Health Care in Canada: Facts and Myths

Americans spend more money on health care — lots more — and Canadians, sometimes, have to wait longer for non-urgent treatment.

That, in a nutshell, is the practical difference between what are essentially two quality medical systems, according to a first-ever study done jointly by health statistics agencies in both the U.S. and Canadian governments during 2002 and 2003.

"In terms of quality and outcomes, it's a wash," with Americans paying far more for essentially the same results, Morris Barer of the Canadian Institute for Health Research told Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper.

Under Canada's national health care system, citizens can choose their own general practitioner and can usually get in the day they call to see their doctor. While doctors' fees for services provided under the national system are set by the government, doctors work independently and are not government employees.

When care requires a specialist, patients may have to wait a few days or even a few weeks if the case is not urgent. "We usually can't get an appointment with a specialist here right away, either," CWA President Larry Cohen said. "It's important for people to keep that in perspective, because opponents of change are going to exploit the idea of long waits as a scare tactic."

Canadians point out that even if it takes more time to see a specialist, it's a doctor — not an insurance company — who decides what the patient needs. "There's no third party out to make a profit that is deciding on my health care," said Lise Lareau, president of the Canadian Media Guild. (See interview this page.)

Despite the fact that Americans' per-capita health care costs are nearly double Canada's, the United States has a higher infant death rate and lower life expectancy, according to the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

And EPI said Canadians consult with doctors far more than Americans do — an average of 6 annual visits versus 3.8 in the United States.

U.S. costs have skyrocketed since 1993, rising by more than 90 percent. Today, the per capita costs are $3,359 in Canada and $6,401 in the United States.

"The United States rejected any positive lessons from the Canadian single-payer model in 1993, and we are living with the results of that decision today," EPI said.

Video Online
"A Tale of Two Countries," a short video about Canada's health care system produced by the Canadian Media Guild-CWA, is now available online. View it at www.healthcarevoices.org/canada.