Health Care Coverage for Older People Canada

In 1995, four themes emerged from the National Forum on Health, which was convened to advise the federal government on innovative ways to improve the health care system. These themes were (1) focus on values, (2) strike a balance in resource allocation, (3) renew a focus on determinants of health, and (4) shift to a paradigm of evidence-based decision-making.

A national debate continues about the extent to which the federal government should be able to exercise authority over the way health services are provided within the current funding arrangements. In the provinces of Alberta and Ontario, initiatives to open the door to private provision of acute care services are being proposed and implemented. Meanwhile, although Canadians are concerned about waiting times for some services, a majority, when polled, continue to value Canada's universal health insurance system and to be against increased privatization of health services.