Right-wing think tank, the Fraser Institute contends federal legislation mandating a public-payer health is stifling reforms that could make care more efficient and less costly. The study shows the Canada Health Act doesn't explicitly prohibit private for-profit hospitals and private (parallel) health service delivery. However, it notes Ottawa interprets the law to disallow such activity, discouraging provinces from pursuing reforms. Comparing Canada with other OECD countries with universal healthcare, the report points out that private hospitals and cost sharing are integral parts of many health systems in Western nations. The institute recommends the CHA be rewritten to allow more healthcare options and adopt a more decentralized approach that would lower federal health transfers to permit provinces to introduce their own reforms.
NBHC Sustainability