Modernization of Canada Health Act

Combining the Hospital insurance and diagnostic Service Act (1957) and the Medical care Act (1968), the

Canada Health act was formed in 1984. Canada Health act established a Canada wide publicly funded Health care system, which allows all Canadians access equal care based on the need rather than the ability to pay. (Government Of Canada, 2018)

Canadian Health Act hold the provincial and territorial insurance plans accountable for public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and Accessibility to Health care.

Thirty five years after the Canadian Health Act was introduced, rising health care costs have open up debates as well as concerns about the sustainability of the publicly funded health care system. One major argument is that Canada Health Act needs reforming.

My opinion is that Canada Health Act, should be reformed to enhance preventative medicine or proactive medicine rather than reactive medicine. One of the major contributors to the ever increasing health care cost in Canada is the obesity and the overweight of the Canadian population. According to A. H. Anis and W. Zhang in their “Obesity and overweight in Canada: an updated cost of illness study” they calculated that “direct cost attributable to overweight and obesity in Canada were $6.0 billion in 2006 with 66% attributable to obesity. This corresponds to 4.1% of the total health expenditure in Canada in 2006. (A.H. Anis, 2010) Further they estimated that “newly identified comorbidities increased the direct cost of obesity by 25% while the rise in national health care expenditure accounted for 19% increase.” (A.H. Anis, 2010)

The policy makers should look in to deliver comprehensive health care system to Canadians, instead of a disease care system by modernizing the Canada Health Act to pressure provinces and territories to introduce policies and take immediate actions to promote and advocate healthier living.

I Janssem and M. Lam publishes in their study of “ Influence of overweight and obesity on Physician costs in adolescents and adults in Ontario” that “Physician costs were 14.7% higher in obese men and 18.2& higher in obese women than in men and women with normal weight” (I.Janssen, 2009)

If all the provinces and territories work towards introducing healthier living and reduce healthcare cost, we might be able to save the public Health care sy

stem for future generations.

References

A.H. Anis, W. Z. (2010). Obesity and overweight in Canada: an updated cost of illness study. Obesity Overviews.

Government Of Canada. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/canada-health-care-system-medicare/canada-health-act.html

I.Janssen, M. L. (2009). Influence of overweight and obesity on physician costs in adolescents and adults in Ontario,Canada. Obesity Overviews.