Health Care Around the World

International Healthcare Models: Canada

Here is my previous review of the Canadian system.  Below, I will include additional information on healthcare in Canada based on the book by William Roth.

Insurance

  • Government-funded insurance covers the majority of Canadians.
  • Private insurance was recently made legal in Canada, but private insurance is still held by a very small proportion of the population.

Physicians

  • Physicians work on a fee-for-service basis.
  • Providers bill the province electronically.
  • 60% of Canadian physicians practice in the primary care setting compared to 30% in the U.S.
  • Medical school costs about half of what it does in the U.S.

Funding

  • Premiums and tax revenues for medical care are collected by provinces.

Regulation

  • The cost of each procedure is negotiated between the provincial government the local medical association.
  • Procedures deemed “not necessary” are not covered by government insurance.

HIT

  • Is in the process of creating EHR for all citizens using a standardized format.
  • Physicians can check medication histories and order medications online.
  • A Chronic Disease Management Infostructure (CDMI) is being created to predict trends and allocate resources more efficiently.

SourceRoth, WF (2010) Comprehensive Healthcare for the U.S.: An Idealized Model. Productivity Press, 174 pages.

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