Soaring costs force Canada to reassess health model

[ironsides]

TORONTO (Reuters) – Pressured by an
aging population and the need to rein in budget deficits, Canada's provinces are taking tough measures to curb [COLOR=#366388 !important][COLOR=#366388 !important]healthcare [COLOR=#366388 !important]costs[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], a trend that could erode the principles of the popular state-funded system.


Ontario, Canada's most populous province, kicked off a fierce battle with drug companies and pharmacies when it said earlier this year it would halve generic drug prices and eliminate "incentive fees" to
generic drug manufacturers.

Soaring costs force Canada to reassess health model - Yahoo! News

Looks like your having the same high costs for medical care that we in the U.S. have.

 

[Avro]

An aging population has put pressure on evey nations health care and soring costs are the result.

Canada's health system is flawed and needs a major over haul....no question of that.

 

[AnnaG]

After decades of neglect the infrastructure is rusty and weak. It didn't help when certain people decided to cut health transfer payments.
According to the fed. gov't, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php:
initially, somewhere around mid 1968 there was a 50/50 sharing of health costs between the feds and the provinces. 1986 transfer payments reduced, same between '89 and '94, '95 and '96 EPF and CAP combined into CHST, between '95 and 2001 more reductions in transfer payments (the biggest drop), 2004 CHST split back into 2 programs, and finally the first ministers decided the health care system needed an overhaul over the next 10 years.
Now the percentage is about 36%, not 50%.

 

[JLM]

An aging population has put pressure on evey nations health care and soring costs are the result.

Canada's health system is flawed and needs a major over haul....no question of that.

And the place to start is to figure out which prescribed drugs are necessary and which ones can be replaced with a healthy lifestyle, or to put it in other terms how much would health costs be reduced if the average adult weight was reduced by 15 lbs?

 

[darkbeaver]

In the spirit of health cost reduction I have undertaken to loose thirty pounds this summer chasing bronzed bikini glad goddesses at the beach.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Health care costs must be cut, for the health care system to remain viable. And that will involve some tough choices. But our system is still vastly superior to the American system.

 

[AnnaG]

In the spirit of health cost reduction I have undertaken to loose thirty pounds this summer chasing bronzed bikini glad goddesses at the beach.

I heard that pot reduces libido.

Health care costs must be cut, for the health care system to remain viable. And that will involve some tough choices.But our system is still vastly superior to the American system.

lmao Costs aren't going to go down. In case you haven't heard. Boomers will be starting to need healthcare soon, and not long after that, boomers kids will be into it. As the average life expectancy is approaching 85, that means two generations will be leaning on it at the same time. What will happen is not cuts, but increases, and we'd better hope health care becomes more efficient at spending. Making cuts will result in health care becoming like you think the USA's is.
But, I'm not surprised that you can't think of things like that.

 

[Bar Sinister]

When nations like France and Britain have a better health care system than Canada's and their per Capita cost is lower, perhaps it is time to consider using those countries as models for Canada's system.

 

[JLM]

I heard that pot reduces libido.

lmao Costs aren't going to go down. In case you haven't heard. Boomers will be starting to need healthcare soon, and not long after that, boomers kids will be into it. As the average life expectancy is approaching 85, that means two generations will be leaning on it at the same time. What will happen is not cuts, but increases, and we'd better hope health care becomes more efficient at spending. Making cuts will result in health care becoming like you think the USA's is.
But, I'm not surprised that you can't think of things like that.

Maybe it's the boomers we should be sending to Afghanistan before they get to be a problem.

When nations like France and Britain have a better health care system than Canada's and their per Capita cost is lower, perhaps it is time to consider using those countries as models for Canada's system.

It's probably the "system" that's better, not the health care, as they don't live as long over there.

 

[petros]

The last time there was a reassessment in the health model it was IMF who forced the CDN Gov to cut beds and staff in healthcare and hack and slash EI & CPP or they would trash our credit rating.

 

[AnnaG]

When nations like France and Britain have a better health care system than Canada's and their per Capita cost is lower, perhaps it is time to consider using those countries as models for Canada's system.

According to the WHO, Canada could take lessons from 29 other countries. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/paper30.pdf

 

[petros]

WHO is what killed quality of care in Canada in the first place. We need to get our asses as far away from WHO and IMF influence as possible.

 

[Tonington]

I'm not sure why but nationalism and health care seem to go hand in hand, at least in Canada and the US. There's an incredible amount of inertia to overcome whenever people mention ideas that have worked in other countries.

There's no doubt we need to make changes. Demographics are rapidly changing, and if we don't keep up our system will be inadequate to deal with the broader realities of Canadian society.

Anyone here about the aging population lately? Stats Canada's latest numbers say that by 2036, senior citizens will for the first time outnumber children aged 14 and younger. That's under the lowest growth scenario...and double the amount of senior citizens that Canada now has.

Overweight individuals will certainly put a strain on the system, but that will be nothing compared to the costs placed on provincial health care plans through prescriptions and intensive levels of care needed by seniors.

Preventative care, how to get there? The senior generation will already have had history which predisposes them to necessary health care. Smoking, drinking, chronic conditions, damage to all the different tissue types through accidents at work, home, etc. You can't prevent that damage now.

It's pretty serious, and I don't see enough in my generation paying attention to the signs around us. A whole whack of social services that we've become accustomed to, under demographic conditions which will no longer exist. That's scary to me. It should be scary to others in my generation...

