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.
Source: Roth, WF (2010) Comprehensive Healthcare for the U.S.: An Idealized Model. Productivity Press, 174 pages.
Sounds quite interesting compared to what we have in the US. But the healthcare reforms should be able to bring some closeness with this model.