OECD single-payer policy review

The Canadian national public healthcare system is federally funded and delivered within provincial and territorial jurisdictions. While this system is a source of national pride, the limitations of this mode of healthcare delivery are an important point of consideration in light of the changing demographic and social factors upon which this system’s ongoing economic viability will depend. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development aggregates and reports on measures of national health statistics, and therefore provides a valuable point of comparison between Canada and similarly economically developed nations with public healthcare options. A number of salient public policy differences between Canada and other nations are discussed they relate to healthcare delivery. Two broad health policy areas are emphasized as potential areas of improvement with regard to efficient, cost-effective healthcare delivery: access to primary care, and integration of care between primary and specialist services