Universal Health Care

This week I enjoyed reading of the article Modernizing the Canadian Health Act, in the Dalhousie Law Journal. The CHA is Canada’s legislation for publicly funded healthcare (Government of Canada, 2020). While there is no overarching insurance plan for Canada, each province is responsible for determining their own coverage features (Government of Canada, 2011). The purpose of the CHA is to ensure eligible candidates have access to medically necessary services (Government of Canada, 2011). Eligibility varies across provinces, but the main feature is eligible parties live and reside in the province. For Alberta’s eligibility criteria please check out this link.

A common theme can be read throughout the Modernizing the Canada Health Act article; there is a growing gap in those pushing for private healthcare, and those pushing for publically funded health care. The authors do a great job of capturing how private healthcare does not benefit those communities that are marginalized and living below the poverty line. In fact, the authors argue that evidence-based research shows that privatizing healthcare actually costs the system more in the long run (Flood & Thomas, 2016). Flood and Thomas (2016, pg. 399) point to a heartbreaking statement; “ alarming numbers of low-income Canadians reply yes when asked, for example, whether they did not get a recommended test, treatment, or follow-up because of cost in the past year.” The most vulnerable communities are not seeking healthcare due to cost out of their pocket, which in the end, costs the Canadian healthcare system more money.

At one point in the article the authors speak to the concern with not having a universal drug plan (Flood & Thomas, 2016). This I can speak to personally through my work at the Alex Youth Health Centre. We serve clients 12-24 years of age; there is one type of benefit for those under 18, Child Health Benefit. In order to apply for this coverage, parents need to sign off. A lot of our youth do not have involved parents, and some have parents who may not be in favor of certain medications; birth control as an example. Using the mature minor doctrine, our team will decide if a youth is mature enough to understand the risks and benefits of contraception. If parents are not involved or not supportive of contraception, our clinic will provide compassionate contraception means to the youth. In a way, I see this as a harm reduction approach to unwanted pregnancy as it relates to the cost on the healthcare system. If there was a universal coverage plan for medications like contraception, communities from all demographics would benefit.