Health Care that Lives in Infamy
Canada's health care system is one that most citizens are proud of despite being shrouded in political controversy. It works through a group of socialized insurance plans. These plans cover all Canadian citizens and are publicly funded, making most care free.
All hospitals and insurance policies are run by the territory or province a person lives in. When a person moves to a different territory, the Canadian government automatically transfers medical information.
Canada did not have universal health care until 1984, when the Canada Health Act was passed. The Canada Health Act has five basic principles:
Criticism
While many Americans cross the border to receive affordable care in Canada, Canadians cross back to receive more timely care. One flaw in the Canadian health care system lies within the realm of surgical operations. Doctors have quotas that they cannot exceed (depending on the province) and therefore patients wait time is considerable. Some cases even turn deadly. Also, the quality of the health care facilities that are government run -- proportional to how much one pays in taxes -- is being questioned.
Canada's health care system is one that most citizens are proud of despite being shrouded in political controversy. It works through a group of socialized insurance plans. These plans cover all Canadian citizens and are publicly funded, making most care free.
All hospitals and insurance policies are run by the territory or province a person lives in. When a person moves to a different territory, the Canadian government automatically transfers medical information.
Canada did not have universal health care until 1984, when the Canada Health Act was passed. The Canada Health Act has five basic principles:
- Public Administration (carried out by public authority on non-profit basis)
- Comprehensiveness (all health service workers + facilities must be insured)
- Universality (all residents have same level of care)
- Portability (people who move from one province to another get same coverage)
- Accessibility (all people have reasonable access to facilities)
Criticism
While many Americans cross the border to receive affordable care in Canada, Canadians cross back to receive more timely care. One flaw in the Canadian health care system lies within the realm of surgical operations. Doctors have quotas that they cannot exceed (depending on the province) and therefore patients wait time is considerable. Some cases even turn deadly. Also, the quality of the health care facilities that are government run -- proportional to how much one pays in taxes -- is being questioned.