Canadian Medicare…. Worth saving?

In the 1960s the Canadian government introduced the Medicare system, as we know it today. This stemmed from the Saskatchewan Government, led by leader Tommy Douglas, introducing the first provincial hospital insurance program In Canada in 1947. In the last 40 years the fundamentals of the system have not changed drastically but we certainly are seeing major flaws in the system that has been described by many as Canada’s national treasure.

The Canadian Medicare system is not a system that provides 100% coverage. We still need to pay for prescription drugs in most cases. Dental and eye care are mostly provided by the private sector. We need to pay for certain medical procedures as well. But the positive thing about the system is that if we have catastrophic illnesses or need to see a doctor we are not denied based on income. There is certainly much debate going on how to improve the system, whether private services should be allowed, whether user fees should be implemented and other issues. Many people are against privatization of basic services and numerous attempts at introducing user fees proved not to work.

There is certainly a lot of abuse in the system. Some patients abuse the system, a few doctors are abusing the system, and large pharmaceutical companies play a factor on how healthcare is delivered. There is one known fact about the Canadian Medicare system, which some overlook and take for granted. Canada’s Medicare system is not free. It is paid for by hardworking Canadians like you and I in the form of taxes. We also have high taxes on liquor and tobacco to offset the cost of disease that these products have been known to cause on society.

So how do we save our system? Do we sanction services and hospital rooms? This appears to be happening in many cases these days. That is why some are without doctors and have to wait extremely long for surgery. The Ontario Medical Association recently reported there are 850,000 people in the province who do not have a family doctor.
Some are sent home from the emergency room due to lack of beds. Many are not diagnosed properly and in some cases have lost their lives eventually.

Do we impose user fees? User fees have been tried numerous times and have not worked. User fees are prohibited by the Canada Health Act and roundly dismissed by Canadian health economists and policy analysts. Despite the nearly universal rejection of user fees by Canadian experts, the idea of patient cost sharing is alive and well in other countries.

Do we increase taxes? Canadians are already one of the most heavily taxed societies on the planet and extremely high taxes can have a negative effect on the economy. Do we promote a healthier lifestyle? Many groups and organizations are preaching healthy lifestyles and with the information available now we are beginning to notice the benefits.

There are many ideas and because the system is so complex, there are different approaches that need to be studied and put into place. One thing is certain; it is going to take a collective effort by government officials and input by all Canadians to make this system work. We all need to share our ideas and do our part to save one of key icons that makes us proud to be Canadian.