Mark Thoma Tells Us About the 1983 Health Care Reform in Canada
Mark Thoma:
Economist's View: From 1983: Health Care Reform in Canada: [Here] is an article on health care reform in Canada from February 15, 1983.... "The Canadian health system is really nothing more than an insurance plan for all citizens. The Federal Government and each of the 10 provincial governments put up the money, which comes from income taxes, sales taxes and, in the case of three provinces, premiums. Doctors bill the province for medical services."
The issue the Canadian system faced was that some doctors had begun charging the government insurance plans more than the mandated fees, something many saw as a movement toward a private or two-tiered system and hence a threat to public health care in Canada. I was struck by how many similarities there are in the arguments to what we are hearing today. It's also interesting to look back and determine which of the scary stories about the future have come true...
