Backgrounders

The Canadian fiscal transfer system is relatively simple and designed to address fiscal imbalances arising from economic differences across provinces and territories that are related to per capita income and natural resource endowments.

Everyone deserves to live a long life in full health, but not everyone is so fortunate. Some individuals and groups are more at risk of falling ill, becoming severely ill or disabled or dying prematurely (that is, before the average expected life span).

“Medicare,” provides public funding for all medically necessary hospital and physician services.

Public opinion polls show many Canadians worry about surgical wait times. Anecdotal media reports and heated political debates encourage this worry. But the question remains: Are Canadians waiting too long for surgery?

Does more healthcare create better outcomes? In other words, do more medications, tests and interventions necessarily result in healthier patients? It turns out more care is, all too often, unnecessary care.

Everyone deserves to live a long life in full health, but not everyone is so fortunate. Some individuals and groups are more at risk of falling ill, becoming severely ill or disabled or dying prematurely (that is, before the average expected life span).

The most basic way of categorizing healthcare financing is to separate public and private healthcare costs. Public financing includes expenditures from any level of government (financed through taxation) as well as social insurance funds (these are much more widespread in European health care systems, although Workers’ Compensation Boards would be included here).

Does more healthcare create better outcomes? In other words, do more medications, tests and interventions necessarily result in healthier patients? It turns out more care is, all too often, unnecessary care.

“The misuse of opioids has grown exponentially with devastating consequences” – First Do No Harm: Responding to Canada’s Prescription Drug Crisis (Canadian Council on Substance Abuse, 2013).

The Canadian fiscal transfer system is relatively simple and designed to address fiscal imbalances arising from economic differences across provinces and territories that are related to per capita income and natural resource endowments.

Public opinion polls show many Canadians worry about surgical wait times. Anecdotal media reports and heated political debates encourage this worry. But the question remains: Are Canadians waiting too long for surgery?

“The misuse of opioids has grown exponentially with devastating consequences” – First Do No Harm: Responding to Canada’s Prescription Drug Crisis (Canadian Council on Substance Abuse, 2013).

Is there any link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism?

Mental illness and addictions take a toll that can be measured in human costs, healthcare costs and costs to society. Approximately one in five Canadians experience a mental illness or addiction each year and 50% will experience one in their lifetime.

Data indicate several problems related to the dietary habits of Canadians; Canadians are over-consuming snacks, fats and foods not belonging to the basic food groups.

The prevalence of obesity in Canada has substantially increased over the past 30 years. More than one in four Canadian adults have obesity and childhood obesity has tripled during the same time period. The obesity epidemic is one of the biggest health challenges facing Canadians today.

The U.S. health care system is not a universally accessible system – it is a publicly and privately-funded patchwork of fragmented systems and programs. Insured Americans are covered by both public and private health insurance, with a majority covered by private insurance plans through their employers.

Does more healthcare create better outcomes? In other words, do more medications, tests and interventions necessarily result in healthier patients? It turns out more care is, all too often, unnecessary care.