Health Care Coverage for Older People Canada

In 1974, a benchmark report titled "A New by Perspective On the Health of Canadians" was released by the federal minister of health, Marc Lalonde. This report advocated that the domains of human biology, environment, and lifestyle needed to be considered on an equal basis with the traditional focus on health care delivery in order to improve the health of Canadians. This was a radical position at the time, and this report has subsequently served as a model for the development of population health approaches in Canada and many other countries.

Two other key events occurred during this period. The federal government attempted to uphold the principles of Medicare while reducing its financial contributions in response to environmental and political pressures. Many physicians, regarding the government fee schedule as inadequate, began charging patients an additional fee at the time of service, a practice known as extra-billing. A review of health services was initiated under the leadership of Justice Emmett Hall, and the findings of this review, supported by the minister of health, called for a return to founding principles and the drafting of new legislation.