Access
Canada provides a universal health insurance coverage plan (Medicare) to its citizens. This includes physician visits and specialist services by referral from a physician. Depending on the province, the coverage may include prescription medication and other services. Services like dental and prescription glasses may be obtained through other private insurance plans. Although the Medicare provides universal access, owing to the climatic and terrain conditions of Canada, one may find it difficult to access the various health care services.
Quality
REFORMS TO IMPROVE CANADIAN HEALTHCARE
1) Community and Primary Healthcare reform
A stronger focus on keeping patients well and supported in the community can be achieved by shifting
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non acute resources from hospital to community support An integrated primary health care sector is essential for providing better services, including first contact physician care, health prevention and promotion. key steps in improving Medicare are Expanding access to primary care in community-based settings and supporting a smooth continuum of care between the community and institutions. It may also contribute to better health outcomes. 2) EHR implementation Electronic health record (EHR) will lead to a more integrated health system and make it easier for other parts of health system to connect with each other more effectively.
Electronic prescribing will enable prescribers to better utilize their time, while a prescription drug database can be used by doctors and pharmacists to improve prescribing practices and help to prevent dangerous drug interactions
In 2009, of an estimated 322 million visits made by Canadians to doctors, 94% resulted in a paper record. Canada is far behind all other industrialized countries except the United States in transferring to EHRs. Almost 80% of health records in Australia are electronic, while in the Netherlands the figure is 98%. Canada has a long way to go to catch up, but achieving an almost universally applied EHR is a reality in other jurisdictions and is a realistic goal for Canada.
3) Move towards pharma care reform
Canada pays more for prescription drugs than any country within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) except the United States this has resulted in one of the most inequitable systems within the OECD in regard to access to medicines. A universal national pharma care program would bring Canada in line with most high-income countries around the
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world. One study estimated that a combination of strategies may reduce Canada’s prescription drug costs by as much as $10.7 billion per year, or an estimated 43% of Canada’s $25.1 billion drug bill. 4) Place Greater Emphasis on Health Promotion and Illness Prevention Promotion of healthy life style like exercise, proper diet and hygiene, with progressive policies that reduce poverty can help in if not in preventing but in reducing its impact on population and enhance quality of life. Vaccination programs can also play a key role on Canadian healthcare as it is one of the aspects of healthcare in Canada There should be transparent agreements with manufacturers of vaccines and should be easily accessible.
SYSTEM COMPARISAON OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF US AND CANADA HEALTHCARE
Health insurance coverage
Canadian health system has a set of socialized insurance plans which can cover all the Canadian citizens since their birth. Most of the citizens are qualify for health insurance coverage regardless of standard of living, race of the peoples, medical history and personal income.
Primary concern of US healthcare system is the number of citizens without health insurance coverage. Under Obamacare, still 31 million people are uninsured. Most of the people uninsured are low income people
Profit oriented healthcare
Involvement of private insurance companies leads to profit motive running in United States. Transformed healthcare in US into an industry whose goal is to make profit. Government does have limited control over private insurers.
Rather than private insurers, Canadian health system has single payer which is government to pay all healthcare cost that put people ahead of profit.
Resistance to choose physicians and extra
cost United States people have no freedom to choose their physicians, each insurance companies have provider network. People under these plans can see selected providers those are a part of their network. They should pay extra cost like co-payment, deductible even if they have insurance coverage In Canadian healthcare system, people have freedom to choose physician, they do not have provider network like US. There is no extra cost to pay for physicians. Healthcare Cost US is spending more than 3.87 trillion dollars for healthcare in 2014 which is average $10,000 per capita. According to WHO, US government contributing 17.9 % of GDP for their healthcare cost. Increase in prescribed drug is the growing concern for patients in united states. Healthcare cost in Canada is half of the cost in united states. Canada spent only $1.41 trillion dollar in a year that is around $4000 per person. Canada pays only 10% of their GDP for healthcare Government in Canada have instituted system to negotiate and control drug price, so they are much more affordable. Quality of healthcare Even though Canadian waiting an average of 18.3 weeks to see a physician, statistics shows that for patient reported physician quality comes out ahead of US. Somewhat fewer physician error, lab error, medication error report from Canada. Canada people reports more satisfaction with their doctors. Infant mortality rate is lesser for Canada, Canada has 4.6 death/1000 births but US has 6.1 deaths/1000 birth.
Due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law on March 23rd, 2010; health care in the US is presently in a state of much needed transition. As of 2008, 46 Million residents (15% of the population) were uninsured and 60% of residents had coverage from private insurers. 55% of those covered by private insurers received it through their employer and 5% paid for it directly. Federal programs covered 24% of Americans; 13% under Medicare and10% under Medicaid. (Squires, 2010)
On a global scale, the United States is a relatively wealthy country of advanced industrialization. Unfortunately, the healthcare system is among the costliest, spending close to 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) towards funding healthcare (2011). No universal healthcare coverage is currently available. United States healthcare is currently funded through private, federal, state, and local sources. Coverage is provided privately and through the government and military. Nearly 85% of the U.S. population is covered to some extent, leaving a population of close to 48 million without any type of health insurance. Cost is the primary reason for lack of insurance and individuals foregoing medical care and use of prescription medications.
