Visit the Canadian Governments Healthcare System Website: Health Canada/Santé Canada

[Better Believe It]

Health Canada is the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, while respecting individual choices and circumstances.



Visit the Website at:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php


--------------------------------------------------

What Has Been Said about Our System

First and foremost, Canadians support their health care system. As The Conference Board of Canada has noted: "Of all of Canada's social policies, is the most prized, and it is central to Canadians' views of what is necessary for a high quality of life." 9

Studies show that a publicly funded health care system provides many economic benefits. Public funding spreads the cost of health care services across the entire population. The European Observatory on Health Care Systems has pointed to the advantages of public funding of health care systems, which are: free access at point of use; pooling of risks across a larger population; universal coverage; and better cost control. 10

Canada's labour costs are lower because employers do not have to fully fund employee health benefits; this gives businesses in Canada a competitive edge. The annual KPMG competitiveness report, which compares business costs in several industrialized countries, continues to find that Canada has lower business costs than the US, and the lowest total labour costs of the countries compared. 11 As well, the excellent health status of Canadians contributes to a productive workforce.

In their discussions with me, Canadians have been clear that they still strongly support the core values on which our health care system is premised--equity, fairness and solidarity. These values are tied to their understanding of citizenship.

Canada. Commission, Building on Values, 2002, p. xvi

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/system-regime/2005-hcs-sss/said-dit-eng.php


Canada's health care system has been a work in progress since its inception. Reforms have been made over the past four decades and will continue in response to changes within medicine and throughout society. The basics, however, remain the same - universal coverage for medically necessary health care services provided on the basis of need, rather than the ability to pay.

Canada's publicly funded health care system is best described as an interlocking set of ten provincial and three territorial health insurance plans. Known to Canadians as "medicare", the system provides access to universal, comprehensive coverage for medically necessary hospital and physician services.

Health Canada's Role
The federal government, the ten provinces, and the three territories have key roles to play in the health care system in Canada. Health Canada's mandate is to help Canadians maintain and improve their health. Among other activities, Health Canada's responsibilities for health care include setting and administering national principles for the health care system through the Canada Health Act and delivering health care services to specific groups (e.g., First Nations and Inuit). Working in partnership with provinces and territories, Health Canada also supports the health care system through initiatives in areas such as health human resources planning, adoption of new technologies and primary health care delivery.

What Information is Available
In this section, you will find an overview of Canada's health care system. More detailed information is also available on specific elements of the health care system, including health human resources, primary health care, home and community care and pharmaceuticals coverage. There is also information on studies examining the health care system and links to further information.

Canada's Health Care System Health Canada
2005

Table of Contents
Introduction

How Health Care Services Are Delivered

What Happens First (Primary Health Care Services)
What Happens Next (Secondary Services)
Additional (Supplementary) Services
Trends/Changes In Health Care

The Role of Government

The Federal Government
The Provincial and Territorial Governments

Health Expenditures

The Health Status of Canadians

Background

The Political, Economic and Social Framework
Evolution of Our Health Care System

What Has Been Said about Our System

Timeline

Bibliography

On-line Resources

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/system-regime/2005-hcs-sss/index-eng.php

[ProSense]

1. Timeline: 1867

1867

British North American Act passed: federal government responsible for marine hospitals and quarantine; provincial/territorial governments responsible for hospitals, asylums, charities and charitable institutions.

<...>

1957

Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services Act, federal, proclaimed (Royal Assent) May 1; provides 50/50 cost sharing for provincial and territorial hospital insurance plans, in force July 1, 1958.

<...>

1964

Royal Commission on Health Services, federal, reports; recommends national health care program.

<...>

1966

Canada Assistance Plan (CAP), federal, introduced; provides cost-sharing for social services, including health care not covered under hospital plans, for those in need, Royal Assent July, effective April 1.

Medical Care Act, federal, proclaimed (Royal Assent), December 19; provides 50/50 cost sharing for provincial/territorial medical insurance plans, in force July 1, 1968.

<...>

1984

The Canada Health Act, federal, passes (Royal Assent April 17), combines hospital and medical acts; sets conditions and criteria on portability, accessibility, universality, comprehensiveness, public administration; bans user fees and extra billing.

Provincial/territorial reciprocal billing agreement for out-patient hospital services provided out-of province/ territory.




Only took a few decades.

[akbacchus_BC]

2. Our Health Care is not national, it depends on the Province and what

it can absorb. It is not free, we pay every month for health care, having said that our medicare is really great.

Campbell wanted to emulate your system but we said no! My wish is for all Americans to get what we get here in Canada!

[Wednesdays]

3. K&R

:kick: