HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CANADIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Access to healthcare is based on the need rather than the affordability is the principle of the Canadian healthcare system.
The healthcare system in Canada is decentralised with the provisional and health insurance plans cover the services.
Services free of cost at the point of delivery
Canada has universal health insurance coverage.
Funding is provided by taxes
The co-payments made by the patients are quite less. Physicians get the payment based on the negotiation, and the budget is provided for the hospitals.
Medicare is the healthcare system in Canada.
There are ten provinces and two territories.
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM:
The provisional health plan is responsible for providing healthcare at the provisional level.
There is no out of pocket payments to the physicians.
Prescription drugs and dental coverage is covered by private insurance in Canadian healthcare.
Healthcare provider and insurer are directly involved in the exchange of the money. Ministry of health at the provisional level is responsible for regulating the prices.
FUNDING
70% of the healthcare expenditure funding is from the taxes. In the rest 30%, nearly half is out-of-pocket spending by the patients and the other half by the insurance companies.
The funding in Canada occurs at three layers
Layer 1: This includes public services including hospital, diagnostic, and physician services
Layer 2: This consists of public and private insurance coverage. Also contains out-of-pocket payment including outpatient prescription drugs, home care, and institutional long-term care
Layer 3: This includes completely private including the dental care, outpatient physiotherapy
Around 65% of the Canadian population have supplemental private insurance, which is used for the co-payment of outpatient prescription drugs. Some of the Canadian population do not have additional insurance; the majority of them are low-income Canadians.
Also read: Drug pricing and reimbursement in Netherlands
DRUG REGULATION
Approval:
Health Canada is the regulatory body responsible for the authorization of drug products into the market. Health Canada releases the
Pricing and reimbursement: