Healthcare Costs in Canada

Canada is one of the most advanced economies in the world. It is a member of the G8[1], the group of the richest nations on earth. It is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations[2], which historically is a group of nations that were under the former British Empire. It also has one of the best universal health care practices in the world. Lately however there has been a noted rise in the cost of universal health care. It was also noted that these rise in the cost will eventually be a bane in the government as it will hamper the government’s ability to provide adequate service to other important service of the government like education, transportation and pension benefits, which are all equally important as health care.Healthcare Costs in Canada: An Analysis

This particular poll showed that most citizens that have been asked are in favor of fixing the system or looking for ways to maintain the quality of their health system. According to the poll, nearly half of the respondents favored an increase in taxes provided it goes to improving the health care and nearly half also agreed that a portion of the bill should be footed by the patient. A portion of those polled suggested that those who are living unhealthy lives should be penalized and those with good healthy lifestyles will be rewarded. The biggest surprise in the poll showed that 69% suggested that a contribution based system much like the pension system is developed and almost the same no of people suggested that it be patterned after the retirement system. Overall though most Canadians would rather not raise their taxes but rather have these two types of systems be applied to the health care system to address the skyrocketing costs of health care which seems unsustainable in the long term.Healthcare Costs in Canada: An Analysis

This poll was taken to determine whether Canadians were open to the idea of helping the government curb the unsustainable rise in health care cost and what would be their ideas on how the government should deal with this problem. This also shows the government is proactive and that it is determined to maintain the highest standards of health care for its populace. More importantly it shows that the people are willing to take part in shouldering the expense of the government when it comes to health care and this is proven in this poll in that nearly 70% of those polled have ideas on how to make the health care system be as functional and as efficient as possible. This finding would enable the government to formulate policies that would sustain their universal health coverage at the highest quality levels of care and sustaining it and containing the skyrocketing costs of health care. Once this policy is adopted other countries which have universal health care supported by the government with similar problems of skyrocketing costs may adopt this system and modify it to suit the needs of their constituents.