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Fraser Institute Updates -- How Good is Canadian Health Care?
Just Published: Canada Spends Among the Highest on Health Care in
Industrialized Countries but Ranks Low on Key Health Indicators
Canada spends more on health care than any other industrialized country
providing universal access, yet ranks low in access to care, according to a
new study, "How Good is Canadian Health Care?: An International Comparison
of Health Care Systems (2004 Report)", released today by The Fraser
Institute.
The study compares Canada to other countries in the OECD (Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development) that guarantee access to health care
regardless of ability to pay (the United States and Mexico are excluded from
the study for this reason). Twelve indicators of access to health care and
outcomes from the health care process are examined including access to
physicians, access to high-tech medical equipment, and key health outcomes.
"Although Canada, along with Iceland, spends the most on an age-adjusted
basis on health care among OECD nations, our system produces inferior access
to physicians and technology, produces longer waiting times, is less
successful in reducing deaths from preventable causes, and costs more than
other systems that have comparable objectives," said Nadeem Esmail,
co-author and senior health policy analyst at the Institute.
Many of the countries examined produce superior outcomes in health care and
at a lower cost than Canada . Among industrialized countries, only Canada
outlaws a private parallel health care system for its citizens.
Other industrialized countries with universal access programs, such as
Sweden, Japan, Australia, and France, allow user fees, some form of private
insurance, and private hospitals that compete for patient demand. These four
countries consistently outperform Canada on health outcomes but spend less.
The news release:
www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&id=602
The complete publication (in pdf):
www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=pb&id=658
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