 

[Ron in Regina]

This is from a couple of years back...with advances in medical science, like Tonington
poits out above, picture this in 25yrs or so with multiple generations of seniors.

It'll be interesting.

 

[petros]

I'm not sure why but nationalism and health care seem to go hand in hand, at least in Canada and the US. There's an incredible amount of inertia to overcome whenever people mention ideas that have worked in other countries.

There's no doubt we need to make changes. Demographics are rapidly changing, and if we don't keep up our system will be inadequate to deal with the broader realities of Canadian society.

Anyone here about the aging population lately? Stats Canada's latest numbers say that by 2036, senior citizens will for the first time outnumber children aged 14 and younger. That's under the lowest growth scenario...and double the amount of senior citizens that Canada now has.

Overweight individuals will certainly put a strain on the system, but that will be nothing compared to the costs placed on provincial health care plans through prescriptions and intensive levels of care needed by seniors.

Preventative care, how to get there? The senior generation will already have had history which predisposes them to necessary health care. Smoking, drinking, chronic conditions, damage to all the different tissue types through accidents at work, home, etc. You can't prevent that damage now.

It's pretty serious, and I don't see enough in my generation paying attention to the signs around us. A whole whack of social services that we've become accustomed to, under demographic conditions which will no longer exist. That's scary to me. It should be scary to others in my generation...

There is one thing you missed out on. 2009 was the first year that death caused by pollution started on the tally sheets for causes of death and recordable health concerns.

Ah well. What are you gonna do? If the macrobes and microbes don't kill you the air and water will.

 

[Bar Sinister]

Maybe it's the boomers we should be sending to Afghanistan before they get to be a problem.

It's probably the "system" that's better, not the health care, as they don't live as long over there.

According to the WHO, Canada could take lessons from 29 other countries. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/paper30.pdf

No disagreement with either of you. I guess Canada does not do too badly in longevity. But the post is mainly about cost and if that is the case we need to consider more cost effective models and stop copying the USA.

Total Population > Life Expectancy At Birth statistics - countries compared - NationMaster

 

[ironsides]

What!! I thought we were copying you?

 

[AnnaG]

I'm not sure why but nationalism and health care seem to go hand in hand, at least in Canada and the US. There's an incredible amount of inertia to overcome whenever people mention ideas that have worked in other countries.

There's no doubt we need to make changes. Demographics are rapidly changing, and if we don't keep up our system will be inadequate to deal with the broader realities of Canadian society.

Anyone here about the aging population lately? Stats Canada's latest numbers say that by 2036, senior citizens will for the first time outnumber children aged 14 and younger. That's under the lowest growth scenario...and double the amount of senior citizens that Canada now has.

Overweight individuals will certainly put a strain on the system, but that will be nothing compared to the costs placed on provincial health care plans through prescriptions and intensive levels of care needed by seniors.

Preventative care, how to get there? The senior generation will already have had history which predisposes them to necessary health care. Smoking, drinking, chronic conditions, damage to all the different tissue types through accidents at work, home, etc. You can't prevent that damage now.

It's pretty serious, and I don't see enough in my generation paying attention to the signs around us. A whole whack of social services that we've become accustomed to, under demographic conditions which will no longer exist. That's scary to me. It should be scary to others in my generation...

It should be scary to any Canadian who can think. Hubby and I read a few years ago that by 2020 or 2025 or something like that gov'ts in Canada will be spending 70 to 75% of their budget on health care. So far it looks like they might have been right.

No disagreement with either of you. I guess Canada does not do too badly in longevity. But the post is mainly about cost and if that is the case we need to consider more cost effective models and stop copying the USA.

Total Population > Life Expectancy At Birth statistics - countries compared - NationMaster

There are a few countries where we could be well served if we looked at their health services and systems. So far, however, our politicians seem to be content with bandaid solutions (pun intended).

What!! I thought we were copying you?

I think it is more that than us copying you, yes.

 

[ironsides]

It should be scary to any Canadian who can think. Hubby and I read a few years ago that by 2020 or 2025 or something like that gov'ts in Canada will be spending 70 to 75% of their budget on health care. So far it looks like they might have been right.

There are a few countries where we could be well served if we looked at their health services and systems. So far, however, our politicians seem to be content with bandaid solutions (pun intended).

I think it is more that than us copying you, yes.

All I know is that when President Obama was trying to get a U.S. health system started, everyone except a few were saying how great the Canadian system was and that the U.S. should pattern itself after it. You are confusing me (I'm confusing me). :lol: Your right, nationalism shouldn't have no part in health care. But what is the best way to go, were all getting older and putting a demand on the system. If you regulate drugs and doctors to much they will just become scarce.

 

[Bar Sinister]

What!! I thought we were copying you?

In recent years, many right of centre Canadian governments have turned over elements of Canadian health care to private companies. The supposed reason for this is to "reform" or improve the system. But the actual reason is the desire of right wing governments to eliminate public infrastructure while at the same time rewarding their right wing business supporters.

It is interesting to note that there has been no appreciable improvement in either efficiency of services offered or the lowering of health care costs as a result of privatization. Not a single government in Canada has produced any statistical data to show that privatization of health care services has in any way made the system more cost effective. However, it is one of the fundamental desires of many right wingers in Canada to turn over as many aspects of health care as possible to for-profit firms. It is all about finding ways to make Canadians pay more for public services and directing government funds toward the private sector.

Sadly, although Canadians like to point out corrupt the US political system is, Canada also has its share of stupid and unscrupulous politicians.