The Canadian health care system. An analytical perspective.

Abstract

The Canadian health care system is a publicly funded system based on the philosophy that health is a right, not a commodity. The implementation of this perspective is hampered by the fact that the Canadian Constitution makes health care a matter of provincial jurisdiction, while most taxing powers lie in the hands of the federal government. Further problems arise because of Canada's geographic nature and a move to regionalization of provincial health care administration. The issue is compounded by recent developments in reproductive technologies, aboriginal health, changes in consent law, etc.