We have lots to learn on health care; Spending: Systems in other countries lead way in ... - 0 views
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Vancouver Sun Sat Feb 28 2015
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Americans spend a king's ransom on health care - 17.9 per cent of GDP, versus 10.9 per cent here - yet the U.S. finishes last in a Commonwealth Fund ranking based on 11 developed countries' health care quality, access, efficiency and equity. Before you start feeling too smug about this, consider that Canada ranked second-last. And before you reject everything in the Americans' health care tool chest, consider that some approaches they embrace and we shun - letting private insurance plans run in parallel to public plans, for example, or allowing private payments for services exclusively covered by government insurance in Canada - have been adapted and adopted by the higher-ranked countries in limited and careful, but highly effective, ways.
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And here's the kicker - all of these countries' public systems cover a broader range of services than Canada, with its narrow focus on doctors' fees and hospital costs. Blomqvist and Busby note that Canadian governments cover about 70 per cent of our health care expenditures, roughly the average of all 34 OECD countries. But, thanks to pervasive restrictions that prevent or sorely limit private funding of ever-rising hospital and doctorrelated costs, little or no public money is available to fund things like universal outpatient drugs, eye care and dental plans that other countries routinely provide for citizens.
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