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.
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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.
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Trackback from The Notwithstanding Blog on July 9, 2011 at 1:05 am
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