Canada

In Canada, healthcare is publicly funded. Most medical services are provided by private organizations and are free of cost to Canadian citizens through the Canada Health Act, which came into effect in 1984 under Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. The federal government is not involved in daily administration of healthcare; insurance claims are handled at the provincial level. Several services that are not provided under the Canada Health Act include: prescription drugs, long-term or palliative care, dental care, and glasses. Employers in Canada often offer private insurance plans to offset these costs.

Healthcare Spending

The CIA World Factbook ranks Canada thirteenth in the world with respect to total healthcare expenditures. In 2011, 11.2% of the Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) went to healthcare expenditures such as hospitals, medication, and physicians. This figure is much lower than healthcare spending in the neighboring United States, which accounts for approximately 16% of the national GDP. Although healthcare expenditure in Canada has been growing rapidly since 1975, it is expected to stabilize in the coming years.

Availability of Care

In Canada, there are 2.07 practicing physicians per one thousand people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) a figure that is slightly under the average for the North American region and is well below the average for member countries in The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD average was 3.1 in 2007 and has grown in the current years. Conversely, Canada does not have a shortage of nurses and midwives; there are 9.29 nurses or midwives per one thousand people, which is more than double the average in the region. In Canada, there are approximately three hospital beds for every one thousand people.

Life Expectancy & Mortality

Life expectancy in Canada is quite high, ranking fourteenth in the world. The national average is 81.67 years; however, there are noteworthy differences between male and female life expectancy figures. Males live for 79.07 years on average and females 84.42 years. In the United States, the average life expectancy is 78.74 years, which is significantly lower. Recent gains in life expectancy in high-income countries, including Canada, are attributed to the fact that fewer people are dying from stroke and heart diseases before reaching 60.

Other Issues

The most critical issue within the Canadian healthcare system is current wait times. While life-threatening illnesses and injuries are taken care of immediately, many citizens face less urgent issues that incur long wait times. For instance, Health Canada reports that it takes just over four weeks, on average, to get an appointment with a healthcare specialist. Similarly, it takes four weeks for most Canadians to receive surgery, including non-urgent and elective procedures. Wait times for other services, such as CAT scans and MRIs, are less severe, on average less than two weeks. Emergency wait room times are also long, on average taking four hours or more to see a physician. Wait times in Canada have been so severe that many patients consider other options, such as crossing the border to the United States and paying for care.