Canda Health Care System Vs. United States Health Care system - Research Paper Example

Canada Health Care System vs. United s Health Care system This paper discusses the health care system in both the U.S and Canada. It looks at the health care system in terms of health care spending, health care costs, and professions among other health issues. Moreover, it vividly point out the comparisons and contrast of the two health systems.Introduction The United States and Canada have had similar health care systems in the past few years but have currently developed varying funding and operation systems where by the U.

S has a mixed system and Canada has a single payer health system. Fierlbeck, 2011, 64 argues that, Canadian health care system consists of socialized health insurance plans that cover all its populace. In addition, it is publicly funded and administered on a provincial basis through the guidelines that are set by the federal government. The U.S health system, on the other hand, has both private and public insurers. However, the dominance of the private sector over the public sector is what makes this system unique all over the world (Singh & Shi, 2010, 27).

Health care system in the U.S has been a subject of much polarizing debate. One extreme end is of people who argue that Americans have the best kind of healthcare system all over the world, while the other end argues that the American system is fragmented and inefficient with more suffering due to massive uninsuranced, administrative waste and uneven quality (NBER, 2012). Coincidentally, according to Canadian healthcare.org (2012), the Canada health system is also a subject of political controversy and debate in the country.

Some citizens question the efficiency of the current system in delivering treatments in a timely fashion and advocates for a private system that is comparable to the U.S. Health Care InsuranceThe United States health care is availed by several entities, which are largely held and managed by the private sector (MacNeil/‌Lehrer Productions). Essentially, the government offers health insurance in the public sector, with 65% of its provisions and spending emanating from programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Children’s Health Insurance among other healthcare programs.

Majority of the people are insured by the employer; a small percent get the insurance on their own, while the rest are uninsured (Singh & Shi, 2010, 27). On the other hand, health care insurance in Canada is fully funded and provided by the federal government with much assistance coming from the private sector. It is mainly guided by the Canadian health act with the government assuring that quality health care is given through the federal standards. These facilities are cost effective with the private sector being the lowest contributor in the overall system.

Statistics It is argued that the U.S health care industry employs more than 3% of the U.S employees. The average life expectancy of the United States currently stands at 79. Nevertheless, the figure is believed to vary from males to females. Female’s life expectancy stands at 82 in contrast to that of male, which stands at 76. For the period of 2007-2011, the mortality rate for the U.S was 7 (Fierlbeck, 2011, 64). In Canada, health care professions in 2009 stood at 12% of the total Canadian total employment.

In Canada, the life expectancy for the period of 2005-2007 was 84. In both countries, persons with chronic illnesses are more likely to have access to affordable healthcare services (MacNeil/‌Lehrer Productions). Health Care Cost. According to World Health Organization, spending on health care in the United States in 2009 reached a record high of $2.5 trillion or 17.6 percent of the U.S GNP. According to a recent report from one of the Canadian institute of health information, the growth rate is slow, but is expected to reach $192 billion yearly with a range of $5,614 being spent per person.

In the past two decades, in both countries, growth rate has been flat or negative but the trend has reversed due to the governments boost in the allocation of money to health. Conclusion The health systems in both Canada and U.S have had their pros and cons. In Canada, some improvements have been witnessed in the past decades, in terms of quality health care provision. Its involvement with the government has contributed greatly to it expansion. The U.S has to make the system more efficient, more inclusive especially on the government side.

References: Canadian healthcare.org (2012). Canadian healthcare. Retrieved August 15, 2012, from: htp://www.canadian-healthcare.org.Fierlbeck, K. (2011). Health care in Canada: a citizens guide to policy and politics. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.MacNeil/‌Lehrer Productions. Comparing International Health Care Systems. Retrieved August 15th, 2012, from: PBS News Hour website: http://www.pbs.org.NBER. National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved 15th August 2012, from http://www.nber.org.Singh, D. & Shi, L. (2010). Essentials of the U.S. health care system.

Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.