Health Council of Canada launches web site seeking Canadian feedback on health care services
Health Council of Canada press release
Canada’s Health Care System: Dissed in America
TORONTO (April 6, 2009) – When U.S. President Barack Obama recently announced his intention to create a public health care system that would be accessible and affordable for all Americans, he touched off a firestorm of criticism with some south of the border saying Canadian-style health care is not the way to go.
The critics say that Canada has long wait times, inadequate access to diagnostic equipment, and a shortage of specialists, making our health care system a poor example to emulate.
Some of the criticisms about the Canadian system heard in the U.S. include:
Canadians [have] to wait more than a year to get hip replacements, with some patients ending up addicted to pain killers due to the long wait. We Americans will never put up with a system like that.
Health Care Reform Analysed at United Way Meeting. Bill Corley, Indianapolis Star
Routine care in Canada is pretty good — just hope you aren't really sick or have a chronic condition.
Canada isn’t Utopia. Howard Wilkin, Desert News
Are these criticisms accurate?
Canada’s publicly-funded system is founded on the principle of universality, meaning that everyone is entitled to the same services regardless of their ability to pay. Last year, we spent $172 billion on our system. On a per capita basis, we spend 48% less than in the United States, where health care is not universal and some 47 million people do not have health care coverage.
Canadians live longer than Americans and appear to have similar or better health outcomes in most aspects of healthcare. Despite the significant amount of money Americans are spending, are they getting value for their money?
Are Canadians and Americans getting value for the money we spend on our health care systems? What do you think?
“We want to hear what Canadians are saying about these issues,” notes John Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of the Health Council of Canada. The Council recently launched www.CanadaValuesHealth.ca for exactly this kind of discussion.
It’s time for Canadians to speak up on such questions as:
- What do we value about our publicly-funded system? Are there ways to improve and build upon what we have? What constructive new ideas and suggestions can we come up with?
- Can we make our dollars go further? Can we get a bigger bang for our buck? Where can we improve our system to get better value?
- Can we sustain the system without having to spend billions more?
- What can the United States learn from our experiences with universal coverage?
Visitors to www.CanadaValuesHealth.ca can join in this important discussion, watch videos, listen to podcasts, read what other people are saying, and more.
– 30 –
Pierre Lachaine
Health Council of Canada
Phone : 416-480-7085
plachaine@healthcouncilcanada.ca
Jaclyn Clare or Rachel Sa
PR POST
Phone: 416-777-0368
jaclyn@prpost.ca
About the Health Council of Canada
Created by the 2003 First Ministers’ Accord on Health Care Renewal, The Health Council of Canada is mandated to monitor and report on the progress of health care renewal in Canada. Councillors were appointed by the participating provinces, territories and the Government of Canada.