Canada's Healthcare System Essay

Introduction

Many people in the world may think that Canada has the ideal system of healthcare for it's citizens, but that may not be entirely correct. Although the healthcare system in Canada has excellent features such as the standard of care and acceptance of all it's residents, it is quite often misconstrued. Each province in Canada is different, but they all run with basically the same set of rules and regulations, each required by law for the basic health care services to be provided. Canada's healthcare system is based upon five main principles, those being universality, portability, comprehensiveness, accessibility, and public administration. These principles are usually enforced, however, what some people do not realize is that there are a few negative aspects of the way healthcare is

provided in Canada.

Some of these aspects include long wait times, uneven distribution of care, and most importantly, the various costs. Canada's system is certainly not the worst, but it is not the best either. The provision of care for Canadians is not flawless, however it is significantly better than some of the forms of care in other parts of the world. In contrast to the United States, Canada's healthcare system is thought of as a shining example of what they wish to achieve, but there are a few holes that need to be filled before any country can look up to Canadian healthcare. One of the issues that need to be address in Canada's healthcare system is about delivery, as there can be some bias as to who is eligible for things like proper treatments and surgeries. Another example could be being referred to a specialist that is not covered under a patient's insurance, resulting in possibly high costs. Lest Canadians be forgetful of no hospital bills or be ungrateful for the quality of the care and facilities, many still need to be educated on why the healthcare system is not entirely perfect. Therefore, this paper will outline why Canada's healthcare system has

various flaws.
Why This Is An Issue
Canada's healthcare system is provided to it's citizens by public fundings. This means that through taxes, Canadians can receive a basic form of care services without being charged for hospital bills. However, some features are not completely available through this scheme, which results in additional costs for patients and residents. This is an issue because citizens that are living with low income support or the homeless cannot afford to keep up with these costs, which puts their lives at risk. It can also be an issue for those who are not government assisted as well, because the extra costs can really add up and quickly become extremely overwhelming. These costs can include ambulance or air lift fares, travel costs to see specialists, drug prescriptions, etc. Pape (2014) explains how after the age of 65, the average for additional costs for necessities partially covered or even not covered at all by medicare is approximately $5,391. This number is actually realistic because it takes into consideration things like dental work, eye glasses, wheelchairs and canes, hearing aids, and assisted living costs, all which come most of the time with old age, when there is only a pension plan and no additional income to support these needs.
The history of healthcare in Canada started in Saskatchewan in 1944 with the introduction of universal hospital insurance. This idea later went on to inspire the creation of medicare in 1962. Brown and Taylor (2012) explain that medicare would be the first government controlled medical insurance program that would be universal, comprehensive and single-player. At first, the idea of medicare was opposed, with many different issues and fears raised, but medicare eventually made it's way across Canada and is still enforced today. However, according to Simpson (2012), the founding principles of medicare are not being met, and Canada's healthcare system has turned into high costs, strict rules, rapidly developing technologies, and social inequalities, which can all lead to poor health.
Who Is Affected
Canada's flawed and changing healthcare system is affecting many people in the country. The affecting factors can include wait times, restrictions, and inequalities. Wait times in Canada are perhaps some of the longest as opposed to other countries. Wait times in hospitals can take long hours, and wait times for doctor's or specialist appointments can be weeks or months, which affects many people. If someone is in dire need of medical attention, it can be a long wait for them depending on the situation, which can lead to further injury for the patient. Life-threatening cases are handled immediately, but if the patient has a non-urgent need, then they will face sitting in a crowded hospital waiting room. Although trips to the hospital are free of charge, many people abuse this privilege and check themselves into the hospital with a slight cold, which then increases the wait times of the people who actually need serious attention.While wait times are more likely to affect the sick and dying, issues like restrictions and inequalities affect many other people. As stated before, needs like dental and eye care, mobility devices, hearing aids, long term care, and alternative medicine are not covered under medicare and are at additional costs to Canadians. However, if citizens have benefits with their place of employment or union, then they are eligible to receive extra coverage. Employee benefits are provided in addition to their normal salaries, and can cover things like disability income, daycare, vacation and sick time, retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement, and insurance for dental and other health care. While this is fortunate for those who have employee benefits, those who do not could most likely be struggling. If someone is homeless or government assisted, they are not eligible for this increased coverage, and are forced to pay for their essentials themselves, which many of them cannot do. This type of inequality affects many people, as government assistance only covers a limited amount of care, and the homeless are not able to pay for these rising costs on their own.