying out-of-pocket, the long public sector in Alberta waits up to a year for services, the wait for cataract surgery was six weeks ; these waits for some patients put the public health care system to shame, and helps push the idea of the privatized health care system a bettering option for the future of the nation. Additionally, 41 percent of adult Canadians said they experienced a difficulty in accessing hospital and physician care on weekday nights and weekends . Furthermore, it is still evident that Canadians in fact pay a higher income tax compared to Americans, due to the fact that they are paying the fund the health care system through their taxes; however, it is still significantly less to pay for a public health care system than it is privatized . Privatization is further proved as a superior choice with regards to the discharge situation many Canadians face. In Canada, it is common to see patients discharged earlier than recommended due the rising amount of patients using the free-of-charge public health care system, patients are released “quicker and sicker” because of this . Additionally, when discharged, the public health care system does not cover home care and private nurse care ; further proving the notion that there is still some forms of privatization already in the health care system in
Health care has become an issue because of the shortage of doctors in Canada. Many of them are either going to the U.S.A. or going to other countries to practice in hospitals and clinics. The earning cap imposed by the government has forced doctors to work fewer hours than are necessary to serve the public. Many Canadians are without a doctor to help them with their needs, and emergency rooms are filled to capacity with no available beds for those who have to be admitted to the hospital. Waiting time for specialist and specialty tests has become so long that someone diagnosed with a major illness may die before they can be properly treated.
Since the initiation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Americans have been put back in charge of their individual health care. Under this new law, a health insurance marketplace provides a haven for individuals without insurance to gain coverage. Just this year, citizens found out early whether they qualified for Medicare or the CHIP formally known as the Children’s Health Insurance Program. So much is to be learned about the Affordable Care act and this paper provides the roles of the different governmental branches, along with other important factors associated with this law.
Health care system in the United State is set up in a way that providing Medical to everyone would be easier than implementing single payer system. Single payer system is understood by providing equal and quality healthcare to everyone by offering service on as reasonable cost as possible, by administrating, and financing the rest cost by government. In the report “Key Questions When Considering a State-Based, Single-Payer System in California” published by California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) defined Single Payer System as a single centralized, publicly organized means to collect, pool, and distribute money to pay for the delivery of health care services for all members of a defined population. It is definitely not an easy process, but
Bryant, Toba, Chad Leaver, and James Dunn. 2009. “Unmet healthcare need, gender, and health inequalities in Canada.” Health Policy 91(2009): 24-32.
As a Canadian, I am proud to say that my country provides public health care to its citizens. Canada provides health insurance plans that supply coverage to its entire people. Under the health care system, individual citizens are provided care and medical treatments from physicians as well as access to hospitals, dental care and additional medical services. Most citizens qualify for health coverage regardless of medical history, personal income, or standard of living. In this paper, I will argue that public healthcare is the better option because it provides individual right, equality, and a better lifespan.