Free Essay Sample on Group Discussion-Summary: Canadian Healthcare System

Introduction

Medical care is one of the essential needs that Canadians need, which should be provided with ease and access. On the contrary, Canadians are not fairly treated due to financial constraints. The healthcare system, therefore, becomes a concern. The Canadian government has struggled to ensure everyone gets a proper medication. For that reason, it has been known worldwide that Canada offers the best healthcare systems due to its past civil service effectiveness (Browne, 2004). Unfortunately, the recent ranking places the Canadian healthcare system not only below average but at the bottom.

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The Canadian healthcare system is performing poorly in access, equity, and the outcomes of the system. In comparison to other nations' healthcare systems, they offer better health care than Canadians do despite the defenders arguing that the Canadian healthcare system is still the best. The main issue affecting the healthcare system of Canada is the healthcare expenditure. The government is exercising spending restraint and increased tax revenue to share the available revenue easily. Canada is experiencing an aging population, development of new technologies, insufficient allocation of healthcare provision, and supplier. As a result, there has been a direct effect on the cost increase in healthcare services and provisions.

Background

In the 18th century, Canada has only hospitals that took care of the poor until she currently knew about the public health system. The great depression affected Canadians to realize such a system due to financial constraints (Browne, 2004). A universal health coverage system was enacted. The government of Saskatchewan created an Act to guarantee free hospital care (Brimacombe et al., 2001). There is currently a universal healthcare plan and a conceptual plan to measure their health system efficiency, make better use of the existing resources, and improve their value for money. In the past, Canada has ranked as the best in healthcare for so many years until recently when its system has failed, and it is ranking at the bottom. The healthcare system stood bravely in the fiscal retrenchment, but today, it faces many challenges regarding the complexity and issues regarding finance (Martin et al., 2018). The federal government and the provincial government are currently struggling to meet the costs of healthcare, which has resulted in federal cash transfers. The Canadian healthcare system is publicly funded since it is the people, direct and indirect taxpayers who contribute such that they can receive the benefits and through transfer payments. The people, despite paying, choose their healthcare plan as public or private for personal reasons.

Current Concerns

Canada has an aging population that comprises individuals who have pre-existing chronic medical conditions, yet their healthcare system fails. The population's natural increase rate is too slow, offset by an increase in international migration. Canadians are getting worried about their future health care costs (Kirby & LeBreton, 2003). Therefore, the responsibility of the healthcare finances remains majorly a concern to their provinces and territorial government. Another primary concern is the labor shortage to meet the increasing chronic conditions in the growing older population's demands. As a result, there would be a minimal potential outcome with increased debt (Martin et al., 2018). There is also the high cost of new technology.

Assessment of the Articles/Report

The Canadian healthcare system outlines the current outlook their healthcare program. It the current ongoing issues such as a situation that could result in a crisis in the future if various measures are not taken (Browne, 2004). The articles outline the geographic and health inequalities among outlying areas. Some highly expensive procedures are not covered by the Canadian healthcare plan, and their aging population presents a significant risk in the Canadians' future healthcare system.

Major Strengths

Despite facing the current challenges, the Canadian healthcare system has its strengths that other nations are trying to imitate. As a registered user, the Canadian Healthcare system is available to everyone like literally everyone irrespective of your income status; whether one has any disability or not; one is a student. Everyone gets access to medical care as long as you are Canadian. The system covers the medical fees (Martin et al., 2018). Secondly, an educational program educates the people in the system lessons about one's health. Through the program, there is public awareness of medical conditions. People get to acquire first aid skills and ways of preventing injuries. The Canadian Medicare delivers special services to people with special needs. The special needs population includes the children, the elderly, and the disabled. The veterans have facilities explicitly prepared for them.

Weaknesses

The Canadian healthcare system has been praised for so long for its civil healthcare services, which are very useful. Despite being praised, there are some problems the Canadian healthcare system faces. The wait times of a patient depends on their emergency level. The emergency patient, logic dictates that they require immediate attention, while the non-emergency patients in Canada sometimes waits too long, and the problem may get worse. There are unrealistic fees despite the program helping people with medical expenses. Not all expenses like drug prescription are covered and the fees sometimes can be costly. Despite the healthcare system running in the ten provinces, it still lacks remote access in rural places (Trachtenberg & Manns, 2017). The people in rural regions do not get the program's benefits as much as the people in urban places. There are a higher infant mortality rate and prevalence of chronic conditions in the healthcare system (Trachtenberg & Manns, 2017).

Risks

The significant risk in the Canadian healthcare system is the lack of a more active and outgoing younger population since it is made up of an older population. Political involvement in significant decision making (Martin et al., 2018). The federal government gets directly involved in the decision-making process regarding funds, making it unfair for the low-income and urban populations.

Summary

In summary, the Canadian healthcare system has currently fallen in rank following few challenges, such as an increase in an older population lacking an active, outgoing young population. There currently is a fiscal retrenchment between the federal and provincial governments in healthcare expenditure. The system continues to face significant challenges like a high cost for new technology, increased chronic conditions, and mortality rates despite being strengths that can help boost their system. Therefore, they must understand their risk factors such as an aging population and structure some measures to counter the future expected challenges.

Conclusion

The Canadian healthcare system can increase immigration to counter labor shortages and the aging population, and discourage unnecessary demand for medical care. The government can also allow the application of user fees co-payments and extra-billing to alleviate the pressure on its federal budget.

References

Brimacombe, G. G., McIntyre, J., & Antunes, P. (2001). The future cost of health care in Canada, 2000 to 2020: balancing affordability and sustainability. Conference Board of Canada.

Browne, A. (2004). Healthcare Reform in Canada: The Romanow Report. Cambridge Q. Healthcare Ethics, 13, 221. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/cqhe13&div=44&id=&page=Canada.

Parlement. Sénat. Comité permanent des affaires sociales, des sciences et de la technologie, Kirby, M. J., & LeBreton, M. (2003). Reforming health protection and promotion in Canada: Time to act. Ottawa, ON, Canada: Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
http://www.cwhn.ca/en/node/23403

Martin, D., Miller, A. P., Quesnel-Vallée, A., Caron, N. R., Vissandjée, B., & Marchildon, G. P. (2018). Canada's universal health-care system: achieving its potential. The Lancet, 391(10131), 1718-1735. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673618301818

Trachtenberg, A. J., & Manns, B. (2017). Cost analysis of medical assistance in dying in Canada. CMAJ, 189(3), E101-E105. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/189/3/E101.short