Universality In Canada's Healthcare System

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Canada's healthcare system, built on the principle of universality, is widely regarded as one of the world's leading models. It stands as a source of both health and national pride for many Canadians, embodying the fundamental belief that access to healthcare should be determined by need rather than financial means (Martin et al., 2018). The Senate of Canada has articulated the principle of universality, affirming that every resident within a province or territory is entitled to publicly funded health services covered by provincial or territorial plans, subject to consistent terms and conditions (Canada, n.d.). Universal social programs are designed to guarantee that equivalent services are available to all citizens, irrespective of their geographic location or socioeconomic standing. This implies that programs such as Medicare are …show more content…

Statistics concerning the well-being of Indigenous communities in Canada provide evidence supporting this assertion. The health and overall well-being of Indigenous peoples in Canada starkly differs from the national average. They experience notably higher rates of child mortality, infectious diseases, diabetes, and cancer, alongside decreasing life expectancy rates at birth compared to non-Indigenous populations (Papillon,2019:240). This undermines the primary objective of the Canadian Health Act, which is to "protect, promote, and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers" (Canada Health Act, 2023). This paper delves into the nuanced obstacles hindering Indigenous peoples' access to universal healthcare, followed by proposing strategies aimed at dismantling these barriers and fostering genuine inclusivity within the healthcare

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