Health Care in Canada

There are public and private hospitals. These hospitals work together to provide health to the
public and the health care system is nonprofit system, which is a controversial topic in Canada.
There are many services that are not covered. These include things like dental services,
optometrists, and prescription medications. Private health insurance plans are usually offered as
part of employee benefit packages in many companies. Incentives usually include vision and
dental care. Alternatively, Canadians can purchase insurance packages from private insurance
providers.
While private insurance can benefit those with certain needs, many Canadians choose to rely
exclusively on the public health system.
The advantage of private clinics is that they typically offer services with reduced wait times
compared to the public health care system. For example, obtaining an MRI scan in a hospital
could require a waiting period of months, whereas it could be obtained much faster in a private
clinic.
Canada's health care system is a group of socialized health insurance plans that provides
coverage to all Canadian citizens.
Canada's health care system is the subject of much political controversy and debate in the
country. Some question the efficiencies of the current system to deliver treatments in a timely
fashion, and advocate adopting a private system similar to the United States. Conversely, there
are worries that privatization would lead to inequalities in the health system with only the
wealthy being able to afford certain treatments.
Canada has a publicly funded Medicare system, with most services provided by the private
sector. Canada's system is known as a single payer system, where basic services are provided by
private doctors (since 2002 they have been allowed to incorporate), with the entire fee paid for
by the government at the same rate
Mix of Private and Public Participation
Hospitals are the primary setting where secondary care is administered in the Canadian health
care system. Hospitals provide a broad range of services, including acute emergency care,
diagnostic testing, prescription drug therapy, rehabilitation services, counseling, and palliative
care for those near death.
The vast majority of hospitals in Canada operate as private, non-profit entities. They are run by
community boards or voluntary organizations which make decisions regarding the day-to-day
allocation of financial and human resources. Nevertheless, it would be incorrect to characterize
hospitals as being completely private in nature, as provincial governments have considerable
authority over their operation. While the nature of this authority can differ from one province to
another, it is generally the case that a provincial government sets and provides overall hospital
budgets, in addition to reviewing large financial decisions made by a hospital’s board. Provincial
governments also have the power to set the scope of the services offered by a hospital.