Socialized Medicine in Canada: A Personal Perspective Barbara Schneiderman

Population Comparisons Source: million million

Canada’s Socialized Medicine Timeline 1947 Saskatchewan initiates universal public hospital insurance plan more provinces follow with federal cost sharing 1972 All provinces have independent plans 1984 Canada Health Act adopted 2005 Supreme Court of Canada rules wait times excessive, legalizes private supplementary insurance. Birth of 2-tiered system Source:

How Canadian social systems are funded Taxable Income ($) Quebec Tax Rate (%) Federal Tax Rate (%) Combined Tax Rate (%) 0-9, ,601-12, ,182-29, ,291-37, ,179-58, ,597-74, , , >120, Source: Berish, Howard, FCA. “2007 Year End Tax Planning.” SNG Collins Barrow, Sales Taxes GST: 5% PST: 7.5%

Where your taxes go… 2. Intelligence Repot. Parade Magazine. March 16,

Where your salary goes… Gross Income Social Security Medical Federal Income Tax State Income Tax (CO) NET INCOME Gross Income Quebec Pension Plan Quebec Parental Insurance Plan Employment Insurance Commission Federal Income Tax Provincial Income Tax (QC) NET INCOME Canada (50K) $50,000 (2,119) (242) (584) (5,127) (6,205) $35,724 USA (50K) $50,000 (3,100) (725) (5,206) (1,780) $39,189

Where your salary goes… Gross Income Social Security Medical Federal Income Tax State Income Tax (CO) NET INCOME Gross Income Quebec Pension Plan Quebec Parental Insurance Plan Employment Insurance Commission Federal Income Tax Provincial Income Tax (QC) NET INCOME Canada (100K) $100,000 (2,119) (300) (584) (15,028) (17,019) $64,951 USA (100K) $100,000 (6,200 (1,450) (17,194) (4,098) $71,058

Government Health Care Spending as a Percentage of GDP Country Australia6.4%11.5%21.1 Austria Canada Germany Japan Norway Spain Sweden United Kingdom United States Source: “Projecting the Past into the Future.” National Center for Policy Analysis. December 2005.

Choosing no treatment due to cost Source: 2004 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey Canada United States Canada

Benchmark Wait Times in Canada Source: “Waiting for Access” CBC News. November 29, 2006, ProcedureWait Time Benchmark Notes Radiation therapy (cancer) Within 4 weeks Patient ready to treat Hip fractureWithin 48 hours Hip/Knee replacements Within 26 weeks Cataract surgeryWithin 16 weeksHigh risk patients Breast cancer screenings Once every 2 yearsWomen ages Cervical cancer screenings Once every 3 years Women ages 18-69, after 2 normal tests Cardiac bypassWithin 2-26 weeks Depending on severity

Personal Stories

Auntie G 73 year old single female, kidney tumor

Mother 54 year old female, lymphoma

Uncle I. 79 year old male, gastroenterologist, lung cancer

Brother 49 year old male, stem cell transplant, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Giving birth in Canada Timeframes and Caps

Two cases of heart valve replacement 78 & 83 year old females

Premier Robert Bourassa Melanoma treatment National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland

George Zeliotis Supreme Court of Canada: Wait times violate Quebec’s charter of rights & freedoms

Conclusions You Decide!!