Canada's Health Care System
2010-02-02 |
One debate that this country will have to have sometime during the next five years is on our Canadian health care system. I am not advocating for one second any changes to the way our health care system is funded or administered, but rather the fact that costs for all provincial governments are escalating at rates that are, in my opinion, not sustainable.
Last week the Heart and Stroke Foundation officially declared young Canadians between the ages of 20-29 as an “at risk” group for cardiovascular disease.
As people age and the risk factors present in all segments of society increase, and society becomes less deferential and more demanding, the costs will increase at levels that no provincial government can sustain.
This is not a partisan political issue. You cannot blame anyone in any particular federal or provincial government today other than to say that they are not prepared to deal with, let alone talk about, the issue.
Health care costs in Canada are rising by approximately 6% per year. These increased costs will affect the way we as a country fund education, environment, crime prevention and early childhood development – issues that if are not funded properly, will further drive up future health care costs.
In 2004, Prime Minister Paul Martin signed an agreement to increase health care funding to the provinces by 6% per year for 10 years. In exchange the provinces agreed to provide much greater information, and move on issues such as pharmacare care and home care. For all practical purposes, the provinces did not uphold their end of the bargain. I should also point out that the federal government only funds about 25-30% of total health care costs.
Although some of the answers lie in prevention, lifestyle, etc., I am not suggesting that I have the answers. Also we get very little guidance from the United States. They spend 15.3% of their GDP on health care versus Canada’s 10.7% of GDP and their health outcomes are inferior. What I am suggesting is that this is a debate that will have to take place – and the sooner we do it the better off we all will be in the long run.
