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Compare U.S. and Canadian health care systems
Compare U.S. and Canadian health care systems
Compare and analyze the Canadian and the U.S. health care systems
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The subject and discussion of health care in Canada is a national hot-button topic. With the 2015 federal election approaching, Canadians will have an opportunity voice their concerns and shape the future of the health care system. In The Globe and Mail’s article, “When a stagnant health system meets an aging population, disaster awaits”, the current state of Canada’s treasured Medicare system is brought to center stage. The Globe and Mail article “When a stagnant” (2015), reveals the daily struggles of health care professionals trying to find beds for patients, timeliness of patient care, Canada’s health care system in the global scope, and suggests to improve the current system by allowing the private sector to fund, build, and staff long-term care facilities for our aging population. Canada’s health care system is in need of a major overhaul to support the wave of aging seniors and increasing population. Improved infrastructure will be required to keep pace with the health care demands of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. …show more content…
The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reported wait times of ninetieth percentile patients exceeding nine hours at Winnipeg’s Grace Hospital in 2013 (as cited in Hildebrandt, 2014, para. 6).
In the journal, “Ontario Nurses Demand” (2014), Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, states that Ontario has just seven RNs per 1,000 Ontarians. add more
LaPierre, T. A. (2012). Comparing the Canadian and US Systems of Health Care in an Era of Health Care Reform. Journal of Health Care Finance, 38(4), 1-18.
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
Tommy Douglas was a Canadian social- democratic politician, who became the premier of Saskatchewan in 1944. Tommy Douglas believed that it was his responsibility as premier to improve the lives of ordinary people. In fact, he had experienced firsthand people dying, because they did not have enough money for the treatment they needed. It was from that day he said “If I ever had the power I would, if it were humanly possible, see that the financial barrier between those who need health services and those who have health services was forever removed.” So, when he became premier he enacted the first Medicare plan in Saskatchewan, which in 1972 was adopted in all provinces in Canada. The universal health care system has many advantages and should be adopted by other countries as well. This system would decrease the world’s death rate, there are also many people out there who cannot afford health care and it would be easier with universal health care to have everyone under one system.
In Samuelson and Antony’s book Power and Resistance, renowned sociologist Professor Pat Armstrong tackles the topic of health care reform from a critical feminist perspective. Her analytic critique of the historic tenets of Health Care policy in Canada, effectively points out a systemic disadvantage for the women of our society. Which, in the spirit of transparency, completely blind sighted me as a first time reader because, well, this is Canada. Canada, the internationally renowned first world nation with a reputation for progressive social reform. The same Canada that Americans make fun of for being ‘too soft’. As far as the world is concerned we’re the shining nation-state example of how to do health care right. Needless to say, Professor
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.
... 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.
In Canada, access to health care is ‘universal’ to its citizens under the Canadian Health Care Act and this system is considered to the one of the best in the world (Laurel & Richard, 2002). Access to health care is assumed on the strong social value of equality and is defined as the distribution of services to all those in need and for the common good and health of all residents (Fierlbeck, 2011). Equitable access to health care does not mean that all citizens are subjected to receive the same number of services but rather that wherever the service is provided it is based on need. Therefore, not all Canadians have equal access to health services. The Aboriginal peoples in Canada in particular are a population that is overlooked and underserved
Jeffrey Simpson, “The Real Problem with Canadian Health Care,” National Post, accessed February 14, 2014, http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/10/04/jeffrey-simpson-the-real-problem-with-canadian-health-care/.
Canada’s health care system is one of the top in the world; due to the federal legislation for publicly funded health care insurance. Requiring provinces and territories to follow certain conditions and guidelines to maintain universal health care, which is known as the Canada Health Act passed in 1984. There are five main principles within the Canada Health Act; public administrations, comprehensiveness, universality, accessibility, and portability. Moreover there are three aspects within the principles, equity, access and undeserved. Several marginalized populations do not receive the adequate health care even though the Canada Health Act is in place to help “protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of
...derly at work places and at home will improve their mental and social wellbeing. The aging population will affect every single citizen in Canada. Not one citizen wants a raise in taxes; however, if there is not any strategy setup to combat the aging population issues, Canadians will see raises in taxes causing frustration. Implementing these strategies will not only keep the elderly happy, but it will keep them healthy. The healthier an individual is, the less medical expenses, so why not get started on investing on this project which can save citizens several tax dollars. The results obtained in the primary research reinforce the support of the strategies presented. Majority of the participants understand the possible economic and health care issues the aging population will bring, thus getting started on this matter sooner will be beneficial for Canada’s future.
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
Today, Canadians are concerned with many issues involving health care. It is the responsibility of the provincial party to come up with a fair, yet reasonable solution to this issue. This solution must support Canadians for the best; it involves people and how they are treated when in need for health care. The Liberal party feels that they have the best solution that will provide Canadians with the best results. It states that people will have the protection of medicare and will help with concerns like: injury prevention, nutrition, physical activity, mental health, etc. The Canadian Alliance Party’s plan is to make several policy-developments to benefit Canada’s health care. They believe it will serve the security and well-being best for all Canadians. The last party involved in this issue is the NDP Party; who indicate that they are fighting hard for a better Health Care system in our economy. The NDP Party states that the income of a family should not dictate the quality of health care.
The two major components of Medicare, the Hospital Insurance Program (Part A of Medicare) and the supplementary Medical Insurance program (Part B) may be exhausted by the year 2025, another sad fact of the Medicare situation at hand (“Medicare’s Future”). The burden brought about by the unfair dealings of HMO’s is having an adverse affect on the Medicare system. With the incredibly large burden brought about by the large amount of patients that Medicare is handed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fund the system in the way that is necessary for it to function effectively. Most elderly people over the age of 65 are eligible for Medicare, but for a quite disturbing reason they are not able to reap the benefits of the taxes they have paid. Medicare is a national health plan covering 40 mi...
Being a Canadian citizen, it is hard for me to think of life without any health insurance. I have had public health insurance all my life growing up and have been free to go to any hospital at any time and get some form of health care. Residing in the United States off and for the last 7 years I have experienced health care from both sides. I feel that private health care has huge advantages over public health care. In the following essay I will explain in three points why I feel strongly about private health care as opposed to public. What is better is always subjective, and I will not try to argue the point of health for all, but instead for the individual who is seeking the best health care possible, and is willing to put the resources into obtaining that. I will be addressing efficiency and quality, not inclusion of everyone (free health care), I will be addressing the root of this and not just that one argument, which would detract from my focus. I will not be getting into the political debate of socialism vs. capitalism, as that is a separate argument in itself, and this country is currently running under capitalism. Again coming from living in both a socialist and then a capitalist society, I feel I can do so in an unbiased manner.