Debunking the Myths Connected with the Canadian Healthcare System

Posted on February 26, 2016

Whether you love it or hate it, or simply want to learn about it, there’s no denying that the healthcare system in Canada attracts lots of interest. The first elements of this system appeared in Saskatchewan in 1947, but it wasn’t until 1984 when the whole country received the coverage it needed, making the system quite young when compared to other developed countries. Despite this fact, it has gained a lot of buzz, both positive and negative. People have compared it to the American health care system and systems of Europe’s most progressive countries, yet Canada has stood out in its own ways. This system is not easy to understand, and this has led many myths and misconceptions about it to appear over the years. Fortunately, you will be able to learn about the system and avoid false information that may hinder you from making the most of the system, as well as the health and care medications available in it.

Debunking the Myths Connected with the Canadian Healthcare System

The first myth you may hear about the Canadian system is that it is inferior to the one in the U.S. Naturally, there are both similarities and differences between the systems, and the claim is a matter of personal preference, but many of the Canadian system’s critics claim that Canadians are choosing the U.S. medical industry more and more often, highlighting its appeal and superiority. This is neither true for patients from Canada nor doctors. There are many cases when Canadians travel to the U.S. for costly and rare medical procedures to ensure the finest possible treatment, but a vast majority of patients remain highly satisfied with the basic and intensive treatment they get in their own country. In fact, you could even make the case that medical tourists from the U.S. are more common than those from Canada. After all, Canada is well-known for its accessible and affordable medications. You can find a wide range of drugs in Canada that are more fairly priced and more freely available than the same items in the U.S.

In spite of low prices, these drugs are no worse in quality and often even safer to take, as the Canadian government controls and regulates them effectively. If you consider this fact, it’s easy to see why Americans have been driving to Canada by the dozens to get the medication they need. Many of these medications are unique brand name drugs, and there is also a large portion of generics like the ones featured on the Canadian Pharmacy Mall website. There is no deal breaker for doctors, either. Although volatile changes in the 1990’s motivated hundreds of Canadian doctors to choose work in the U.S., this number has steadily shrunk over the years, and now there are more doctors coming into Canada than leaving it.

When the Canadian health system is discussed, you may also hear that it is socialized. In a socialized health care system, all workers in this industry are employed by the government, and the state takes a domineering role in the provision of services, as well as their funding. This is clearly not the case in Canada. In reality, Canadian doctors and healthcare workers are rarely tied to federal institutions, and usually hold their own clinics and private practices. However, this does not exclude the government’s active role in the health care system. The government sets standards, rules, and regulations, and acts as the insurer of essential medical services. It also controls the framework of online drug sales, which you can be sure Canadian Health&Care Mall follows.

With a single insurer, the nuisance of dealing with insurance companies disappears, and with it many hours of conversation and debate about coverage and accountability. With this system, patients are free to choose the clinics and doctors they want and are entitled to the same essential services as other Canadians, despite the specific nature of who treats your ailments. Doctors and medical workers are also afforded a level of freedom that lets them set their own work hours, locations, and work staff. While they fund these things out of their own pocket and the pockets of patients, they send bills for services to the government in order to receive compensation. This is not a socialized system, but an efficient fusion of private enterprise and government oversight.

Another common mistake people make in regards to the Canadian health care system is referring to it as a homogenized and universal system. This is wrong because the medical sector in this country should be viewed as 15 different systems. Each of the country’s provinces and territories makes its own specific rules and conditions regarding healthcare, as long as they do not violate the universal principles and rules established in the 1984 Canada Health Act. By creating their own principles and conditions, local governments are able to adjust the system to better suit its residents or people of different categories. Throughout the system’s history, this has proved to be both good and bad. On one hand, many problems not addressed by universal government legislation are resolved.

However, on the other hand, some provinces and territories are more effective at running their systems than others, which can lead to problems like lack of coverage, long waiting times for operations and appointments, and high variations in the pricing of services. The fluctuations in pricing do not affect websites like the Health and Care online Pharmacy, which features products from many different sellers in the country. While this uneven system does not grant the best results in all cases, it is more or less efficient, and the population has certainly warmed up to the concept. In recent polls conducted in the country, less than ten percent were displeased with the state of the health care system, while a large number of citizens polled named the creator of this healthcare system someone they deeply admire.

These are but a few of the myths invented or misconstrued about the health care system in Canada. Sure, it may be hard to call it simple or perfect, but Canadians are generally pleased with how the government provides for them and are notoriously healthy in an age when so many factors harm our health. Before falling prey to generalizations and myths about this system, you should do your fact checking, and always remember the aspects of the system that are the most beneficial, if not groundbreaking, including affordable and accessible drugs such as the ones offered by Canadian Health and Care Pharmacy, government-funded insurance, and program conditions specifically tuned to the area you live in.