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
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
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.
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
The health care system in Canada today is a combination of sources which depends on the services and the person being treated. 97% of Canadians are covered by Medicare which covers hospital and physician services. Medicare is funded at a governmental and provincial level. People of First Nation and Inuit descent are covered by the federal government. Members of the armed forces, veterans, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are also covered by the federal government. Several services such as dental care, residential care, and pharmaceutical are not covered. The 13 provinces have different approaches to health care; therefore, it is often said that Canada has 13 healthcare systems (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). The access to advanced medical technology and treatment, the cost of healthcare, and the overall health of Canadians fares well in comparison with other countries such as the United States.
Did you ever think about how much time is spent on computers and the internet? It is estimated that the average adult will spend over five hours per day online or with digital media according to Emarketer.com. This is a significant amount; taking into consideration the internet has not always been this easily accessible. The world that we live in is slowly or quickly however you look at it: becoming technology based and it is shifting the way we live. With each day more and more people use social media, shop online, run businesses, take online classes, play games, the list is endless. The internet serves billions of people daily and it doesn’t stop there. Without technology and the internet, there would be no electronic health record. Therefore, is it important for hospitals and other institutions to adopt the electronic health record (EHR) system? Whichever happens, there are many debates about EHR’s and their purpose, and this paper is going to explain both the benefits and disadvantages of the EHR. Global users of the internet can then decide whether the EHR is beneficial or detrimental to our ever changing healthcare system and technology based living.
Those who would claim that Canada’s health care is a universal one tier system could refer to the legal terms of the Canada Health Care Act. In particular, the point that states, “Universality: All insured residents are entitled to the same level of health care.” (“Canada Health Care Act”, 2007). In fact, many Canadians feel they have a right to be covered financially for any and all medical costs. According to the Globe & Mail, “Canadians have developed an incredible sense of Medicare entitlement: They want all care for all people, instantly and free of charge.” (Andre, 2009). It is true that the original intention was to make health care services available for Canadians, but the guidelines offer the same service to Canadians covered by the health plan. However, certain problems arose and modifications were needed because not al...
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
Medicare is the term that refers to Canada's beneficially, fully funded health care system. In alternative to having a national plan, Canada’s health care insurance plans are segregated depending on the province, or territory an individual inhabits. Through Medicare, all Canadian residents have an advantage to accessing medical aid when needed. In comparison to other countries, which have limited to no access to their health services, Canada is seen as a world leader in medical aid facilities. The development of medicare in Canada had a positive impact in Canadian history because it made Canada an advanced nation, highly fulfilled the needs of society, and profitably impacts every Canadian family. Medicare has already benefited the lives of
The Canadian health care system is widely known and described by the term “free”, which makes those individuals that classify the Canadian health care system as free, oblivious of what is actually taking place. What this article reveals and Canadians need to understand is that in Canada we have a 70:30 percent ratio of publicly and privately ran health services and those privately ran health services are to be increasing. That 70% is being financed by the government through taxation dollars while the other 30% is directly coming out of individual’s pockets or any benefits or insurance they are covered over. In the mythbuster article it states dental hygiene care is paid by individuals directly out of their pocket or by private insurance
Coming to a country which has the advantage of getting free health care from a country where people die because they are unable to pay for treatment, is a major plus point. In many countries, health can only be restored when forms are filled and money is deposited. “In Canada, governments are the main source of funding for health care because they play a key role in the insurance market” (Madore, 2005). With this legislation in place, Canada has opened up an amazing opportunity for one’s wellness. This act helps protect, promote and restore physical as well as mental well-being of residents of Canada and facilitates access to health services without barriers. Enforcing this regulation has permitted people to feel secure about their health and not fear about money. Along with the public, health care providers such as nurses are also compensated for the services they
The five main principles in the Canada Health Act include Public Administration where all the administration of provincial health insurance must be carried out by a public authority on a non-profit basis. Another principle is Comprehensiveness which all heath services must be insured. This includes hospitals, physicians and surgical dentist. Under Universality all insured residents are entitled to the same level of care which makes the patients feel that they are getting the care that they truly need. With Portability residents that move to a different province or territory are still entitled to coverage from their home province with a waiting period. This also applies to residents which leave the country. This ensures that residents don’t have to worry about finding a new doctor or wonder if they will be treated. Lastly Accessibility is where insured’s have reasonable access to healthcare facilities. In addition to patient having access, physicians and hospitals must also be provided reasonable compensation for any and all services provided. To access Canada’s healthcare individuals have to apply for a provincial health card. All residents of a province or territory are accepted for coverage under the Canada Health Act with the exception of inmates and the Canadian Armed Forces. One the
The United States prides itself on the being the most powerful nation in the world. However, what are they putting that power towards? The answer is not Health Care. According to Vicente Navarro, “the most important component of the welfare state is the guarantee of access to health care in time of need. The United States is the only developed country who does guarantee such a right to its citizens” (Eitzen and Zinn, 2003, pp. 498). However, in 2010 under the Obama administration the Universal Health Care Act was created. Although there are still millions of citizens uninsured or under insured. This is due to unequal access to health care as well as numerous problems that occur under insurance companies. In addition to these apparent problems the United States faces the questionable future of Obamacare and Planned