Canadia: Health!!!!

Canada's health care system relies extensively on primary care physicians (e.g. general practitioners) who account for about 51% of all practicing physicians in Canada. They are usually the initial contact with the formal health care system and arrange for access to most specialists, hospital admissions, diagnostic testing and prescription drug therapy.

Most doctors are private practitioners who work in independent or group practices. Some doctors work in community health centres, hospital-based group practices or work in affiliation with hospital out-patient departments. Private practitioners are generally paid on a fee-for-service basis and submit their service claims directly to the provincial/territorial health insurance plan for payment. Physicians in other practice settings may also be paid on a fee-for-service basis, but are more likely to be salaried or remunerated through an alternative payment scheme.

While nurses are generally employed in the hospital sector, they also provide community health care including home care and public health services. Dentists work independently of the health care system, except where in-hospital dental surgery is required.

Over 95% of Canadian hospitals are operated as private non-profit entities run by community boards of trustees, voluntary organizations or provincial health authorities.

Accessing the Health Care System

When Canadians need medical care, in most instances they go to their family practitioner or local clinic and present the health insurance card issued to all eligible residents of their province/territory. Canadians do not pay directly for insured services, nor are they required to fill out forms for these services. There are no deductibles, co-payments or dollar limits on coverage for insured services.

In addition to insured hospital and physician services, provinces and territories also provide public coverage for other health services that remain outside the national health insurance framework. These supplementary health benefits often include prescription drugs, vision care, medical equipment and appliances such as wheelchairs for certain groups such as seniors, the disabled and welfare recipients.

In general, though, supplementary services such as cosmetic surgery are largely privately-financed and Canadians must pay privately for these non-insured benefits. Under most provincial laws, private insurers are restricted from offering coverage which duplicates that of the governmental programs, but they can